News

Yet another shopping center proposed for Wading River

Another shopping center is being proposed for Wading River, according to Town Supervisor Sean Walter.

He said developer Jim Tsunis is planning to build a shopping center on land east of the Tuthill Funeral Home on Route 25A in Wading River.

The supervisor’s comments at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting came in response to requests by civic and environmental groups to curtail commercial development in Wading River, where two new shopping centers had already been proposed along Route 25A and an expansion is proposed for the Great Rock golf course catering hall.

“Referring specifically to commercial development along Route 25A in Wading River, the master plan emphasizes that as such development is realized, Route 25A will look more and more like Route 58, unless development standards and design guidelines are established to encourage a more neighborhood-sensitized look,” said Wading River Civic Association president Mike Harrigan, reading a letter from the association, the Riverhead Neighborhood Preservation Coalition, the North Fork Environmental Council and the Group for the East End.

But Mr. Walter, himself a Wading River resident, said he believes a full environmental impact study should be done on all of those projects.

“I don’t support any of these projects,” he said.

He added that he agrees with residents that there are problems with the town’s master plan, but he said it would be unfair to make changes to that document once an application is filed.

“If I wasn’t the supervisor, I’d be standing out there with you,” he said.

[email protected]