Planning Board Jan. 15 meeting wrap: hospital’s maternity entrance work gets green light

The Riverhead Planning Board on Jan. 15 approved plans to widen and rework the maternity entrance area at Peconic Bay Medical Center and granted administrative approval for site improvements at a Calverton business, while also issuing preliminary site plan approval for a proposed wet retail commercial building on West Main Street.     

The board’s administrative approval for Peconic Bay Medical Center/Northwell Health covers improvements within a 30,698-square-foot portion of the hospital property along Route 58, including widening the entrance road, adding pedestrian access, curbing, a drop-off area, concrete walks and a sitting area, drainage work, landscaping and pavement markings.   

As part of that approval, Suffolk County DPW required the applicant to obtain a county highway work permit for proposed access work within the county right-of-way, and directed the project to add a stop sign and stop bar at the access point and to note replacement of broken curb and sidewalk along the CR 58 frontage.   

The planning board’s conditions also require the applicant to revise the lighting schedule to include compliant bollards, and to revise the site plan to demonstrate compliance with the town engineer memo and all SCDPW comments before plans are signed and a building permit is issued.  

The board also approved an administrative site plan for Bandera Pools at 27 Service Road A in Calverton, an application to legalize existing paving, drainage and landscaping and to make additional paving and landscaping modifications. 

The town engineer’s comments on that project included completion of a soil boring, documenting separation to groundwater for leaching structures, and providing details for driveway construction including the proposed porous grass block.  

During the meeting, board members amended the Bandera Pools resolution so that the administrative approval is conditioned on confirmation by the town engineer that the drainage system design is “customarily or otherwise adequate,” then approved the resolution as amended.    

In addition to the administrative approvals, the planning board granted preliminary site plan approval for a 3,000-square-foot commercial building described as “wet retail” at 305 West Main Street in the Peconic River Community zoning district.     

The resolution notes that the project previously received zoning relief from the Zoning Board of Appeals, including for impervious surface coverage (49.5% proposed where 40% is permitted) and for a landscaped buffer requirement along land owned by Suffolk County.  

Before the applicant can return for final site plan approval, the preliminary resolution requires multiple revisions and sign-offs, including soil boring data, any needed water district changes and RPZ submittal, sewer district-related changes, and submission of a full landscaping plan for Architectural Review Board review.   

The applicant must also submit an erosion and sediment control plan for town engineer review due to the site’s proximity to the Peconic River and apply to the town’s Conservation Advisory Council for ground disturbance within 150 feet of a town-mapped freshwater wetland.  

At the meeting, the applicant raised questions about a prior recommendation of the town fire marshal to add two rear exit doors, saying the exits were not required by code; planning staff indicated the issue could be revisited at final approval if the fire marshal provides an updated memo.   

The board also took up two additional items listed on the agenda: it transmitted a recommendation to the Town Board for release of a performance bond connected to the Highlands at Reeves (a/k/a NF Golf Resorts LLC) major subdivision, and granted two 90-day extensions tied to conditions of a previously approved minor subdivision at 230 W. Main Street.      

The agenda listed correspondence related to 1458 Middle Road in Calverton, including NYSDEC documents forwarded by the Greater Calverton Civic Association and a letter from Robert Gass.   

The next Planning Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m.