Public Hearing: Environmental Impact Statement – EPCAL

TOWN OF RIVERHEAD

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

ON THE DRAFT SUPPLEMENTAL GENERIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR EPCAL (EPCAL REUSE AND REVITALIZATION PLAN), AMENDMENT TO THE TOWN OF RIVERHEAD COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN, CREATION AND ADOPTION OF A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT (PD) ZONING DISTRICT, AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING MAP OF THE TOWN OF RIVERHEADTO REZONE THE EPCAL PROPERTY TO THE PD ZONING DISTRICT, AND REUSE & REVITALIZATION PLAN (UPDATE AND AMENDMENT TO THE CALVERTON ENTERPRISE PARK URBAN RENEWAL PLAN)

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, that a Public Hearing will be held before the Town Board of the Town of Riverhead at Town Hall, 200 Howell Avenue, Riverhead, New York on the 3rdday of September, 2014, at 7:05 p.m. on the Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement, comprehensive development plan for EPCAL (EPCAL Reuse and Revitalization Plan), amendment to the Town of Riverhead Comprehensive Master Plan, creation and adoption of a Planned Development (PD) Zoning District, amendment to the zoning map of the Town of Riverhead to rezone the EPCAL property to the PD Zoning District, and Reuse & Revitalization Plan (update and amendment to the Calverton Enterprise Park Urban Renewal Plan)

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that this notice has been prepared in accordance with Article 8 of the Environmental Conservation Law (the State Environmental Quality Review Act).  The proposed action is a “Type I” action as defined within the implementing regulations of the Act at NYCRR 617.4.  The subject property (EPCAL) consists of approximately 2,323.9 acres south of Middle Country Road, north of Grumman Boulevard, west of Wading River Manor Road, and 5,900 feet west of Edwards Avenue in the hamlet of Calverton, Town of Riverhead, Suffolk County.

Name of Action:Proposed Redevelopment of EPCAL Property at Calverton

SEQR Classification:Type I

Description of Proposed Action:

The proposed action consists of the creation and adoption of a comprehensive development plan (Reuse & Revitalization Plan); amendment of the Comprehensive Master Plan; creation of a planned development zoning district; the amendment of the zoning code and zoning map of the Town of Riverhead to rezone the 2,323.9-acre EPCAL property to that planned development zoning district; and the subdivision of the EPCAL property into 50 lots for ultimate redevelopment with a mix of uses (e.g., industrial, energy park, business [commercial and retail] residential, recreation, utilities, open space).

As the 2,323.9-acre EPCAL property is expected to be redeveloped over a multi-decade horizon, it is not possible to determine the precise uses or the precise square footage of each use that may be developed.  

Thus, in order to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the entire action (including the impacts of redevelopment in accordance with the proposed subdivision) as required pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and its implementing regulations at 6 NYCRR Part 617, a conceptual development plan and subdivision plan have been prepared and evaluated in the DSGEIS.

As the EPCAL property includes regulated wetlands, land within the Peconic River Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers System (WSRRS) corridor, and habitat for endangered species, the subdivision provides for maintenance of buffers of a minimum of 1,000 feet around designated wetlands (to accommodate tiger salamander habitat), and also provides for approximately 596.4 additional acres of land for habitat preservation (458.1 acres of existing grassland to be maintained, and another 138.3 acres to be restored and/or designated for habitat preservation) including but not limited to  habitat for the short-eared owl, northern harrier and the upland sandpiper.  In addition, the subdivision provides a minimum preservation of 59.5± percent of natural area (including the aforementioned 596.4 acres identified in the preceding sentence, and an additional 787.3 acres of existing woodland to be preserved).  

Location:

South side of New York State Route 25 (Middle Country Road), north of Grumman Boulevard, east of Wading River Manor Road, Hamlet of Calverton, Town of Riverhead

Potential Environmental Impacts:

A Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DSGEIS) has been prepared pursuant to the Positive Declaration issued by the Town Board to examine the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action. The environmental parameters addressed in the DSGEIS include: land use and zoning; socioeconomics community facilities and services; transportation; air quality; noise; infrastructure; cultural resources; geology, soils and topography; water quality and hydrology; terrestrial and aquatic environment; petroleum and hazardous materials; and visual resources.

Availability of Document:  Copies of the DSGEIS are available for public review at:

Office of the Riverhead Town Clerk

Town of Riverhead Town Hall

200 Howell Avenue

Riverhead, New York 11901

Riverhead Free Library

330 Court Street

Riverhead, New York 11901

A copy of the DSGEIS is also available for review on the Town of Riverhead website at: www.townofriverheadny.gov

Contact Person:Jill Lewis, Deputy Town Supervisor

Address: Town of Riverhead Town Hall,

200 Howell Avenue

Riverhead, NY 11901

Telephone: 631-727-3200

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, the Town Board shall accept written comments on the Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement at any time prior to the hearing and  after the close of the hearing until 12:00 noon September 15, 2014. Please submit all written comments in a sealed envelope clearly marked “Comments Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement” and all comments must be received (mailed or hand delivered) to the Office of the Town Clerk, 200 Howell Avenue, Riverhead, NY 11901 on or before September 15th, 2014 at 12:00 noon. The Town Board may be contacted at (631) 727-3200 concerning this matter.