Town Board wrap July 21: barter deal for parking lot fix, public hearings set

Downtown Riverhead will get one of its parking lots repaired in a barter deal with the Ronkonkoma company that won the county bid to resurface and make drainage improvements to Roanoke Avenue.

The town board voted Tuesday night to ratify an agreement with United Fence and Guard Rail Corp., which will use the parking district’s Roanoke Avenue lot as a construction staging area in exchange for patching potholes in the large public parking lot north of East Main Street.

United will be patching some 60 or so potholes in the aging, cratered lot. Councilman John Dunleavy said the value of the work was $25,000 to $30,000. See prior story.

‘Expedited’ review for farm stands considered
New farm stands in Riverhead Town would get a pass from the stringent requirements of regular site plan review under a new code being considered by the Riverhead Town Board.

If adopted, the new Article XXV of the zoning code would allow for expedited review of new farm stand applications if the existing principal use of the property is “agricultural production” as defined by state law and/or qualifies for an agricultural tax exemption.

The proposed improvements to the site would still have to meet the code’s requirements for lot coverage, set backs, lighting and parking — except paved parking areas are not required.

An applicant will be required to submit a site survey and sketch plan and, if the site is not served by public sewers, must prove that the area of the site will permit the installation and operation of an individual septic system.

The new code requires the town planning board to make a final determination on the application within 60 days of its receipt. The town planning department, its engineering consultant and appropriate advisory committees have 30 days to make their recommendations to the planning board.

The town board has scheduled a public hearing on the proposed code for Aug. 18 at 7:10 p.m.

Smaller lots for farm stands
Under another zoning code amendment scheduled for public hearing Aug. 18, the seven-acre minimum lot size would be eliminated, allowing the sale of homegrown or homemade products on lots that meet the requirements of the new Article XXV with respect to principal use.

Agricultural production is a permitted principal use on two-acre lots in the RB-80 zoning use district.

The hearing on this code amendment is set for 7:15 on Aug. 18.

Expansion of nonconforming single-family residences
A third code amendment scheduled for public hearing on Aug. 18 exempts single-family residences from the special permit requirement for expansion of pre-existing nonconforming uses. The residential use must be maintained for the application to be eligible for exemption and the expanded structure must still meet the setback and lot coverage requirements in place when the residence was issued a certificate of occupancy or letter of pre-existing use. This code amendment is set for a 7:05 hearing on Aug. 18.

In other action Tuesday night, the town board:

• adopted changes to the town’s ethics code to ban elected officials from serving in political party leadership posts; (See separate story.)
• authorized a grant application for a South Jamesport wastewater treatment infrastructure feasibility study; (See separate story.)
• authorized acceptance of a $250,000 state grant for renovations to the East End Arts and Humanities Council facilities on East Main Street;
• accepted the retirement of Riverhead Police Detective David Freeborn and ratified the promotion of Police Officer Charles Mauceri to Detective;
• authorized the production of 25 copies each of “Greetings from Riverhead: Volume I History” parts one and two by town historian Georgette Case. The softcover books will be available for purchase for $12 each at the town clerk’s office, Riverhead Town Hall, 200 Howell Avenue and at the historian’s office at 540 E. Main St. on Wednesdays. (Tel. 631-369-9717)