Southampton Town Board

Trouble is brewing between the two towns that straddle the Peconic River. The bone of contention: Southampton Town’s plan for revitalization of the Riverside hamlet, adopted nearly 10 years ago.

Supervisor Tim Hubbard offered Southampton officials Riverhead’s help to revise its Riverside development plans, including partnering on a market and demographic study. He also asked that the proposed Riverside sewer district take in the county facilities there.

Dozens of people turned out to hear Southampton town supervisor and council candidates speak on the issues last night at the Flanders-Riverside-Northampton Community Association meeting.

On a day that saw the arrest of a sitting town councilman on drug trafficking charges, residents of Flanders and Riverside packed the Southampton Town Board meeting room to demand more police presence to fight drug-related crime in their neighborhoods. Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst announced a deal with the town police union that she said would put two steady, full-time patrol units in the area beginning in January.

Southampton Councilman Brad Bender has stepped down. The Southampton Town Board will set the date for a special election during a meeting it has set for Monday, Nov. 30.