Riverhead Town Board wrap: Nov. 4

Luminati Aerospace, which bought the Skydive Long Island site at the Calverton Enterprise Park this summer for $3.4 million, has been deemed a “qualified and eligible sponsor” for the purpose of entering into a runway use agreement with the Riverhead Community Development Agency.

Luminati is developing next-generation, solar-electric UAVs pursuant to a contract with “a Fortune 250 company” that’s funding the research and development project, expected to take about two years to complete, according to Luminati founder Daniel Preston.

The “qualified and eligible sponsor” designation is required by the state General Municipal Law prior to the sale or lease of any municipally owned land subjet to an urban renewal plan. The town board voted unanimously to approve the designation Wednesday at its regular semimonthly meeting. (The meeting was moved to Wednesday because of Election Day.)

Now that Luminati Aerospace has the “qualified and eligible” designation, the town board, sitting as the governing body of the Riverhead Community Development Agency, can enter into a runway use agreement with the company.

A proposed runway use agreement would grant Luminati control over access to the 10,000-foot active runway. The company wants the town to keep the 7,000-foot runway active, as well; the town’s existing subdivision plan, developed in negotiations with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, but not yet approved by the Riverhead Planning Board, calls for the second runway — deactivated by a prior board — to be converted to grassland.

“After the initial project is concluded, Luminati plans to establish itself as a major force in the global aerospace industry, focusing on cutting-edge, hi-tech aerospace manufacturing,” Preston told the Riverhead Town Board during an Oct. 20 public hearing on Luminati’s “qualified and eligible” standing. “The manufacturing will trigger significant expansion of the Luminati facilities and create a substantial number of additional jobs.”

Preston said he cannot publicly disclose the identity of Luminati’s client.

“Our client believes that public disclosure of its identity at this time woul be premature, but the list of companies in this space is very limited,” he said during the hearing. “The identity of our client has been disclosed to the town supervisor, Mr. Walter, subject to the terms of a nondisclosure agreement,” Preston said.

Facebook and Google — both Fortune 250 companies — have recently disclosed they have engineers working to develop solar-electric communications UAVs.

In other action at Wednesday’s meeting, the town board:

• Authorized shotgun hunting for deer on town property at the Calverton Enterprise Park and at 1751 Sound Avenue in Calverton, during the state special firearms season in January. The town will hold a lottery Dec. 8 to award permits to residents for hunting on the two sites.
• Authorized a request for proposals for medical transportation billing services on behalf of the Riverhead Ambulance District. The town board is looking to bill for ambulance and emergency medical services rendered by Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps to people involved in motor vehicle accidents.
• Adopted a local law that makes it unlawful to maintain an open excavation or pile of fill or other material in an unsecured or hazardous condition or place. It also adopted a second provision adding that ban to the provisions of Chapter 96 of the town code, which allows the town to remedy the condition at the property owner’s expense, if the owner, after notice and hearing, fails to remedy.
• Approved the lease, for one year, of parking lots south of East Main Street from Riverhead Enterprises, granting the exclusive use of the approximately 88 parking spaces located in those lots, at an annual rent of $5,000, for Business Improvement District activities and events, as well as parking. The lots are part of the premises located at 127, 203-207, 209, 211 and 213 East Main St., which are owned by Riverhead Enterprises. The town agrees to maintain and repair — though not re-pave —the parking lots.
• Appointed three part-time police officers and agreed to sponsor their attendance at the Suffolk County Police Academy.
• Approved the special event permit application of the Riverhead Lions Club for its Annual Santa Parade on Sunday, Dec. 6.
• Approved the fireworks permit application of the Riverhead Business Improvement District Management Association for a fireworks display at the town’s annual bonfire on Saturday, Dec. 12.

A public hearing on the proposed 2016 preliminary budget drew no comment, but questions from Laurel resident Laura Jens-Smith, who asked about tax revenues used to support the operations of the Riverhead Water District and Riverhead Scavenger Waste plant.

There was no comment also during public hearings on proposed local laws that would change Village Center zoning to allow microbreweries, brew pubs, micro-cideries and micro-wineries as special permit uses and change the “Sunday Activities” chapter of the town code to allow events to begin after 12 noon (rather than after 1 p.m.)

A public hearing on an alleged unsafe structure at 307 Griffing Avenue went on for about two hours, however. See prior story.