Jefferson Murphree

Riverhead Town’s chief planner, who is leading the town’s comprehensive plan update, says he’s never personally experienced the heavy traffic on Sound Avenue on a fall weekend — and doesn't want to. The Sag Harbor resident told a Greater Jamesport Civic Association meeting traffic issues on the South Fork make it hard to visit the North Fork on weekends.

The new projected completion date is at least seven months beyond the completion date set forth in an amendment, approved by the town board last July, to the Jan. 2, 2020 agreement with planning consultants AKRF. The July 2021 amendment extended the contract period 12 months, to Aug. 31, 2022.

After criticism from a former councilwoman a week ago, Riverhead officials defended their involvement in the state review of a 36-megawatt solar energy facility proposal, approved last month for a 275-acre site in Calverton.

The comprehensive land use plan, which was to have been completed by May 2021, but was delayed by COVID, now has a target completion date of fall 2022, according to the town's chief planner, Jefferson Murphree.

In an opinion dated April 30, the Riverhead Board of Ethics said it found no evidence that Riverhead planning and building administrator Jefferson Murphree violated either the towns ethics code or his employment contract by working as a consultant for a developer of a site on the traffic circle in Riverside.

The Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Community Association has filed an ethics complaint against Riverhead planning and building administrator Jefferson Murphree in connection with his private consulting work for a developer seeking permits to build a gas station and convenience store on the Riverside traffic circle just across the town line in downtown Riverhead.

A civic leader is questioning Riverhead building and planning administrator Jefferson Murphree's outside consulting work.Vince Taldone told the Riverhead Town Board today he believe's Murphree's work for a developer in Riverside is a conflict of interest.

The town and its planning consultants will launch an online community survey and begin holding hamlet meetings (via Zoom) in March.