Riverhead · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Town of Riverhead public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Election Voting Guide
Early voting for the Nov. 3 election is happening now at Riverhead Town Hall, and Suffolk County voters can cast a ballot at any early voting site. Before you go, check the hours, locations, and what you need to bring—it’s mainly about making voting fit your schedule.
Affordable Housing Funding
Riverhead’s planned Northville Commons just got a $3.67 million boost from the state. That money helps move an 80-unit affordable housing project forward—meaning more below-market homes could actually get built. If you care about rent costs or local construction, this is a real step, not just talk.
Commercial Fire Protection Compliance
The Fire Marshal's office has transitioned to an online platform to track commercial fire system inspections, which has generated some questions and confusion among local business owners.
Additional parking on Heidi Behr Way
The board is exploring adding parallel parking along Heidi Behr Way downtown. A quote in the packet prices linestriping 19 spaces and one hatched area at about $4,725.
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.
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.
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.
Crown Recycling Enforcement Activity
Code enforcement opened 82 complaints and issued 146 violations in April, with unpermitted construction and junk vehicles big issues. Two new part-time officers start June 8 to boost residential patrols.
Disabled Veterans Tax Exemption Local Law
A new state law gives 100% disabled veterans a full property tax exemption, becoming mandatory in October 2026. Veterans told the board the eligibility rules are confusing and exclude many with PTSD who don't need home modifications.
Riverhead LIRR Train Station Disrepair
Warren McKnight presented photos of peeling paint at the train station and demanded the town pressure the MTA; the board agreed to send a letter, using the tactic that previously got potholes fixed.
Sound Shore Guild bulkhead replacement
The board reviewed awarding the bid for the bulkhead repair, with work expected to start within weeks, plus a budget transfer from community benefit funds.
Andersson Acres subdivision school district split
A revived ~70-acre subdivision across the LIRR tracks won approval of its 35-lot yield map and 33-lot cluster sketch plan, preserving just over 70% of the land and splitting between two school districts.
Baiting Hollow Golf Club cell tower flag debate
Elite Towers wants a 140-foot monopole on Sound Avenue, but the residential zoning doesn't allow it — a use variance is needed. Visual impact along the scenic corridor is the big question.
Verizon tower at 285 Hubbard Avenue
A new 120-foot stealth tower is proposed next to homes and Fire Station 2. Staff wants landscaping to screen the tired Verizon maintenance yard and an FAA compliance report; the tower could later grow to 130 feet under the code.
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.
Church Lane Speeding in Aquebogue
A 51-year Church Lane resident says speeding on the winding road is deadly dangerous — cars doing 45-50 in a 35 zone with no room to dodge. She was directed to the August 27 traffic safety meeting.
Brush fire staging area at Veterans Park (EPCAL)
A $100,000 state grant secured by Assemblywoman Giglio will build a staging area for firefighters battling brush fires along Sound Avenue, where dead trees and roadside conditions have made firefighting dangerous.
Horton Avenue/Reeves Avenue Intersection Safety
A Calverton man whose friend was killed at the Horton/Reeves intersection in 2021 asked the board again for a traffic control device; the board agreed to put it on the traffic safety committee agenda.
Great Rock Golf Club improvements legalization
The golf course cleared land without approval and now wants to legalize Hole 17 improvements. The board wants the wooded buffer along Fairway Drive formally mapped and legally protected before signing off.
Pumpkin Smash and Food Scrap Program
A heated exchange revealed the town previously paid employees to pick up food waste from schools — work Councilman Kern argued belongs to the school district. The superintendent and town will model a new partnership this fall.
Police staffing and recruitment
Crime is down sharply — 113 criminal incidents in January vs. 164 a year ago — and council members credited the town's investment in growing the force to 100 officers five years ago.
Hampton Motors expansion at 300 Mill Road
A busy auto-body shop wants to add workspace and vehicle storage. It needs ZBA relief for setbacks, and the board cleared the environmental review hurdle so it can get there.
First responders memorial sculpture on the riverfront
"Grateful Turnout," a sculpture woven from donated fire hose and turnout gear, is proposed for the island at Heide Bear Way and McDermott Avenue, with community members invited to weave thank-you messages into it. The board endorsed the site and next steps toward donation and installation.
Fireworks permit process streamlining
Fireworks applications would move from the Town Clerk's office to the Fire Marshal's office, with two local law amendments published for review.
Councilmember Waski Social Media Post Controversy
Multiple speakers chastised Councilwoman Waski over a Facebook post about 9/11 hero and former FDNY firefighter Kevin Shea; she apologized on the record, and Shea invited her to get to know him. The exchange dominated the latter half of public comment.
