Government

Developers increase lot sizes for Roanoke subdivision

A 46-lot subdivision is proposed on this farmland north of Sound Avenue in Riverhead. (Credit: Tim Gannon)
A 46-lot subdivision is proposed on this farmland north of Sound Avenue in Riverhead. (Credit: Tim Gannon)

After neighbors came out in early August to oppose the plan, the Riverhead Town Planning Board closed a public hearing last Thursday on a subdivision plan for land near the intersection of Sound and Roanoke Avenues after developers increased the size of the lots, as the board had requested.

The proposal to turn 27 acres of farmland into 46 separate plots spurred resistance from neighbors — and some board members — during a public hearing Aug. 7. Neighbors objected to the development of the property and the board said the small lot sizes would increase density too much.

“What attracted us to the area 20 years ago was the fact that it was a vibrant farming community,” said John McAuliff at the time, who added that the subdivision would contribute to the “commercialization of Sound Avenue.”

The smallest lot will now measure about 12,000 square feet, while some lots were smaller than 10,000 square feet in the original proposal. Space was made to increase lot sizes by eliminating space which had been drawn up in between the lots. The number of parcels will remain the same, at 46.

The new larger plot sizes, along with a buffer zone around the property, mitigated some of those concerns, the developer’s attorney Charles Cuddy said.

Mr. Cuddy told the board that developers needed a conditional approval so they could work to preserve some of the plots.

“Now is the time we need to go to the county,” Mr. Cuddy said. “We really are looking to go and preserve the site.”