Riverhead demands easements, permits for SCWA water main along Main Road

The Riverhead Town Board voted unanimously Tuesday to require the Suffolk County Water Authority’s proposed North Fork water main route along Main Road to comply with town zoning and land-use regulations.

The 5–0 vote is the town’s second determination concerning the project under the Monroe balancing test. Its earlier decision addressed a route along Sound Avenue. After SCWA identified Main Road as its preferred alternative this summer, Riverhead held another hearing and applied the test to the revised route.

Established by a 1988 New York Court of Appeals decision, the Monroe balancing test weighs public interests to determine whether a government project is exempt from a host community’s zoning rules. Riverhead’s resolution concludes that requiring local approvals would neither prohibit the pipeline nor unduly obstruct it.

The resolution identifies approvals the town says SCWA would need for work in Riverhead, including easements, a special permit for a proposed booster station near Main Road and County Road 105, road-opening and site-plan approvals, and applicable building, fire and environmental permits.

In reaching its decision, the board cited potential construction traffic on Main Road, effects on businesses and nearby properties, wetlands and historic sites, and possible conflicts with Riverhead Water District mains and service connections. It also found that SCWA had not supplied surveys and engineering plans detailed enough for the town to fully assess the route and its impacts.

SCWA says the pipeline is intended to strengthen Southold’s water supply and reduce pressure on the North Fork’s aquifer. In announcing the revised route in July, the authority said shifting the line away from Sound Avenue would shorten it and reduce traffic and environmental impacts. SCWA says the project would make no connections within the Riverhead Water District service area.

The two agencies disagree about whether the water authority is subject to local land-use review. SCWA held its own Monroe hearing and reached a conclusion opposite to the town’s determination. The authority is proceeding with environmental review of its proposed action, following three public hearings it held in August on its Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

MORE COVERAGE: Critics tell SCWA the Main Road water main route hasn’t been adequately studied

The water authority in February filed suit against Riverhead challenging the town’s earlier Monroe determination. The authority maintains that it is exempt from local zoning as a public-benefit corporation carrying out a water-supply project. The lawsuit remains pending in State Supreme Court, Suffolk County.

MORE COVERAGE: SCWA sues Riverhead Town over North Fork pipeline project

Riverhead’s new Monroe resolution says the board could revisit its determination at SCWA’s request if the authority submits more comprehensive plans, surveys and environmental information, including details of the proposed route, construction schedule and measures to address local impacts. The resolution notes that SCWA has not selected a final route through its environmental review.

There was little discussion immediately before Tuesday’s vote.  Supervisor Jerry Halpin and Council Member Ken Rothwell thanked town staff after the resolution passed. Later, Greater Calverton Civic Association President Toqui Terchun spoke in support of the decision during the public comment portion of the meeting.

SCWA did not respond to a request for comment.