Dan's Papers - September 26, 2008 - Farther East, A Cry Against Development

There's a big debate going on in the Riverhead area about a proposal to develop a scenic and bucolic portion of Sound Avenue on the North Fork. Residents and civic groups say they fear losing the historic corridor of Sound Avenue, a rural, tree-lined road running through the beautiful vineyards, to strip malls, and seeing it become another Route 58.

A few developers have proposed plans for commercial projects along Sound Avenue. In 2003, Ken Barra of EMB Enterprises proposed a 24,000-square-foot complex with retail stores and a restaurant on a 4.1-acre parcel at the northeast corner of Park Road and Sound Avenue. Also that year, Ed Broidery of Boom Development proposed a 22,100-square-foot retail center on 14 acres on the northwest corner of the same intersection.

At that time, Riverhead Town did a Comprehensive Study that concluded that there was no reason to have commercial zoning along this portion of Sound Avenue, outside downtown Riverhead and Route 58, in order to preserve the rural character of this NYS Historic Corridor. But that same year, when the town board adopted its Master Plan, concerned citizens brought to their attention that the zoning was left commercial, which was "inconsistent" with the Comprehensive Study. In 2004, the board rewrote its Master Plan, changing the zoning from commercial to residential along this area in question. They rezoned four properties on the intersection of Sound Avenue and Reeves Park, and subsequently, the town was hit with lawsuits from EMB Enterprises, Boom Development and R & K Precision Autoworks, which has an existing repair shop on the south side of Sound Avenue. All three challenged the rezoning.

In 2007, New York State Supreme Court Justice Ed Burke overturned the town's rezoning, making the area commercial. They gave EMB a full site plan, based on the 2003 regulations. The Town of Riverhead had until August 27 to appeal this decision, a deadline that was extended to September 26. At their September 3 meeting, the Riverhead Town Board decided to appeal this state ruling and file this appeal. The decision followed a large rally of citizens from Reeves Park, who waved signs and demanded the board appeal their decision so they could keep their rural neighborhood free of what they call "strip malls."

"We don't want Sound Avenue to become an extension of Route 58," said Eric Biegler, President of the Sound Park Heights civic organization, which represents the citizens of Reeves Park. "Why spoil this beautiful area when there are plenty of shopping centers only about four miles away in Riverhead? Half of downtown is empty, so why not fill that up first, before ruining the country outside it?"

Biegler claimed that these historic rural roads are being lost on Long Island. He said his organization is happy that the town filed an appeal, and that they've also offered their own advocates. "We've had three meetings of the town board," he said.

Don Duga, a Riverhead resident who attended the September 3 meeting, said he also supports the appeal. "I also don't want to see Sound Ave. developed in this way. We need to preserve these rural areas of our town to balance the development," he said.

Although Riverhead Town Councilmen Tim Buckley and Jim Wooten have not publicly stated their views on the issue of appeal, Riverhead Supervisor Phil Cardinale and Councilwoman Barbara Blass have both said they're in favor of it. Wooten said two weeks ago that he was still researching the data, and hadn't made up his mind. There was also talk about compromising on the density allowable in a commercial district, but Biegler said his group does not want compromise.

Cardinale said his board has voted 3-2 in favor of submitting the appeal by September 26, and that it will take between 60-180 days to decide the fate of Sound Avenue. Cardinale was joined by the votes of Blass and Councilman Dunleavy in supporting the appeal, and both Wooten and Buckley abstained. According to Cardinale, "My decision was based on the fact that this area of Sound Avenue is a beautiful, valuable asset to the town. To allow commercialism to invade it is inconsistent with our Master Plan."