Toomey's Tavern owner to meet with Amityville officials over noise, parking issues

The owner of a popular waterfront bar in Amityville is scheduled to meet Tuesday with village officials in a bid to resolve noise and parking issues before the start of the summer season.

Some neighbors of Toomeys Tavern, 251 South Ketcham Ave., have complained about weekend shows during the summer that attract large crowds. The amplified music carries across the water and revelers occasionally urinate on lawns, they said.

Others residents along South Ketcham said they enjoy hearing the music.

We hope to come up with a balance between the quality of life for village residents and the profitability of a village business, said Mayor James Wandell, who will attend the meeting with Deputy Mayor Jessica Bernius. We hope to arrive at that balance by pointing out to the owner of Toomeys the value of complying with village codes.

Toomeys owner Reggie DeFilippo said he was willing to do whatever it takes to rectify this problem.

DeFilippo said he has already looked into additional parking and noise barriers, and is vigilant about music volume, but wasnt aware of many complaints until last week when Amityville trustees started considering his renewal application for a cabaret license permitting music and entertainment.

I pride myself on being a very hands-on owner, he said. This is a family type of place.

Bernius and Wandell said they were considering a range of possible remedies, including shuttle service from a village parking lot off Merrick Road and allowing the bar to host only acoustic music outdoors.

Amityville code gives trustees broad power to impose stipulations with the cabaret license, said village attorney Richard Handler.

Toomeys opened more than 40 years ago, providing gas, bait and the occasional can of beer to a mostly local clientele. Weekend concerts were already a feature when DeFilippo bought the bar almost three years ago.