Additional public input sought on Town Square during Zoom meeting Aug. 5

Riverhead Town will be seeking additional public input into the development of its Town Square on Thursday, Aug. 5, from 6 to 7:30 pm.

That’s when a virtual Zoom meeting will take place through Social Pinpoint, a “configurable digital community engagement platform,” designed to encourage public participation in planning projects, officials said. 

Zoom information will be provided on the town’s website, as well as through the Social Pinpoint web site at engagetheteam.com/riverheadtownsquare.

The Town Square calls for demolishing two or possibly three downtown buildings to create a vista from East Main Street to the Peconic River. 

The town has held several virtual public input meetings regarding the Town Square design, the first taking place in March. The meetings are conducted by Urban Design Associates of Pittsburgh. Additional meetings were held in April and May of this year. 

“Despite the obstacles of the 2020 pandemic, the united Riverhead Town Board has made unprecedented progress towards the creation of the Riverhead Town Square, which will be the centerpiece of a fully revitalized, thriving Downtown Riverhead,” said Riverhead Superintendent Yvette Aguiar in a press release. 

“The Town Square will transform the downtown business district into a thriving regional hub offering an attractive venue for people to live, work and play in Riverhead,” she said.

“As the design process advances to the preliminary design phase, more public input is critical to ensure when the Town Square is developed, its creation fully recognizes the needs and desires of our community.”

The next component will be an update on the progress of the Town Square design, including the integration of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ preliminary flood migration recommendations, and solicitation of more public input, Ms. Aguiar said.