News

Town Hall Notes: Board to meet with consultant for possible 25A study

With Route 25A in Wading River now the site of several large commercial development proposals, the Town Board plans to interview a consultant who worked on a zoning study for Route 25A in Brookhaven Town with an eye towards possibly having a similar study done in Wading River.

Supervisor Sean Walter said the board would interview Frank Fish of BFJ Planning in a closed executive session at an upcoming meeting because the discussion is likely to revolve around contractual issues.

Wading River residents and members of the Riverhead Neighborhood Preservation Coalition advocacy group have been calling for the study, and a moratorium on current development while the study is under way, for several months.

The coalition has already sued the town over one project, the proposed expansion of the clubhouse at Great Rock Golf Club.
The board met with Mr. Fish in a public session May 6. Mr. Walter said the board has agreed only to consider studying the Route 25 corridor at this time, rather than other areas of the town as well, as had been discussed May 6. He said no decision has been made yet as to whether a moratorium would be needed, should the board move forward with the study.

BID events approved

Seven free-admission events planned by the downtown Riverhead Business Improvement District management association this summer were approved by the Town Board Tuesday. They include a Mardi Gras Festival on Aug. 6; an Oldies Show on July 16; Music Idol Night on July 30; a Country and Western Festival on Aug. 27; an antique sale which already occurred on June 4; the July 4th concerts and fireworks; and the Thursday night Classic Car Cruise Nights, which now have live music.

The Vail-Leavitt Music Hall, which had traditionally held the Blues Festival in mid July, opted not to do so this year, but filed applications for events that coincided with the Aug. 6 and July 16 BID events, and which were technically filed before the BID events.

Town officials say the BID had discussed their events publicly prior to the Vail-Leavitt applications being filed and had included them in their annual budget, which was approved by the Town Board earlier this year. Vail-Leavitt president Bob Barta told the News-Review recently that the group would consider legal action if the town didn’t approve their applications.

Burman in default

The Town Board has voted to use $70,000 of the $3 million letter of credit filed by Calverton Enterprise Park developer Jan Burman to hire engineers to begin completing the road and infrastructure work the town says Mr. Burman and his company were required to do as a condition of their subdivision approval.

The town Planning Board has recommended the Town Board call Mr. Burman’s company in default on two prior occasions, including once in February, but this is the first time the Town Board has done so.

“Every time we go to do it, he paves a little bit and then doesn’t finish it,” Mr. said.

Free dog adoption on Saturday

The town’s animal shelter will be holding an adoption fair Saturday between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at which time the fees for adopting a dog will be waived.

The town normally charges a $25 adoption fee and an additional $20 fee if the dog needs shots. Councilman Jim Wooten said the move is an attempt to get the shelter some publicity. He said there are about 15 dogs in the shelter now.

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