A proposed 7-Eleven convenience store on West Main Street gained preliminary approval from the Riverhead Planning Board this month.
The existing vacant building — previously used for an auto repair shop — will be demolished and a new 3,062-square-foot one-story brick building will be constructed on the 38,918-square-foot site located on the south side of West Main Street, roughly opposite Osborn Avenue.
As a condition of its approval, the planning board required the use of “pastel or earth tone colors” on the building and signage, at the request of board vice chairman Ed Densieski.
In particular, the board wants to “see the orange and green stripes toned down,” board chairman Stan Carey told the applicant at the Nov. 7 meeting. The colors of the corporate logo would not be affected by this requirement, Carey said.
The applicant will have to get corporate approval for the change required by the planning board, a representative of the developer Riverhead Retail Partners told board members.
The board held a public hearing on the application that evening. There was no comment from the public.
The board also gave preliminary site plan approval to Knightland for a seasonal, 1,600-square-foot addition to Ruggero’s restaurant at the Shoppes at East Wind in Wading River. The addition on the west side of the building will accommodate 88 seats. The site plan also provides for the conversion of a 876-square-foot, single-family residence on an adjacent half-acre parcel at 639 Sound Avenue to accessory storage for the existing shopping center.
The planning board, lacking three votes to approve, again tabled a resolution granting preliminary approval to a site plan for a new two-story mixed-use building on the northwest corner of Pulaski Street and Osborn Avenue.
The applicant seeks to build a two-story building with ground-floor retail and six one-bedroom rental apartments on the second floor, on the .48-acre parcel. The proposed apartments would range in size from 527 to 680 square feet.
Planning board member Joe Baier said he would not support the application if the apartments are less than 600 square feet in size. Member Dick O’Dea agreed with Baier.
Densieski said he wasn’t bothered by the size of the apartments — there’s a need for that type of housing, he said — and, while the use is “very intense,” the code allows for it, he said.
“My objection is I don’t find the building attractive,” Densieski said. “It doesn’t fit in with the character of Polish Town. We have to stop approving things that don’t look good in the Town of Riverhead,” he said.
The board agreed to table the resolution, with Carey suggesting the applicant return to a work session for further discussion.
In other action at the Nov. 7 meeting, the planning board:
Scheduled a Dec. 5 public hearing on the preliminary site plan application for “Central Square at Wading River,” an application for construction of a 49,107-square-foot (gross floor area) shopping center, including a 4,250-square-foot bank, a 5,307-square-foot, 150-seat restaurant, two 9,786-square-foot buildings with retail and professional office uses, and two 9,989-square-foot buildings with retail and professional offices. The application calls for total lot coverage of 52,612 square feet on the northern portion of a 372,106-square-foot vacant parcel located on the south side of Route 25A, approximately 1,373 feet east of Wading River-Manorville Road in Wading River. The hearing will take place at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5.
Approved a yield map for a 13-lot major residential subdivision of an existing 11.133-acre parcel of land located on the south side of Sound Shore Road in Northville. The property is located in the RA-40 and RA-80 zoning use districts. The applicant will purchase farmland development rights through to town’s transfer of development rights program to boost the yield from the as-of-right allowance of six lots.
Scheduled a Dec. 5 public hearing on the application of John P. Kujawski & Sons Inc. for a two-lot minor subdivision of a 120-acre parcel of farmland at 630 Manor Lane, Jamesport. The property is located within the Agricultural Protection Zone and has been stripped of its development rights. The owner intends to transfer the northern 63.96 acres as a corporate distribution to his son and his son’s wife, while retaining the southern 56.12 acres under the John P. Kujawski & Sons, Inc. corporation name for continued farming. The hearing will take place at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.