Maureen’s Haven is seeking a new location for its homeless outreach center after Riverhead Town filed a lawsuit aiming to force the nonprofit to vacate the Lincoln Street property it’s occupied for more than a decade.
Maureen’s Haven is permitted to operate an office at 28 Lincoln Street but has instead been operating “a day center for the homeless,” which is beyond the scope of its permit and the property’s residential zoning designation, according to a complaint filed in Suffolk County Supreme Court last month by the town’s attorneys.
The lawsuit states that the town attorney sent a letter to Maureen’s Haven in September outlining the town’s position and requesting compliance with the town code to avoid court intervention. No response was ever received, the complaint says. The town is now asking the court for a permanent injunction against the current use of the property and is also seeking civil penalties.
Town Attorney Erik Howard said the objective of the lawsuit is to remove Maureen’s Haven from the Lincoln Street area. Maureen’s Haven is located in a neighborhood near homes and professional offices and “was never intended to be a day center,” he said in an interview following the Town Board’s approval of the lawsuit filing on April 1.
“It’s become a public nuisance,” Howard said.
The town attempted to work with Maureen’s Haven to relocate the center to a less residential area but, “It never really went anywhere,” Howard said.
“Ideally, this just sort of motivates them to relocate,” he added. “I don’t think we’re really looking for them to close down or, like, leave town or anything.”
Maureen’s Haven Executive Director Dan O’Shea said in a phone interview that the organization “has been actively looking for a better facility that would meet the needs of our clients, as well as better serve the community and the Town of Riverhead, and we hope to secure a new facility in the coming months.”
Maureen’s Haven provides support services for the local homeless population, including housing and job assistance programs, counseling and a winter emergency shelter program in collaboration with East End churches. The Lincoln Street day center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 12 to 4 p.m. on the weekend during the colder months, according to the Maureen’s Haven website.
The complaint also cites alleged town code violations by Maureen’s Haven guests, “including but not limited to loitering, littering, parking on lawn on side of building, public nuisance with police activity, arrests, interference with the use of the sidewalk by the public, drug activity, trespass on neighboring properties, public urination, public defecation, lewd acts and loud yelling and arguments in violation of the [town’s] noise ordinance…”
“Indeed, according to the Town of Riverhead Police records for the year of 2024 alone, the police were dispatched to the subject premise [24] times for a multitude of crimes including by not limited to petit larceny, harassment, civil dispute, sick/injured person, criminal disturbance, assault and warrant investigation,” the complaint says.
The complaint further argues that the building permit issued in 2011 to allow Maureen’s Haven to operate an office at the property was “improperly issued” by former Building inspector Sharon Klos. Offices are not permitted in the residential zoning district, and the use permit should have been processed through the Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals, the town says. The town is asking the court to deem the use permit “null and void.”
Additionally, the interior of the building was altered without a building permit for use as a homeless day center — another violation of the town code, according to the complaint. The town is asking the court to permit town employees to enter 28 Lincoln Street to ensure compliance with the state building code, state fire code and town code.
In a phone interview, Cynthia Fellows, a partner in Continental Industrial Center LLC, the owner of 28 Lincoln Street, did not directly address the lawsuit. “I wholeheartedly think that they do a wonderful thing for the town,” she said of Maureen’s Haven. “Unfortunately, they need more space, a better location.”
While the primary objective of the lawsuit is to obtain a court order to remove Maureen’s Haven, the Town Board is considering legislation to allow town officials to revoke use permits like Maureen’s Haven’s without going to court.
The legislation would grant the town’s zoning officer — currently Senior Planner Greg Bergman — the authority to revoke any use permit “if it is determined that the use of the premises has significantly deviated from the application or the actual use that was relied upon during the issuance of the permit.”
The permit holder would have the right to appeal the zoning officer’s decisions within 30 days of receiving the written notice of revocation. Appeals would be decided by the Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals after a public hearing, and may be challenged in court, the proposed code amendment says.
The Town Board discussed the proposal with staff at the April 24 work session. Board members expressed support for the change. No specific properties or businesses were mentioned during the discussion.
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.
