A public hearing on United Riverhead Terminal’s special permit application, scheduled to be continued tonight at Riverhead Town Hall is slated to be adjourned to March 18.
United Riverhead Terminal, which operates the fuel storage and distribution facility in Northville, is looking to convert two existing tanks, currently used to store heating oil, to gasoline storage. The gasoline will be received from tankers at its off-shore platform and delivered to the terminal via URT’s existing pipeline, according to company officials. The company has already obtained a State Department of Environmental Conservation permit for the conversion. It now seeks approval from the town to build two 19,000-gallon tanks for ethanol storage at the site.
The construction of the two new tanks requires a town board special permit because it constitutes an expansion of a pre-existing, nonconforming use at the site.
The board opened a public hearing on URT’s application on Oct. 21. After a lengthy session, during which neighboring residents turned out in force to oppose the proposal and an attorney hired by the Northville Beach Civic Association questioned the town’s adherence to the requirements of the State Environmental Quality Review Act, the board adjourned the hearing to Dec. 16. Residents requested more time to digest the proposal and the board also asked the applicant to improve its traffic impact analysis.
URT consultant Victor Prusinowski told RiverheadLOCAL on Dec. 10 the company is asking for a two-month adjournment “in order to complete its due diligence” on issues identified by the town for further analysis.
At last Thursday’s work session, town board members agreed to adjourn the hearing again to March 18 at 7 p.m. Supervisor Sean Walter was reluctant to adjourn the hearing beyond the 60 days requested by the applicant and wanted to adjourn the hearing to the board’s second meeting in February.
Northville Beach Civic Association president Neil Krupnick and Wading River Civic Association president Sid Bail, who were seated in the audience during the work session, pointed out that the board’s regular meeting of Feb. 17 was during President’s Week, when schools are closed and a lot of people take vacation.
When the supervisor did not directly respond to their objection, Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said the neighbors and civic association would like the hearing date adjourned until spring. Walter bristled.
“I’m not extending this out a long period of time,” he said. “I want to get this resolved one way or the other. The second meeting in February is a business meeting for the town.”
Councilman John Dunleavy said he’d be on vacation the second week in February himself and Walter said he’d agree to put it over to the first meeting in March.
Krupnick chimed in from the audience: “It needs to be a night meeting.” Board members did not respond to him again.
“I’m leaning more towards putting it into the second meeting in January,” the supervisor said. “Let’s get this stuff going.”
Again Krupnick interjected: “What’s the rush? This needs to be held in spring.”
“Excuse me, sir,” Walter snapped, clearly annoyed by the interruptions.
Dunleavy and Giglio advocated for continuing the hearing for 90 days, till the second meeting in March, which is an evening meeting. Though regularly held on a Tuesday, that meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 18, due to St. Patrick’s Day.
Walter and Councilman James Wooten agreed. Councilman George Gabrielsen was absent.
Town attorney Robert Kozakiewicz told the board they would have to open the already-scheduled hearing on Dec. 16 and then adjourn it.
“People are confused about this,” Dunleavy observed. “They think [URT]is asking the town for permission to store gasoline, but that’s not what this is about.”
“The permit is for the construction of the pencil tanks,” Kozakiewicz said, referring to the two 19,000 gallon ethanol tanks. “That’s the expansion.”
“If they can figure out how to do it without the pencil tanks,” Walter said. “They could do it. They already have DEC permits.”
Walter said the town’s main concern is the potential traffic impacts of the conversion. He called the traffic impact analysis presented by the applicant at the October hearing “horrible.”
Prusinowski said URT sought the extra time so it could “do its due diligence” on the traffic impacts as requested by the town.
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