Town Board approves water district extension in Calverton: Feb. 19 meeting wrap-up

The Riverhead Town Board at its Feb. 19 meeting approved a Riverhead Water District extension to serve residents in the Forge Road area of Calverton where private drinking water wells are contaminated or likely to be contaminated by PFAS, arsenic, iron and manganese.

Approximately 70 mobile homes located in three mobile home parks and 14 single-family homes will be served by the extension, which will cost the water district an estimated $1.52 million.

The town received just under $1.2 million in federal grant funding under the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will allocate $335,000 from its Community Preservation Fund to pay the remaining cost of the extension. Residents are responsible for the installation of their private service lines and the cost of their meters, as well as connections to internal plumbing.  

In other action at the Feb. 19 meeting, the Town Board:

• Authorized the Recreation Department to provide free beach parking stickers to town residents who are veterans as well as volunteers in Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps and volunteers in the Riverhead, Wading River Jamesport and Manorville fire departments.

• Approved a special permit for Sandy Pond Links clubhouse, manager’s residence, three trade shop buildings, along with 67 new parking stalls at 1495 Roanoke Avenue.

• Scheduled public hearings to be held March 4 at 2 p.m. on town zoning code amendments to implement recommendations of the comprehensive plan update concerning industrial zoning district designations, specifically deleting references to Industrial A, B and C zoning districts and adding Calverton Industrial and Light Industrial zoning districts in town code provisions related to battery energy storage systems, commercial solar energy production systems, telecommunications towers and satellite earth stations, and signs.

• Scheduled a public hearing for March 4 at 2 p.m.  to amend the town code to limit the number of extensions of preliminary site plan approvals to not more than two six-month extensions, and to impose a $250 fee for each extension request.

• Scheduled a public hearing for March 4 at 2 p.m.  to amend the town code to require signs erected by governmental authorities, excluding signs erected pursuant to and in discharge of any governmental function, law or regulation, to comply with the town’s sign ordinance.

• Approved contracts with Raynor Group for engineering services and HonkMobile USA for services related to paid parking in certain municipal parking lots during a three-month trial period.

• Appointed Ryan Zaleski as a part-time traffic control specialist.

• Appointed Jordan Palmer to the position of Fire Marshal I.

• Promoted Public Safety Dispatcher Melissa Elco to the position of Public Safety Dispatcher III.

• Promoted Code Enforcement Officer Ivan Soto to the position of Ordinance Inspector.

• Accepted the retirement of  building and planning administrator Jefferson Murphree, effective March 6. Pursuant to a stipulation settling a disciplinary action brought by the town against Murphree, he has been on leave with full pay. The stipulation required Murphree to resign effective March 6 of this year.

• Accepted the retirement of Riverhead Sewer District Superintendent Michael Reichel, effective March 22.

• Approved a special event permit for the Run for Briggs 5K, to be held at the Calverton Enterprise Park on May 24 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 1 p.m., rain or shine.