Design plans revealed for streetscapes portion of Town Square project

As the groundbreaking for the highly anticipated Riverhead Town Square project inches closer, those working closely on the downtown revitalization effort recently gave an update on plans to create a safer, pedestrian-friendly Main Street.

Dawn Thomas, the town’s community development administrator, gave a presentation along with Barry Long of UDA Associates and Alexia Friend of LVF Landscape Architecture on the Main Street Streetscape component of the Town Square project at a June 26 work session.

The Town Square project has six components: the upper and lower Town Square, the amphitheater, “complete streets” or streetscapes, a boutique hotel and a parking garage. This downtown revitalization initiative is possible thanks to multiple funding grants the town has obtained over the years, including a $24 million federal grant that complements a $10 million state grant secured two years ago. 

Through a $750,000 DRI grant and part of the $10 million RAISE grant, the town plans to spend $3.4 million on Main Street streetscapes to create a safer, pedestrian-friendly downtown.

“We took those concepts and the designs that were sort of put forward through the public process, and now we’ve actually done a real design for the Main Street, including stormwater management safety features, shortened crosswalks, narrowed drive lanes, widened sidewalks,” Ms. Thomas said. “Dining areas, and new signage, and new lighting — all of those things that the public said were important to them are now included in these plans.”

The Main Street streetscapes project is roughly 770 linear feet long, Mr. Long said, and spans from Roanoke Avenue to East Avenue. Although the ideas for improving Main Street are “not new,” he said, they are based on recommendations and input from residents compiled in the Downtown Riverhead Pattern Book. A majority of the responses to the pattern book survey indicated improvements to Main Street’s appearance, enhancements to pedestrian experience and increased lighting were important.

“The idea is to create activity zones in front of the storefronts, rather than just having one kind of generic concrete sidewalk,” Mr. Long said. “[The new proposal] shows the envisioned beautification, enhanced pedestrian experience and additional lighting.”

Mr. Long explained the activity zones are meant to be animated to “bring Main Street to life.” For example, café tables, flower pots or signage will be outside of storefronts — elements that draw people into a business. A clear pedestrian zone keeps the street open for people to move and an amenity zone is reserved for more greenery, public seating, bike racks and more lighting.

Taking inspiration from Westhampton and Greenport, Ms. Friend said certain areas will have extended sidewalks into Main Street to reduce the roadway width, so cars are encouraged to drive slowly and allow for safer pedestrian crossings. At the Suffolk Theater specifically, where the bulk of the Town Square will reside, a HAWK signal — which stands for High Intensity Activated Crosswalk — will be installed to increase pedestrian safety.

There have also been conversations with PSEG Long Island and internet providers about infrastructural improvements to the downtown, including burying power lines hanging above Main Street. Ms. Friend said these enhancements will make electrical service more reliable and reduce any issues of trees interfering with the power lines. There will be more decorative street poles installed as well.

In terms of parking near Main Street, the Riverhead Town Hall parking lot holds around 280 spaces and this second phase of the downtown revitalization process includes the proposed 500-space parking garage slated for First Street. The streetscapes design outlines roughly 21 spaces for short-term parking and pick up and drop off. In the process of widening the sidewalks and narrowing the street, 11 parking spots on Main Street would be removed.

The entirety of Main Street would be 15-minutes to park free, Ms. Thomas said, and then there would be time regulations, such as one-hour parking areas. The idea is to have people who are going to visit Main Street for longer can park farther away, which leads to better turnover for the Main Street merchants.

Grant applications are in motion right now for planned pedestrian alleyways coming from the First Street parking garage on the north side of Main Street. These alleyways will be “artistically lit” with motion sensor lighting and clearly marked pedestrian access points.

When Councilman Kenneth Rothwell posed a question about the changes to Main Street’s infrastructure, Ms. Thomas said all power lines and fiber optics will be connected underground. The roadway will also not be ripped up as it was in Westhampton because of existing water and sewer lines under the asphalt.

“Logistically, how we handle that construction piece and to keep the businesses afloat and not disturb is a logistics thing that we have to continue to work on — perhaps we’ll do one side and then the other, we’re not really 100% sure how that lays out yet,” Ms. Thomas said. “The last thing we want to do is disturb any existing businesses. W know how hard they work as it is, and our job is to make sure that they continue to exist and then thrive once these revitalization projects are completed.”

Since Route 25 is a state-owned roadway, the New York State Department of Transportation would need to provide a permit for this project and part of their criteria of the permit is for Riverhead Town to take over its own plowing of the renovated part of the roadway.

Ms. Thomas said a contract is expected within 60 days to begin construction.

“The parking garage piece will really depend on when we get that contract. Then, we think it’ll take a little bit to design that garage — it’s going to take some more public engagement, more stakeholder engagement to make sure that it’s right for us. Once it’s designed and we have construction drawings, which we’ll have the money to do, then you guys can bid it and build it,” Ms. Thomas said to the town board.

The Town Board will be voting on a resolution on Tuesday, July 1, to set the qualified and eligible public hearing for the designation of J. Petrocelli as the master developer of the Town Square project.