Riverhead officials ask court to shut down Scott’s Pointe

Riverhead Town took legal action last week against Scott’s Pointe — also known as Island Water Park — asking a state Supreme Court judge to shut the park down, force the owners to dismantle illegally built pickleball courts and a go-kart track, and fine the company at least $100,000, according to a complaint.

Riverhead officials said at a Town Board meeting earlier this month that Island Water Park Corp. received some approvals but not others for work on the 42-acre property — but went ahead with developing the property anyway. The go-kart track and pickleball courts are on land that was supposed to remain wooded, according to the complaint filed last week, which calls for the owners to return the property to its “pre-violation status.”

“I’m not going to stand for this anymore,” said Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard said at the board meeting.

Mr. Hubbard said he and other town officials are fed up with developers building illegally and later seeking variances for projects that don’t have permits, and are now turning to the courts for relief.

“This won’t be stood for by anyone in the town while I’m supervisor,” Mr. Hubbard said. “I can’t stand that.”

Other construction projects recently launched in Riverhead without first receiving approvals include the Riverhead Ciderhouse and expansions at the Riverhead Charter School.

Eric Scott, owner of Scott’s Pointe, acknowledged in an interview that he made a mistake.

“The only thing I did wrong was that I built the tracks first and then applied second,” he said.

Mr. Scott, who has owned the property for 28 years, said he’s also paid double the fees and will pay fines, as well.

He said he started building the go-kart tracks early because he was hoping to be open by summer.

The Scott’s Pointe facility offers indoor and outdoor activities, according to Mr. Scott.

Island Water Park originally began as a proposal for water-skiing on a man-made pond off Youngs Avenue in Calverton.

That proposal encountered opposition from neighbors, and Riverhead Town urged Island Water Park to relocate to town land at the Enterprise Park at Calverton, which they did, buying 42 acres for $714,000 in 2002.

One resident who attended the recent Town Board meeting suggested that officials rescind previous approvals for Scott’s Pointe and that the town’s Industrial Development Agency claw back tax incentives it has granted to the project.

Additionally, the Department of Environmental Conservation issued tickets to the facility late last month citing multiple violations of approved land uses. According to the citations, Island Water Park is subject to a penalty of up to $8,000 for each violation with an additional civil penalty of $2,000 dollars per day for each day the violation continues.