Riverhead Town Board members advanced proposed zoning changes for the outlet business zoning district Wednesday.
The proposed changes drew criticism over reduced landscaping requirements and the potential addition of drive-through restaurants — while the representative of one property owner argued the proposal still does not go far enough in loosening restrictions.
The proposed amendments to the Business F zoning district would significantly expand allowable uses and eliminate special permit requirements for many future uses and redevelopment projects within the district, replacing them with Planning Board site plan review.
Senior Planner Greg Bergman said the changes are intended to provide flexibility as retail markets evolve and are consistent with recommendations in the town’s 2024 comprehensive plan update.
“The proposal that’s before you tonight would not result in any additional floor area beyond that which would already be permitted in the zoning district, and is really being put forth in an effort to allow for greater flexibility in reusing vacant space or potential redevelopment of the site to better suit the needs of new tenants,” Bergman said.
Among the proposed changes are expanded permitted uses including restaurants with drive-through windows, movie theaters, indoor recreation, banks, professional offices and commercial video game centers.
The amendments would also remove the district’s current single-story requirement, though existing height limits would remain in place.
Laura Jens-Smith questioned whether second-floor commercial uses would now be allowed under the revised code. Council Member Bob Kern confirmed they would.
Jens-Smith said she supported reducing parking requirements in the district but opposed allowing drive-through restaurants at Tanger, arguing nearby Route 58 businesses rely on traffic generated by the outlet center.
“I don’t think [a drive-through] is an appropriate place to put it at Tanger,” she said, suggesting any such uses be limited to the perimeter of the complex.
She also questioned reducing the required landscaped front-yard setback from 100 feet to 35 feet.
Bergman said the change would make the requirement consistent with the rest of the Route 58 corridor and stressed that a large wooded buffer along West Main Street would remain protected through a separate requirement that at least 25% of the site remain in a “substantially contiguous” landscaped area.
Joan Cear of Jamesport also objected to both drive-through uses and the reduction in landscaped setbacks, arguing the proposal conflicts with comprehensive plan recommendations encouraging increased green space and reduced pavement in shopping centers.
Riverhead architect Martin Sendlewski, who represents owners of a smaller Business F-zoned parcel located between Tanger 1 and Tanger 2, generally supported the proposed changes but argued portions of the amendment remain unnecessarily restrictive.
Sendlewski objected to the requirement for a “substantially contiguous” landscaped area, calling the term subjective and undefined. He said the configuration of his client’s parcel — including cross-access easements connecting the two Tanger centers — would make compliance difficult or impossible.
He also questioned proposed language excluding “raceways” from permitted indoor recreation uses, citing family-oriented indoor electric go-kart facilities as a potential use that should be allowed.
“Why would you do that?” Sendlewski asked the board. “You five people are the ones that are deciding to limit certain recreation uses.”
Kern and Bergman both appeared receptive to revisiting that language. Bergman said he would have “no issue” with an indoor electric go-kart facility and suggested the board could remove “raceways” from the exclusion.
The board closed the hearing but left the record open for 10 days to receive written comments.
Hearing set on Peconic River Hotel proposal
The Town Board Wednesday scheduled a June 10 public hearing on the proposed Peconic River Hotel project planned for East Main Street in downtown Riverhead.
The hearing will cover the project’s special permit and site plan applications. It is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
During public comment, John McAuliff questioned whether the hearing would allow the public to argue against the hotel project itself or whether the board’s review would be limited to technical site plan and special permit criteria.
Town Attorney Erik Howard said the hearing is intended to address criteria established in town code for special permits and site plan review.
“The use itself is already a special permit use in the zoning use district, and the Town Board has already entered into a master developer agreement that provides for the submission of an application for this use,” Howard said.
Board holds eminent domain hearing for 111 East Main St.
The board held a nearly three-hour hearing to consider exercising the town’s power of eminent domain to take the property at 111 East Main Street, owned by A Place for Learning, the nonprofit corporation that operates as the Long Island Science Center. See separate story.
Town OKs letter of intent with YMCA for lease of state armory
The board also approved a letter of intent with the YMCA of Long Island for redevelopment of the former New York State Armory property on Old Country Road. See separate story.
More requests to meet with OLA about public safety law
During the meeting’s final public comment period, speakers again urged the Town Board to place proposed legislation backed by Organización Latino-Americana of Eastern Long Island on a future work session agenda. Supporters say the proposal would establish local policies governing interactions between town personnel and federal immigration enforcement authorities.
The board did not respond substantively to those requests Wednesday night.
In other action Wednesday, the board approved the following measures:
- Biosolids project financing: authorized an additional $2,476,840 in bonds, bringing the revised maximum estimated cost of the sewer district biosolids project to $21,126,840.
- Biosolids budget adjustment: adjusted the sewer district capital project budget, including bond proceeds, a $2 million federal SWIFT grant and $800,000 from the sewer denitrification reserve fund.
- Code enforcement: approved a budget adjustment for part-time code enforcement and town attorney staff, and appointed part-time code enforcement officers.
- Volunteer firefighter/ambulance worker tax exemption: adopted a local law amending the town code’s tax exemption provisions for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers.
- Solid waste code amendment: adopted a local law amending general solid waste provisions applicable to properties and uses.
- Water district engineering RFQ: authorized an RFQ for engineering services for water main installation tied to Water District boundary extensions 95, 96 and 97.
- Highway equipment: authorized purchase of a 2026 Massey Ferguson tractor for the Highway Department for $181,981.
- Race Track Not Street: approved 2027 special event applications for the Summer Classic and Championship Series.
- EPF grant: accepted an Environmental Protection Fund grant award of $675,000 for the town square amphitheater through the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
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