The Town Hall meeting room was packed beyond capacity at the Sept. 4 meeting where the Town Board adopted the comp plan update over residents' objections. Laura Jens-Smith, president of the Greater Jamesport Civic Association, which organized a letter writing and petition drive campaign against agritourism resorts, is at the podium. RiverheadLOCAL/Alek Lewis
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To the Editor:

In the weeks following the removal of the agritourism resort proposal from the Riverhead comprehensive plan update, it’s been unfortunate to see how at least one Town Board member has chosen to reinterpret the events leading up to the proposal’s removal from the plan. (Councilman says civic groups misinformed residents about resorts on Sound Avenue)

Instead of reflecting on the overwhelming rejection of this proposal by the very people he represents, Council Member Rothwell is focused on blaming those who had the courage to tell the town it was making a mistake — based on the facts of the proposal and not misinformation. 

In Mr. Rothwell’s view, the civics are somehow responsible for any confusion regarding the details of the proposal.  However, this was the consequence of a policy developed behind closed doors, funded in part by developers, the failed strategy of trying to jam the policy into the Comprehensive Plan Update, the town’s disregard for necessary environmental review, and the town staff’s failure to accurately represent the unambiguous conflicts between the current proposal and references to tourism goals in the 2003 comprehensive plan.  

Confusion and misinformation were not spread by the civics.  They rightly worked diligently and effectively, analyzed the proposal, acted as a true form of representative democracy, and educated the public on the far-reaching negative impacts that agritourism resorts would impart on Sound Avenue including its lack of a sustainable solution to farmland preservation.

Group for the East End stands by the civics’ findings. Thousands of people, businesses, environmental organizations, even farmers, residents, and the neighboring town recognized this proposal for what it really was, thanks to the civics.  

Jennifer Hartnagel

Group for the East End

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