Officials: Landowner still isn’t fixing EPCAL infrastructure
The Riverhead Planning Board two years ago recommended the Town Board use a $3 million security bond filed by Calverton Enterprise Park developer Jan Burman to do road and infrastructure work they said was required as a condition of his subdivision approval there.
But after Mr. Burman began doing some of the work, the Town Board never followed through on the threat of using the security bond.
Now, planning officials say the work still hasn’t been completed, and they are again urging the Town Board to call the bond and use it to finish what they say Mr. Burman has failed to do.
The infrastructure improvements were required as a condition of the Calverton Camelot II industrial subdivision approval Mr. Burman received in 2007.
The Planning Board on Thursday voted to recommend that the Town Board call the bond and urged that M-GBC, LLC — Mr. Burman’s company on this project — be declared in default of its obligation to complete the improvements required in the subdivision approval.
“He has done some work, but he is not finished,” town planning director Rick Hanley said in an interview. “It’s not as bad as it was in 2009, but he hasn’t gotten his highway work permit from the state Department of Transportation yet, he has to put in a traffic light on Route 25, and he has to put the top course asphalt on all the roads.’
A memo from Vincent Guadiello, a consulting engineering for the Planning Board, lists more than 20 items that Mr. Burman is still required to do, and estimates the total cost of that work at $2.15 million. The memo lists items required by the town as a condition of the subdivision approval as well as items required by the state Department of Transportation.
The most expensive items are DOT work relating to the traffic light and other right-of-way improvements on Route 25, work with an estimated price tag of $810,000, and the top course asphalt pavement on subdivision roads, which carries an estimated cost of $661,500, according to Mr. Guadiello.
If Mr. Burman were to complete the work to the town’s satisfaction, he would still receive the $3 million security back. Otherwise, the town will have to use that money for the work and seek bids from private companies interested in doing it.
Supervisor Sean Walter said he thinks the Town Board will follow the Planning Board recommendation and call the bond.
“I think there are five board members in favor of that,” he said.
Officials from Engel Burman Group, the real estate development company of which Mr. Burman is president, did not return calls seeking comment.
