Riverhead · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Town of Riverhead public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Downtown Parking Utilization Plan
The town is exploring temporary parking solutions, such as adding spaces on Heidi Behr Way, to help local businesses survive construction disruptions from major downtown projects.
Signage and traffic circulation at Mill Road/Route 58 commercial center
Five sign applications were on the ARB docket, covering businesses on Old Country Road, Heroes Way, the Tanger outlets and Main Road. The board's decisions shape the visual character and lighting of these commercial corridors.
Wading River four-family dwelling dispute
Bruce Brenner is appealing the building inspector's finding that his Wading River property is a legal three-family dwelling, not four-family. Old town records from the 1950s-60s are being reviewed; decision expected December 10.
Shared parking reduction for mixed-use shopping centers
Big shopping centers are required to build parking for peak demand that rarely happens — the old Walmart plaza uses at most 26% of its 954 required spaces. The proposal would let any reviewing board grant up to a 20% parking reduction with real traffic data, potentially freeing land for redevelopment.
Notice deficiency in off-site parking appeal
A Lincoln Street parking case got bumped to November because it wasn't properly calendared and noticed — a procedural slip that delayed the applicant and the public's chance to weigh in.
Extension of lapsed zoning approvals
Several projects around town — a restaurant addition, a garage, a Jamesport subdivision — got extra time because construction or approvals lagged past their original deadlines.
Stiffer penalties for landmark demolition and alteration
The current $1,000 fine for demolishing a historic landmark hasn't been updated since 2006 and clearly isn't scaring anyone off — the Spices building came down overnight for that amount. The proposal would raise demolition fines to $10,000-$15,000 and add tiered fines for alterations, with civil and Supreme Court remedies as backstops.
Golf course zoning district and golf cottages
The board is refining its golf cottage proposal after public pushback: 600 sq ft units, max two attached, no restaurants/spas, no residency. Planner Bergman proposed rezoning four more golf courses (The Rock, Cherry Creek, the Woods at Cherry Creek, Long Island National) to RA-80 so all courses can use the cottage/TDR tool — a hedge against courses closing and becoming subdivisions of up to 83 houses each.
8-foot fence variance at proposed Wading River house of worship and cemetery
The team building a house of worship with a cemetery on five acres on Route 25A wanted an 8-foot deer fence to keep deer — and the ticks they carry — away from grave visitors. The board unanimously said no, citing precedent and the fact that deer clear 8-foot fences anyway.
Sweezy Avenue two-lot subdivision variances
A family wants to split a ~12,600-square-foot lot into two ~6,300-square-foot lots so a new house can be built for their daughter. That's far below the 40,000-square-foot RA-40 minimum, and the board's attorney flagged that the lots were merged before the family bought the property in 2015. The board reserved decision and floated the town's new accessory dwelling unit law as a workaround.
North Fork Transmission Line Home Rule Stand
The board unanimously declared that the Suffolk County Water Authority's transmission line route via Main Road is NOT immune from Riverhead zoning — a significant assertion of local control over a county project.
Private Special Event Legislation
Winery owner Charles Massoud and Farm Bureau director Bill Zalakar blasted the draft 31-page special events code for targeting farms with fees, penalties, and financial disclosures. The board says agriculture is being pulled out as the code is rewritten.
Residential addition variances in pre-zoning Aquebogue neighborhood
A homeowner in an old, nonconforming Aquebogue neighborhood needed four variances to add living space to her 749-square-foot home. The board granted them unanimously after confirming no neighbor objections and that prior permit issues were resolved.
Brenner four-family dwelling dispute on North Country Road
A Wading River family has spent decades trying to get the town to recognize their house as a legal four-family dwelling. The board is demanding hard proof — leases, tax records, photos — before ruling, and a neighbor says the parking situation is a genuine safety hazard on a dead-end road.
Bluff-area development standards in Wading River
A Jamesport homeowner wants a deck roughly triple the size of the existing platform inside the coastal erosion hazard area — and the board learned vegetation was cleared near the bluff without a permit. The case was pushed to June 11 while the board weighs precedent and the owner offers replanting.
Transfer of Development Rights certificate reassignment
The board formally transferred 2.915 development rights credits from the Zaweski family to the owner of the Restaurant Depot shopping center on Route 58 — an administrative move that lets the buyer use those credits later.
Roanoke corridor zoning changes
A proposed code change would add commercial uses, apartments, and 10 p.m. hours of operation in the Roanoke corridor. Councilwoman Waski publicly announced she does not support it, and dozens of published letters from residents oppose it.
Business PB zoning modernization
Bob Nelson flagged empty second-floor apartments and vacant doctor's offices on Roanoke Avenue under PB zoning, urging the town to revisit the zoning in its upcoming master plan.
Jamesport pergola and sheds legalization
A homeowner wants to convert her existing garage into an accessory apartment and keep a 20-year-old shed that sits 1.9 feet from the property line. The board granted the relief but the apartment must still meet the town's ADU rules, including owner occupancy.
Proposed hair salon at 1397 West Main Street
A property owner wants to convert half of a 2,500-square-foot commercial building into a beauty salon, but hair salons aren't a permitted use in the Riverfront Corridor zone. The bigger question is whether the building's old commercial use was legally preserved — the last certificate of occupancy dates to 2008, and town code can strip a grandfathered use after a year of abandonment.
Proposed Duck-Blind Legislation (Chapter 293)
Duck blinds left in the water year-round are a hazard for boaters and first responders. The draft code would require registration and placards so the town can finally identify and remove abandoned blinds — but the fee amount is still being negotiated.
