EPCAL drug research facility vote delayed yet again
There’s still no verdict on whether the Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals will allow a $10 million addiction research and treatment facility at the Enterprise Park at Calverton, as the board again adjourned its decision at Thursday’s night’s meeting.
Originally proposed in town hall last October, the ZBA — after the vote was postponed over the last couple of months — had intended to render a verdict Thursday on the question of whether a research facility with an accessory treatment center is a permitted use.
But ZBA chairman Fred McLaughlin said both the applicant and the ZBA wanted more time to consider the question.
“We’re still working on it,” he said after Thursday’s meeting. “It’s just not an easy vote.”
Since an Oct. 24, 2013 ZBA public hearing, the case has been adjourned six times.
The proposed Calverton Addiction Research Education: New York (CARE:NY) facility, planned by a group of scientists, medical professionals and developers, would occupy a 34-acre campus and feature 41,000 square feet of housing, 20,000 square feet of offices and 15,000 square feet of indoor recreation space for a gymnasium and a pool, according to the applicants.
The facility would not only research addiction, but also provide temporary housing for up to 100 addiction patients seeking treatment. The center would also host lectures and seminars on addiction treatment.