Records Digitization
Decades of paper building records sit in a basement, and FOIL requests can take months. Scanning them into a searchable online system would give instant public access, cut FOIL staff time, and could generate about $180,000 a year in subscription revenue from realtors and attorneys.
FOIL Redactions of Hispanic Committee Emails
Colin Tooker said his FOIL request for Hispanic Development Empowerment and Education Committee records returned 13 pages fully redacted, and he has filed an appeal; the town attorney sent a lengthy reply the same day.
4-H Camp Preservation at Reeves Park
The Open Space Committee urged the town to buy the 35-acre parcel at the northeast corner of the forage camp with CPF funds — it would triple the Sound Avenue Preserve and reach the Long Island Sound bluffs at a below-market appraisal price.
Wading River Duck Ponds Restoration
Riverhead and Brookhaven signed on to jointly restore the Wading River duck pond after a year of negotiation.
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.
Riverhead Water District emergency maintenance contracts
The water district is replacing aging electrical equipment at Plant No. 7 on Fresh Pond Road, which supplies about 20% of the town's water. Staff did the mechanical and building work in-house, saving ratepayers an estimated $500,000 to $1 million.
Two-hour parking enforcement behind Moonfish and Turkes
The new two-hour limits in Lots 5 and 6 are working — spots are available and businesses are happy. The town also issued a notice to cure to Heatherwood to restore eight spaces by September 18. But residents of the apartment building have complained about losing all-day parking.
Beach permits and recreation parking challenges
The recreation fee schedule bumps the senior beach parking permit up $5, but Councilman Rothwell pushed back and the board agreed to amend it to $10 before the packet is finalized.
Justice Court and Police Department air conditioning replacement
The Justice Court's HVAC is out of operation, forcing this meeting to move. A budget adjustment to replace the units is on the September 1 agenda.
Route 25A Traffic Safety at Innov8 Fitness Driveway
A board member flagged that the Debbie Lane driveway sits only about 75 feet from Route 25A, where westbound cars accelerate out of the turn — a real safety concern. Staff may recommend making it entrance-only or shifting it north.
URT Tax Certiorari Settlement
Ron Harari said records show nearly $1 million spent on tax certiorari lawyers since 2020, including ~$250,000 on the United Terminals case, and pressed the board to disclose the settlement amount. The town attorney's office declined to answer without research.
$207,000 Election-Law Litigation Spending
A resident is asking what the town got for roughly $95,000 spent on CAT litigation. The question of how those public funds were used went unanswered in the minutes.
Pet store sales ban on commercially bred dogs, cats, and rabbits
A local law would prohibit Riverhead pet stores from selling commercially bred dogs, cats, and rabbits.
Sewer district premature-connection penalty
The town wants to charge $3,500 to anyone who connects to the sewer district without the required permissions — and the superintendent says three people did it in the last two weeks. It closes a loophole in the February fee resolution.
Sewer district extension to 840 Old Country Road
A public hearing is being called on extending the sewer district to 840 Old Country Road.
Sound Shore Farms agricultural worker housing
A farm on Sound Avenue wants to convert an old building into dormitory-style housing for six farmworkers. It's a small, staff-supported project, but the board flagged a real question: how does the town actually verify the people living there work on that farm?
Calverton Aviation Litigation
The CDA is spending roughly $95,000 more on outside legal costs for the ongoing Triple Five lawsuit over the EPCAL property. A resident wants the dollar amounts spelled out in future resolutions.
Docking restrictions rewrite
Resolution 34, amending Chapter 293 docking rules, was pulled from the packet so attorney amendments can be added; it targets derelict boats left at the riverfront docking facility on the Peconic River.
Traffic signal safety improvements
Two trouble-spot intersections — Osborne/Harrison and South Jamesport Avenue/Railroad Avenue — are getting professional traffic signal redesigns to improve safety.
Domestic incident reports on the rise
Domestic incident calls jumped to 85 in May from 64 the prior month. Chief Frost said there's no clear pattern and noted the department's outreach to the Hispanic community and school resource officers help keep trust high.
Justice Court revenue doubling
May court collections hit $56,640 — about double last May — thanks to higher fines and prepared cases pushing defendants to plead. Blight mitigation fines remain the biggest category, and the town attorney may seek Supreme Court action on two problem properties.
Harbes Orchard Estates subdivision preserves farmland and woods
The Harbes family wants to split a 10.67-acre parcel at 30 Halsey Road into four house lots while keeping the working orchard and wooded areas intact. The unusual flag-lot layout took 13 tries to get right, and the board will decide at a future meeting whether to accept the sketch.
Coastal bluff deck expansion in Jamesport
A Sound Shore Club cottage owner wants to add 235 square feet near the top of the bluff at North Wading River Road. The plan must first get ZBA relief because additions aren't automatically allowed in the erosion hazard zone.
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.
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.