08/23/2026
8-18-26 ZONING BOARD MEETING: STEREO GARDEN
By John Bogack, editor
We were going to do a breakdown of the video of the recent Zoning Board that considered renewing the special permit of the Stereo Garden business in Patchogue Village. Along the way though we have come up with something different to publish today, hopefully something better in the end.
It turns out that the LI Advance did a very detailed job of reporting on that meeting so today we are re-publishing that article. It is a long article, and we have annotated its content with subject headings here and there to break up the block of text.
Also, while a good article, it does omit comments made by the public in person at the meeting and since those comments did bring up issues not reported in the print article we have included references to that section of that meeting that can be viewed. If you see the video, there is more to the public portion than is reported in the newspaper article.
The public hearing, with only two people, begins on time stop 1 hour, 14 minutes and 14 seconds. It can be seen at the link for the entire video of the meeting for the Stereo Garden application that otherwise begins at time stop 32 minutes and 45 sections and which is reported on in the LI Advance article. The video can be found at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmMP4285IPw
As always this reminder, the video is the best way to see all the details.
And before we get into the LI Advance article, just to note, this editor was present at the meeting. Our takeaway: it did seem apparent that the Zoning Board is inclined to renew a special permit for the business, but not the one they presently have. Instead, granted in another category. more in line with the actual business practices of the Stereo Garden is ahead. The next one with a definite time limit understood by all. And one that will have conditions that will in some measure address concerns held by the Zoning Board itself and members of the public as well.
All that said, the LI Advance article titled (with annotated subject headings): “Stereo Garden permit renewal to be decided within 62 days Owner says ambulance issue addressed. By Sam Desmond.”
CHAIRMAN FUCCILLO SETS THE STAGE
“On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the Patchogue Village Zoning Board of Appeals held their bimonthly meeting. The AB Management Group, DBA Stereo Garden, had applied for a renewal of their special permit for a nightclub cabaret. Owners Carlos Navarro and Paola Navarro were in attendance. The application was subsequently moved to the board’s decision calendar at the conclusion of the public hearing.”
OWNERS MAKE THEIR CASE FOR RENEWAL
“Navarro stated that Stereo Garden had been in operation in Patchogue Village for seven years and throughout that time had established an “excellent” record with local utilities and authorities, such as the State Liquor Authority (SLA) and community support. “I think we run a clean operation, “said Navarro.
“We’re not young promoters; we’re business people that invest in the town… so we’re committed to the town. We have intentions of seeing it grow and not bringing the improper crowd.” Navarro stressed the hands-on approach he and Paola had with personally running events and holding community affairs, such as charity events for special-needs children, due to the nightclub portion of the permit. Paola compared Stereo Garden to its predecessor, the Emporium, and contrasted that the previous owners operated as a nightclub “every day.” “
We do concerts, we do special events, banquets—so we would like to keep our license; however, we do not do what Emporium did… It is very different and is run differently,” said Paola.
CHAIRMAN FUCCILLO HAS A CONCERN
Chairperson Nick Fuccillo established the purview of a nightclub/cabaret permit with examples like a band playing at the venue and segued into a question about martial arts events being held at Stereo Garden, to which the Navarros confirmed. The Navarros are part-owners of an MMA-style company called Flex Fight that holds over 20 national events annually and recently were selected for syndication in Latin America. In addition, amateur boxing is also held at Stereo Garden, typically for a children’s charity that the Navarros stressed was a family event.”
AMBULANCE CO. HAS CONCERNS TOO AND SO DO OTHERS
“Fuccillo read from one of several letters received by the board about Stereo Garden; one was from Christopher Schiera, director of the Patchogue Ambulance Company, who cited “ongoing issues” with the nightclub. “On several occasions over the past three years, Stereo Garden has hosted mixed martial arts fighting tournaments. For these fights to take place, they must have two ambulance crews on standby: one for the fight and one to transport any fighters that the fight doctor determines must go to a hospital… there have been three of these fights over the last three years, all on a Saturday night. In two of these fights, neither Stereo Garden or Flex Fights informed the Patchogue Ambulance Company that these events were occurring and further they contacted outside EMS.”
The main issue is that the outside EMS company could not handle the transport and had to call 911, where all Patchogue ambulances were required to report to Stereo Garden. Schiera said that on Saturday nights, the ambulance company typically had a sharp increase in calls and that taking away the resources for the fight transport resulted in the company to be understaffed. Navarro said the issue, in the letter dated July 2026, had been resolved, and a new private ambulance company had been retained.
OTHERS HAVE CONCERNS
In another letter, a resident was critical of the outside security of Stereo Garden, citing slovenly intoxication, public urination on their lawn, loud music from vehicles of patrons, and horns blaring in the early hours of Sunday morning. Navarro said that bartenders and security guards are given a checklist for who might be problematic patrons, e.g., arriving at the venue already intoxicated, not continuing to serve alcohol to someone who has reached a limit. Working with the Fifth Precinct, Navarro said measures were taken to gradually end an event with incremental lowering of music and turning on the lights so that the streets would not be flooded with 300 to 400 people and instead would have an “orderly exit” that did not occur all at once.
THE NEVER ENDING SPECIAL PERMIT?
“Some confusion arose with the granting and duration of the special permit as Fuccillo stated the longest permit granted by the board in his memory was only five years (this is the first renewal application Stereo Garden has made in seven years). The Navarros repeated that in their time occupying 9 Railroad Avenue that no one from Patchogue Village had contacted them for a renewal until now.
CHAIRMAN FUCCILLO ASKS: WHAT DO YOU WANT?
“Tell us, tell us, what do you want to do there in keeping with the nightclub/ cabaret? Do you ever open your doors for people to have a drink? As a nightclub?” asked Fuccillo. “You don’t, so you’re just a special event place?” Counsel for the board, Christopher Bianco, said, “It’s hard to square [these events] with a nightclub. So we have the definition of nightclub from back in those days and basically what you’d imagine a nightclub to be… cover charge, you walk in, there’s an area for dancing, there’s an area for a DJ.”
Navarro said that “a lot of nightclubs all over Manhattan, Queens are doing MMA [events].” But he had previously stated that if the MMA fights were problematic for the board that he would remove them from the calendar. “Just because we have a nightclub/ cabaret, we carry special insurance; my insurance last year was a $100,000 to cover my end. No one else on Main Street has $100,000 insurance,” said Navarro. Paola said it was “unfair” to fully attribute the raucous individuals in Patchogue, particularly between 1:30 and 2 a.m., to Stereo Garden, as there are other bars and restaurants emptying at the same time.
THE CHAIRMAN LOOKS FOR CHANGES, END QUESTION, ON TO THE DECISION CALENDAR
“Should we grant this permit, you gotta be a good neighbor,” said Fuccillo. Navarro said, “I am part of the community, I have invested, I own the building next door. I have houses here. I love Patchogue.”
Board member Nicole LaMontagne inquired about the 50 people to one security guard rule, that the Navarros had for events and confirmed that this was based on ticket sales leading up to the event. Navarro further stated that patrons can be held at the door to maintain proper capacity for the venue (985). All attendees are currently frisked at the door (following gun and knife incidents). The Navarros are also “saving up” for a metal detector.
The application was moved to the decision calendar, and the board has 62 days, as allowed by New York State, to determine if the permit will be renewed.”
Our photos today: the 8-18-26 Zoning Board in session, center photo Chairman Nick Fuccillo. Pictured proceeding in progress regarding an application for the construction of an auto show room on Medford Ave. that will replace an existing office building, which appeared to be heading for a future approval by the Zoning Board.
And Stereo Garden building located on Railroad Ave.
