Planners OK charter high school on Sound Ave., begin review of 131-acre industrial subdivision plan next to Splish Splash

The Riverhead Charter School gained approval from the Riverhead Planning Board last Thursday to convert the Northville schoolhouse for use as a high school.

The charter school will make minor site improvements on the 3.9-acre parcel on Sound Avenue. Improvements include exterior lighting, a concrete pad for handicap accessible parking, an ADA-compliant handicap access ramp and asphalt driveway aprons.

The building will eventually be occupied by 106 students, when the high school adds grades 11 and 12 over the next two school years, Riverhead Charter School Superintendent Raymond Ankrum said.

Planning Board members, who voted unanimously to approve the school’s site plan, said the town board should be asked to establish a speed zone on Sound Avenue in the vicinity of the school and reduce the speed limit in the area accordingly.

Impact statement required for 131-acre industrial subdivision next to Splish Splash

At last week’s meeting, the planning board also voted to assume lead agency and issue a positive declaration for Calverton Industrial Subdivision (Ostad Riverhead), a proposal to subdivide approximately 131 acres of industrially zoned land on Middle Country Road and River Road in Calverton. A positive declaration means the project is expected to have significant environmental impacts that require further in-depth study. The applicant is required to prepare an environmental impact statement.

The applicant proposes to create 38 industrial lots ranging in size from 1.84 acres to 6.44 acres. An additional lot is allocated for the future development of a sewage treatment plant.

The site is located immediately west of Splish Splash Water Park, opposite the lavender farm, and extends south to the Long Island Expressway. Access to the site would be from Middle Country Road.

Approximately 86 acres of the site is an active sod farm. There is also an undeveloped wooded area in the southeast corner of the property.

The applicant proposes to relocate an existing 23,551 square foot wetland area within the existing sod farm to an area within a proposed 21-acre open space area on the site.

The planning board directed the applicant to prepare a draft scoping statement for review by the board, which will be available for public comment once it is filed.

Public hearing set on Rt. 58 drive-in restaurant and retail store

The planning board also set a March 3 public hearing on a site plan application for the development of a 2,238-square-foot, drive-in restaurant with 2l0 indoor seats and 54 outdoor seats and a 5,000-square-foot retail building on a 1,8-acre parcel on the north side of Route 58 just west of Osborn Avenue. The hearing will begin at 6 p.m.

Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard site plan put to a second vote

After failing to gain a three-vote majority in December, Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard’s site plan was before the planning board agin on Feb. 3. The site plan resolution contained more restrictions than the vineyard owner liked and he argued against them. When the board voted, the site plan still came up short, garnering only two votes of support, with one abstention. See prior story.