Venezia Square back on Riverhead Planning Board agenda
A large commercial development proposed for Wading River — which officials say dates to at least 2007 — is back on the Riverhead Planning Board’s agenda.
The Venezia Square project is proposed for the south side of Route 25A, just east of the border between Riverhead and Brookhaven towns.
The town Planning Board voted June 15 to make the proposal a “type one” action, which requires a coordinated review with other municipalities and could require the applicant to conduct an environmental impact study. The board also voted to hire a consultant to review the traffic plans submitted by Venezia Square.
The developer seeks site plan approval for 27,000 square feet of retail space split across three buildings — two with 10,000 square feet and one with 7,000 square feet.
Among other businesses, those buildings would house a 4,000-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru window and a 3,000-square-foot restaurant with 76 seats.
The applicants have proposed that a traffic signal be installed at the intersection of Route 25A and Dogwood Drive., which would require state approval.
The project site is 790 feet west of the intersection of Route 25A and Wading River Manor Road.
“Traffic is kind of a big issue on this project,” said planner Matt Charters.
Charles Voorhis, representing the applicant, said they are concerned about traffic exiting the funeral home at the west end of the property.
The site in question has been the source of a previous controversies over the years. Construction of a side road there running parallel to Route 25A was recommended in both a 1988 Wading River Hamlet Study and a 2012 Wading River Corridor Study. In neither case did the project garner support.
