The Planning Board on Thursday approved a 19-lot subdivision yield map for Summerwind Farms, a 30-acre parcel located at 200 Peconic Bay Boulevard in Aquebogue, just east of the Reeves Creek bridge.
The property is split-zoned with 16.5 acres in Residence B-40 and 13.3 acres in Residence B-80, Senior Planner Greg Bergman said.
The yield map “substantially conforms to the town’s major subdivision requirements,” with areas for roadways, drainage, wetlands, etc. excluded from yield, and demonstrates an as-of-right yield of 19 lots, all of which conform to the requirements of the town code, Bergman said.
The property has historically been farmed, he said.
Bergman reviewed three proposed sketch plans. The applicant, the planning department and planning board consultant Vincent Guadiello agree that sketch plan three, which would create 16 lots and preserve 14.4 acres, is the most desirable plan.
The Planning Board will continue discussion of the sketch plan at an upcoming meeting.
Calverton land subdivision set for public hearing
A proposed two-lot subdivision of a vacant, wooded 111.4-acre parcel of land located on the northeast corner of the intersection of Middle Country Road and Fresh Pond Avenue in Calverton has been scheduled for a March 6 public hearing.
Lot 1 is 14.5 acres, with frontage on Middle Country Road in the Rural Corridor zoning district. Lot 2 comprises the remaining 96.8 acres, north of Lot 1 and is located in the Agricultural Protection Zone district.
The Riverhead Charter School is proposing to build a high school with athletic fields on Lot 1 of the proposed subdivision site.
The entire property was part of a prior two-lot subdivision, which included a one-acre parcel for a communications tower.
No development is currently proposed for the property. The proposed action is an Unlisted action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, Bergman said. Coordinated review has been initiated, he said.
The March 6 public hearing will take place at 6 p.m. at Riverhead Town Hall.
Medical office building planned for portion of former Blockbuster site
A proposed medical office building at 1107 Old Country Road will be the subject of a public hearing on March 6.
The 2,295 square-foot medical office building is proposed for the southern portion of a 1.35-acre parcel on Route 58 already developed with an existing 9,300-square-foot building. The existing building comprises several stores, including the former Blockbuster Video store, a mobile phone store and a nail salon.
The proposed action is a Type II action, for which no further environmental review is required, according to the resolution passed by the Planning Board last week.
Venezia Square traffic analysis continues
The Planning Board retained Louis K. McLean Associates to finish a traffic impact study for Venezia Square, a commercial site plan application for property on Route 25A in Wading River, at an additional cost of $2,100. The cost is paid by the applicant, Senior Planner Matt Charters said. The existing purchase order for traffic study expired due to delays as the applicant works with the State Department of Transportation regarding signalization of the entrance to the shopping center and the reconfiguration of lanes of travel on Route 25A, a state road, to provide turning lanes.
Coastal Erosion Hazard permit OK’d for beach access staircase
Also at its Feb. 6 meeting, the Planning Board approved a Coastal Erosion Hazard permit to the owner of property on North Side Road in Wading River. The property owner, Leo Flecken at 118 North Side Road, seeks approval to construct a beach access stairway with 12 landings, to remove an existing stairway landward of the top of the bluff, and to revegetate all disturbed areas. The owner has already obtained a required tidal wetlands permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, according to town documents. The Planning Board determined the proposed action to be a Type II action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, and does not require any further environmental review.
Place of worship with burial ground proposed for Wading River site
The board discussed but took no action on a site plan application seeking approval to convert an existing single-family dwelling to a place of worship and church yard with 3,600 grave plots on an approximately 5-acre parcel of land at 5284 Route 25A in Wading River.
The site is located in the Residence B-80 zoning district. Houses of worship are generally permitted uses in all zoning districts in Riverhead.
Members of the board reviewed details of the site plan with town planner Heather Trojanowski.
The board discussed potential environmental impacts of the burial ground, specifically with respect to groundwater. Graveyards are a potential contaminant to groundwater, Trojanowski said. She asked that the applicant submit a full environmental assessment form specifically addressing that issue, before the Planning Board makes a determination of significance and moves forward to a public hearing. There are surrounding residential uses, existing and proposed, that are served by private wells.
The place of worship and graveyard will be for people of the Muslim faith and the Muslim tradition is “very natural” and “the most green burial process you could do,” applicant Daniel Cox said. “There’s no embalming, so there’s no chemicals,” he said. “They usually go into a pine casket, which is completely biodegradable,” he said. “There’s no metals going into the ground.”
“The groundwater on this specific property is at 74 feet, so I don’t see it being an issue, regardless,” Cox said.
The burial ground, which is about half of the site, will be held subject to perpetual care by the nonprofit organization that will own the site. The applicant agreed to sign a covenant to require that the property will be a private cemetery forever.
The place of worship — the converted residence — would be used for Muslim worship services on Friday evenings, Cox said. The building will not be used for funeral services, he said, as those are not part of the Muslim faith tradition.
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