Commercial vehicle parking on residential streets
A draft Chapter 289 amendment would restrict commercial vehicles parked overnight on residential roads, targeting vans and trucks that turn neighborhood streets into de facto parking lots. Enforcement logistics and the definition of 'commercial vehicle' still need work.
Site Plan Review Streamlining and Public Input
Resident Kathy McGraw caught that the legal notices for two upcoming zoning hearings — including a "golf cottages" change that doubles the size the comp plan suggested — didn't say what was changing. The town attorney agreed to publish the full amendment text with the notices.
Bluff-area development standards at 888 Sound Shore Road
Building a deck in a protected bluff area is normally prohibited, so the board weighed bluff disturbance against a scaled-back design. The applicant agreed to hand-dug piers, a shorter deck, and full revegetation of the disturbed slope.
Agricultural easement encroachments in Jamesport
A long-held family farm property gets variances to complete a subdivision approved by the Town Board back in 2005, with a covenant protecting against the greenhouse encroachment if the land is ever sold outside the family.
Site plan process compliance under Town Code § 301-305
A resident argued the board was skipping the code's two-step preliminary/final site plan process to fast-track the hotel. The Community Development administrator clarified the town has always used a single site plan application with one public hearing.
Tanger District Zoning Flexibility (Business F Amendments)
Proposed zoning changes would allow second-floor shops, restaurants (including drive-throughs), offices and broader uses at the Tanger outlets, with reduced setbacks and parking. Some residents worry drive-throughs hurt pedestrian safety and that the reduced green buffer contradicts the 2024 comp plan.
Chapter 301 impervious surface increase in commercial districts
A proposal from the Business Advisory Committee would raise maximum paved coverage in several commercial zones (e.g., DC-3 from 80% to 90%). Critics including the Greater Calverton Civic Association say it contradicts the comprehensive plan and worsens stormwater runoff; supporters say the current code makes allowed building coverage impossible to achieve. The hearing stays open for written comment until May 15.
Front-yard fence height standards in Agricultural Protection zone
The Faisal denial reinforces that six-foot front-yard fences won't be approved without solid proof of neighborhood precedent and documented need — comparison photos and unverified police claims didn't cut it.
North Shore Sprinkler nonconforming use conversion on West Main Street
North Shore Sprinkler can officially operate a wholesale sprinkler business in the River Front Corridor district, replacing a storage container warehousing use. Planning Board site plan review still applies.
Transient rental pre-existing use dispute at 47 Bayside Avenue
The owner is appealing the Building Inspector's rescission of a pre-existing-use letter for transient rental at 47 Bayside Avenue. The hearing was closed and a decision is expected April 9.
Daycare sign variance on Trout Brook Lane
A licensed home daycare provider wanted a 4x4 front-yard sign so foster families and therapists could find her; neighbors split, with one supporting and several submitting affidavits about traffic and noise. She agreed to a code-compliant house-mounted nameplate instead, avoiding a variance fight.
Stonybrook Ambulance Center use variance at 1087 Old Country Road
Stony Brook wants to base its third mobile stroke unit and store eight ambulances in the former Big Lots space at Staples Plaza. Peconic Bay Medical Center, weeks from opening its own thrombectomy program across the street, argues the unit would bypass the local hospital and send stroke patients 40 minutes to Stony Brook. The ZBA will weigh a code interpretation versus a use variance and decide May 14.
Polish Town National Register of Historic Places listing
The reorganized Polish Civic Association wants to hang Polish flags and banners on Pulaski Street's 21 light poles, honor Polish veterans through the Hometown Heroes program, and help document Polish Town for a possible historic registry listing. The town flagged technical issues with the thinner poles and is working with the association on specs.
Accessory dwelling unit law revision (Chapter 217)
The town will hold a public hearing on replacing its old accessory apartment rules with a new ADU law — potentially opening more housing options for homeowners.
Duffy MX motocross track in Calverton
A proposed outdoor motocross track on 15 acres at 2822 River Road in Calverton would excavate roughly 120,000 cubic yards of material. Neighbors and the Greater Calverton Civic Association are pushing hard on noise, dust, truck traffic, groundwater/PFOS plume concerns, prime farmland loss and property values; the applicant says below-grade construction is the best noise mitigation and disputes the 'sand mine' label. The board must adopt a final environmental scope by March 16.
Front-yard garage variance, 167 Pier Avenue
A retired homeowner wants a detached three-car garage in his front yard in Jamesport; neighbors across the street say it would be an eyesore facing their future house. The board pushed the hearing to March 12 and steered the applicant toward relocating the garage behind the front line of the house.
Esthetician office at 1025 Roanoke Avenue
A new owner wants to open an esthetician's (facial treatment) office in the former doctor's office at 1025 Roanoke Ave. The zoning officer found it's similar in impact to allowed professional offices and will draft a resolution to affirm that, letting the building permit move forward.
Residential pool variances at 9 Holly Tree Lane
A homeowner needed three variances to put an in-ground pool on his corner lot — front-yard placement, a reduced side-street setback, and extra impervious coverage. The Board said yes with a landscaping condition.
Front-yard fence and gate variance, 2041 Osborn Avenue
A homeowner wants a 6-foot fence and 8-foot gate in the front yard, where only 4 feet is allowed. The case was adjourned a second time, to April 23, 2026.
SEQRA sequencing between the ZBA and Planning Board
The town's environmental consultant told the ZBA it can't vote on the crusher until the Planning Board finishes its environmental review — and recommended the Planning Board reopen its scoping to include this new application. It's a procedural tangle that will delay any decision.
Board and Committee Diversity
Resident John McAuliff pressed the board twice: every reappointed planning/zoning member is a white man, and the boards don't reflect Riverhead's population. Officials pointed to an open application process but promised to keep soliciting broader participation.