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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.