The site plan application for a retail cannabis dispensary on the corner of Route 58 and Ostrander Avenue gained preliminary approval from the Riverhead Planning Board last week.
The applicant, 840 Old Country Road LLC, proposes a 6,060-square-foot addition to an existing 8,308-square-foot commercial building on the 1.8-acre site.
The location meets the requirements of the town’s cannabis code, Riverhead Senior Planner Matt Charters told the Planning Board during its May 15 meeting, when the board discussed the application. The site is within a designated commercial corridor as required by the code and is not within 500 feet of any residential uses. The town in March notified the state licensing authority, the Office of Cannabis Management, that the site complies with local zoning code siting standards.
At a June 5 public hearing on the application, Mary Hyland of the Saddle Lakes condominium community on Middle Road, just north of the proposed site, objected to the proposed dispensary location.
“None of us are happy about this cannabis place opening up 2/10 of a mile from our over-55 community,” Hyland told the board at the June 5 hearing.
“We’ve had problems with break-ins to cars already,” she said.
The site is “right next to the hospital,” said Hyland, who identified herself as a retired nurse. “How ridiculous.”
She also noted the site’s proximity to the Timothy Hill Ranch, which houses teens Hyland said are “not from the best circumstances.” Allowing a cannabis dispensary so close to a group home like that is asking for trouble, she warned.
“I think it’s the worst thing in the world,” she said. “Nobody starts out with crack or cocaine, they start with marijuana,” she said.
“Nobody is happy about this. It’s not fair to us. We moved here — we want to be in a safe community,” Hyland said. Noting that there is a medical marijuana dispensary on Main Street and a retail dispensary on the west end of Route 58, Hyland asked, “How many do we need? Does Riverhead have to be known as the place for drugs?”
Types of land uses and their allowed locations are spelled out in the town’s zoning code, which is developed and adopted by the Town Board pursuant to state law. The Planning Board has no legal authority to amend the zoning code. It’s role is to ensure that subdivision and site plan applications comply with the zoning code’s requirements.
Hyland was the only resident to speak during the June 5 public hearing on the site plan application. The board closed the hearing and last week proceeded to adopt a resolution approving the site plan, which planners said met all town code requirements. But first they heard again from Hyland, who returned to voice her complaints again. This time, she was joined by several other residents who also objected to the application for similar reasons.
Dawn Collins of Riverhead said town officials should be ashamed of themselves for allowing cannabis dispensaries to operate here. “The board’s not looking at the message to our youth, the North Fork tourism, the traffic, security and crime, property values, winery and brewery, competition,” she said. “This isn’t the message we want to send. This isn’t the will of the majority. We want to send positive messages to our kids. We need to promote a healthy lifestyle out here. Take the kids to go fishing, go for ice cream,” Collins said. “You don’t need a dispensary on every corner and Riverhead or anywhere else.”
Planning Board chairperson Ed Densiesksi said that, according to planning department staff, the town’s zoning code will allow a total of seven dispensaries.
The applicant’s attorney, Vincent Trimarco, said the town has already set its policy regarding marijuana dispensaries. Riverhead Town’s requirements are strict and “far exceed” the state’s requirements, Trimarco said.
The property, a former auto dealership location, is within the Riverhead Water District but requires a service line upgrade, Riverhead Water District Superintendent Frank Mancini said in written comments on the application. It is not within the service area of the Riverhead Sewer District but requires an extension. The sewer district’s consulting engineers, H2M, will prepare a map and plan for the extension for an estimated fee of $9,800, to be paid by the applicant.
The Suffolk County Department of Public Works weighed in on the site plan to say that the sidewalk along County Route 58 “does not appear to be ADA compliant at multiple locations.” The applicant must revise the site plan to show a new proposed sidewalk and curb that meets the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A permit from the Suffolk DPW is required.
The Planning Board voted unanimously to grant preliminary approval of the site plan.
Public hearing set on Venezia Square site plan in Wading River
Assumed lead agency for review of the Venezia Square site plan application and determined that no additional environmental impact review is required for the proposed development of a commercial center on an approximately 6.3-acre parcel of land at 6435 Route 25A in Wading River.
The plan seeks approval to build two 10,000-square-foot retail buildings, one 7,000 square-foot retail building, one 4,000-square-foot bank with drive-thru, and one 6,000-square-foot restaurant building to include a 3,000-square-foot, 76-seat restaurant and two 1,000-square foot takeout restaurants with 16 seats each.
The site is located on the south side of Route 25A about 790 feet west of the intersection of 25A and Wading River-Manor Road, between Alexander-Rothwell Funeral Home and May’s Market..
The board voted 4-1 to adopt the determination of significance, with Vice Chairperson John Hogan voting no, stating he disagreed with the traffic pattern leaving the shopping center going north on Dogwood Drive.
The board set a public hearing on the Venezia Square site plan application for Aug. 7 at 6 p.m.
Public hearings set on West Main Street redevelopment and new BJ’s gas station
- Site plan application for the redevelopment of an existing 6-acre commercial property at 940-946 West Main Street, where the Fisher organization proposes construction of two new buildings: a three-story, 110,400-square-foot self-storage building, and a 33,040-square-foot wholesale business with basement.
- Site plan application of East End Commons at 565-605 Old Country Road, to construct a 10,530-square-foot expansion to an existing BJ’s Wholesale Club, an eight pump (sixteen station) accessory fueling station, a 165-square-foot fueling station and an attendant’s kiosk, with landscaping, parking, and lighting upgrades.
Final site plan approvals granted
The Planning Board on July 3 granted final site plan approvals to:
- Akhirah House of Worship and graveyard (formerly Cox Place of Worship) at 5284 Route 25A in Wading River, for the conversion of an existing single-family dwelling into a place of worship and the addition of a 3,600-plot church yard on an approximately 5-acre site.
- Bargain Moulding at 1133 Old Country Road, for an amendment to an approved site plan for the conversion of an existing commercial building to a moulding showroom and retail center.
- Home Depot outdoor storage at 1550 Old Country Road, administrative approval of a site plan to legitimize and formally designate outdoor storage areas for rental equipment, plants, and materials to be sold at the existing Home Depot retail store, with site alterations including parking restriping, landscaping, and lighting improvements.
Preliminary site plan approvals granted:
- Guddha LLC office building at 365 Harrison Avenue, for a 1,359 sq. ft. office building with on-site parking and other related site improvements on a 13,617-square-foot vacant parcel at the northwest corner of Harrison Avenue and Old Country Road.
- Shake Shack building conversion at 567 Tanger Outlet Mall, 1700 building, for a proposed Shake Shack restaurant.
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