Riverhead officials cancel Aug. 20 agri-resorts hearing; public forum scheduled for Sept. 18
A public hearing on the proposed agri-resorts rezoning plan along Sound Avenue originally set for Tuesday, Aug. 20 has been canceled.
The Riverhead Town Board announced the decision at this morning’s work session. Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard said the meeting will be reformatted as a public forum scheduled for Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at Riverhead Town Hall.
The decision to hold a forum as opposed to a public hearing came in response to the “unusually high volume of opposition and commentary received by all members of the Town Board” regarding the potential zoning changes required as part of the resort development proposal, Mr Hubbard said at Thursday’s work session.
The supervisor added that rather than adding the topic to an upcoming work session, where the public can’t comment, the forum-style format will open up a dialogue about agri-tourism to allow the community to weigh in more freely.
“The public, the farmers, everybody can come and learn about it, and also ask questions about it — there does seem to be a lot of misunderstanding out there about it, ” Mr. Hubbard said. “I think it’s really important that the public has the opportunity to engage with the board, hear from our planning staff and hear exactly what it is that the agri-tourism is about.”
The proposal as written would allow for “agri-tourism inns and resorts” on minimum 100-acre plots of unpreserved land north of Sound Avenue — provided that 70% of the acreage be preserved for agricultural use in perpetuity with a maximum of 30% used for the resort and amenities such as restaurants or spas.
The plan also includes a requirement that the developed portions of the parcels not be visible from Sound Avenue — meaning those commercial uses would likely end up on the waterfront overlooking Long Island Sound.
Councilman Kenneth Rothwell said the board is willing take all points of view into consideration and make adjustments to the proposed zoning change. Mr. Hubbard encouraged community members to come forward with any ideas they have for farmland preservation.
“If we could come to some kind of compromise and something works, we can move forward, and if not, it is what it is,” Mr. Rothwell said. “We’re letting the public know if they have suggestions — certainly we want to address any concerns from the farming community especially — we are willing to make adjustments and changes.”
Another public hearing regarding the Riverhead Charter School is still on for Tuesday, Aug. 20 at 6:10 p.m. The charter school is seeking approval of a special permit to install three portable trailers on a their Sound Avenue property to house additional classrooms, faculty and administration facilities.
