Business

Riverhead Town mulls permits for filming movies

PAUL SQUIRE FILE PHOTO | The Coen Brother recently shot some scenes for their upcoming film “Inside Llewyn Davis” at a town water district property on Northville Turnpike

The Riverhead Town Board is considering a new law to require people filming in the town to obtain a permit that would require a $500 application fee, $100 per day of filming and other fees.

The hearing on the proposed law is scheduled for May 16 at 7:20 p.m.

The proposed law’s intent section states that “filming activities may create a threat to public safety, health or welfare due to the time, location or duration of the filming, or may unduly interfere with vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic.”

Councilman George Gabrielsen said sometimes film crews will stop at his farm stand and take a few still or video shots.

“So they have to go through a process now?” he asked.

Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said the proposal deals only with use of town property, like sidewalks.

“The movie industry has been using Riverhead Town a lot more now, so we want to make sure that we get paid for use of our police department and everything else,” Councilman John Dunleavy said.

The permit would be required for anyone filming or photographing a movie, commercial, documentary, television program, catalog or magazine layout on town streets, sidewalks or other town property.

The Coen Brother recently shot some scenes for their upcoming film “Inside Llewyn Davis” at a town water district property on Northville Turnpike, and the HBO show “Boardwalk Empire” shot a scene on private property in Calverton last fall but contracted with the town for some police services.

The Coen Brothers project paid the town $10,000 for use of the property.

In addition to the application fee and the $100 a day, other charges called for in the proposed ordinance include a $1,000 per day traffic control fee if needed and a beach parking fee equal to $10 per vehicle for each day covered by the permit between May 1 and Sept. 30.

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