Government

Longtime Planning Board member stepping down

TIM GANNON PHOTO | Longtime planning board member Lou Bochetti, who will be stepping from his post at the end of this year.
TIM GANNON PHOTO | Longtime planning board member Lou Bochetti, who will be stepping from his post at the end of this year.

Longtime Riverhead Planning Board member Lou Bochetti will be stepping from that post at the end of this year.

Mr. Boschetti, who was appointed during the administration of former Supervisor Vinny Villella, has been on the Planning Board for 15 years.

Prior to that, he was a town Councilman from 1982 to 1989 and he made two unsuccessful runs for town supervisor, one as a Conservative candidate in 1987, and one as a Democrat in 1991, even though he was elected to the Town Board as a Republican.

Mr. Boschetti, who works as a real estate broker as well as a consultant in the manufactured housing field, said at Thursday’s meeting that he’d be leaving the board.

He has property Upstate and is moving his business up there, he said.

“We will really miss you and your insight,” said Planning Board vice chairman Joe Baier at Thursday’s meeting, which will likely be Mr. Boschetti’s last, barring a special meeting before the end of the year.

“Lou was a balanced vote,” Planning Board member Ed Deniseski said. “You were fair and honest with everyone.”

It’s uncertain who the Town Board will choose to replace Mr. Boschetti.

Appointments are generally made at the first Town Board meeting of the year in January.

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