Housing project proposed for Northville oil tank farm

The Town of Riverhead Planning and Zoning Departments are reviewing an application, presented by John Catsimatidis, owner of the oil tank farm north of Sound Avenue in Northville, to build approximately 170 homes on his 280-plus acre property south of the tanks.

“We’ve been working on this for a few years. I’m hopeful now and optimistic. It’s good for Riverhead, Suffolk County and jobs. There’s a shortage of housing out there. We want to be good neighbors,” said Richard Weinberg, attorney for Mr. Catsimatidis.

This is not the first time the billionaire has approached the town with this development project. The first meeting with town officials occurred in 2022. “There were certain restrictions at the time that turned out not to be restrictions. Everything was being slow-walked. We want to get this project done,” he said. Mr. Weinberg added that they do have an as-of-right plan that doesn’t need a variance. The latest meeting took place in late 2024.

Senior vice president of development for Mr. Catsimatidis, Ralph Zirinsky, did not provide specific details of the three proposals in the application, saying only, “Some had more townhomes, some had more single-family homes and some had more condos. There’s open space in each proposal. This development will create hundreds of jobs. We hope the town deals with us in good faith.”

Town attorney Eric Howard said 100 units are slated for the southern property and 72 further north and closer to the tanks. “It’s multiple parcels, and the determination would have to be focused on preexisting use. They would have to subdivide what they have now to accomplish this. It would be combining several parcels and severing them from the tank farms. He would be subject to the zoning, which would mean they would have to cluster the homes.”

Mr. Weinberg, who lives in Peconic, pointed out that in submitting the plans, they are trying to “keep the integrity of the area. Anything we build will be cognizant of that.” 

The application includes planting trees around the tank farm, so the tanks won’t be visible to homeowners. Mr. Catsimatidis, who has owned the tank farm for about 15 years, would not estimate how much the new homes would cost. 

According to Dawn Thomas, Community Development Administrator for Riverhead Town, “The significant and lengthy history of the project site, including special permits which were issued by the Town Board in the late 1970s, will take time to review and analyze. So, for now, we are currently reviewing that record, and a determination as to the proper course of review of the application will be forthcoming and relayed to the applicant.”

The Catsimatidis team also addressed the impact that the project would have on the capacity in the Riverhead school system by offering to build a new school. “How many developers say we’ll build you a school? That’s us volunteering to be good neighbors,” said Mr. Weinberg.

Riverhead Central School District Interim Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich said, “The Riverhead Central School District has no comment at this time, as it has not been directly contacted by the developer.”