Laura Jens-Smith

Ensuring a fair justice system does not have to come at the expense of our wellbeing. There are common sense solutions we can all agree on.

Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith outlines actions she's taken to address overcrowded housing.

Will Riverhead be a town dominated by more big box stores, when we know retail is retreating? Will our hamlets become a litany of faceless strip malls, when we know there are already too many vacant storefronts? Will we value open space, or cut down every last tree in the name of “progress”? Guest column by Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith

Supervisor: Theater company representatives have said Riverhead's demographics don't yet support development of a movie theater in Riverhead. But we are not giving up.

"Progress can sometimes be a bitter pill if not metered with a larger vision." Riverhead Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith argues for master plan update.

It is time we implement zoning that allows for smart development. We need development that encourages mixed-use buildings and supports both commercial and residential development and enhances the feel of our downtown. Column by Laura Jens-Smith

Eventually you have to ask yourself who is going to pay the taxes in this town? And that finger seems to point directly to the already-overburdened homeowners and small businesses of Riverhead.

The widespread negative reaction to an architect's rendering of apartment buildings planned for downtown made it perfectly clear: Riverhead residents don't want our historic downtown to be turned into Queens.

Smart growth is needed. This takes planning and a strong commitment to encourage development that provides a variety of housing types, not just rental apartments.

Several years after the Town Board adopted the master plan, it quietly changed one word, creating a giant loophole that effectively unraveled the result of years of planning.