Historic district

A pair of code amendments changing the role of the Landmarks Preservation Commission were adopted by the town board Tuesday night over the objection of the commission and Councilwoman Jodi Giglio, the town board liaison to the commission.

Riverhead’s Landmarks Preservation Commission is planning to take a second stab at getting a Main Road historic district on the state and national registers.

The State Board for Historic Preservation approved the addition of the Second and Ostrander historic district to the state and federal registers of historic places, opening up opportunities for large tax credits for improvements to buildings within the district.

The stories behind some of the homes in the residential neighborhood north of East Main Street, which were mostly built in the century between 1840 and 1940.

Riverhead supervisor says downtown historic district designation will prevent former Sears building from being razed to make way for five-story apartment building. Landmarks commission chairman says that's not accurate.

The chairman of the Riverhead Landmarks Preservation Commission says the effort to list the Main Road historic district on the National Register failed because the commission didn't anticipate how much citizens mistrust and and fear government intervention.