The Suffolk County Legislature voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the $4.42 million acquisition of more than six acres along Route 25A in Wading River, ending the prospect of a long-planned shopping center on the property.
The five parcels, collectively known as the Venezia Square site, total approximately 6.34 acres on the south side of Route 25A, west of Wading River-Manor Road. The county plans to preserve the land as open space and transfer it to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation for passive recreational use.
The resolution authorizes the county to purchase the property from Venezia Corporation for $4.42 million, or $16 per square foot, subject to a final survey. The purchase will be funded through the open-space component of the Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection Program.
Riverhead Town Council members Ken Rothwell and Denise Merrifield, both Wading River residents, appeared before the legislature Tuesday to urge approval of the acquisition.
Rothwell said the proposed 37,000-square-foot, campus-style shopping center would have worsened congestion along a section of Route 25A that already experiences frequent traffic backups.
“I am a proponent of smart development to ease the tax burden on our residents, but this particular project would have caused too much stress in our small town of Wading River and complicated the Route 25A corridor,” Rothwell told legislators. He owns a funeral home adjacent to the site and said he witnesses traffic backups in the corridor all the time.
The proposed development would have included three retail buildings, three restaurants, a bank and 171 parking spaces. It also would have required a new traffic signal at Route 25A and Dogwood Drive.
The Riverhead Planning Board granted the project preliminary site plan approval in September, while the county’s effort to acquire the property was underway.
Rothwell said the town began working with former Suffolk County Legislator Catherine Stark more than two years ago to pursue preservation of the property.
“It’s been a long road, but I think we can see the finish line here today,” he said.
Rothwell described the property as part of the gateway to Riverhead Town’s farms and rural landscape. Preserving it, he said, would protect that character while preventing additional traffic congestion.
He also spoke about the difficulty emergency vehicles face navigating the Route 25A corridor.
“As a first responder in Wading River, I do want to just say that this traffic congestion has been very difficult over the last few years,” Rothwell said. “Trying to maneuver an ambulance and fire truck through that has been a very difficult task.”
Merrifield told legislators the proposed traffic signal would have brought the number of lights between the Sound Avenue-Route 25A junction and the William Floyd Parkway bypass to 11.
“It would have been 11 traffic lights in a very short distance, which would have been extremely difficult for all the residents of Wading River,” she said.
Merrifield also credited Stark for advancing the acquisition.
“I know it does not come within two months, three months; it’s several years of work,” Merrifield said.
The Venezia Square site plan was first submitted to Riverhead Town in 2008 and was revised several times, including to comply with zoning changes adopted after the town’s 2012 Wading River corridor study.
The commercial proposal faced sustained opposition from Wading River residents concerned about traffic, drainage and the effect of additional development on nearby homes and the community’s rural character.
The County Legislature authorized an appraisal of the property last year. The resolution approved Tuesday states that the county’s Environmental Trust Review Board approved the appraised value and that the property owner accepted the county’s offer.
The legislation prohibits development of the property and designates it for passive recreation. It also permits the county to negotiate an agreement with Riverhead Town for management of the site.
Rothwell said he would eventually like to see a small park or gathering area with picnic tables and a pedestrian crossing connecting the property to the nearby county bicycle and pedestrian trail.
“I can see a small park with picnic tables, a place to gather outside, and perhaps a crosswalk to access the great Rails to Trails project,” he said.
After the vote, Rothwell called the acquisition a “win-win” for the property owner, neighboring residents and the broader Wading River community.
“This was a win for the developer, who’s made whole,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s a win for the residents in Wading River.”
The resolution was introduced by the presiding officer at the request of County Executive Ed Romaine and Legislator Leslie Kennedy.
Correction: This article was amended to correct an error concerning the introduction of the resolution.
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.
