Agri-tourism Resort Zoning Code Proposed in Riverhead

Aug 14

The Town of Riverhead faces some of the heaviest development pressure across eastern Long Island. Now, a proposed zoning code amendment that would allow resorts on farmland north of Sound Avenue is poised to move forward, threatening the area’s rural character, community, and adding to the increasing traffic problem on the North Fork.

The proposal, contemplated for months behind closed doors with a developer’s consultant and the Town, allows “agri-tourism” resorts to be constructed on parcels of 100 acres or more on land that is currently zoned for two-acre residential use along Sound Avenue from Baiting Hollow to the Southold Town Line. The proposal does not change the zoning, rather it allows these resort proposals by special permits. This means a resort could be located next to a residential property.

The proposal requires at least 70% of the land be preserved for agricultural uses, however, as defined under the New York State Agriculture and Markets law, “agricultural purposes” could include harvest-your-own activities, crop mazes, hayrides, agriculturally-related shows, bazaars, festivals, vineyards, barns, vertical farming, and event space, all in addition to a hotel or resort that can be constructed on the remaining 30% of the land. The resorts can include 150 units, a restaurant with 300+ seats, pool, spa, fitness center, and other hotel accessories, as well as large events.

Despite opposition from residents, civic groups, environmental organizations, and even the Town of Southold, whose board members wrote a letter to express their concerns and oppose the issue, the Riverhead Town Board has made their intentions clear to move forward.

Group for the East End has advocated that this proposal meets the criteria for review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), which requires local governments to consider the environmental, social, and economic impacts of proposed development projects, new laws and regulations, and land-use policies or plans. This means the proposal should require an environmental impact statement, which would fully analyze the environmental impacts, as well as traffic, sewage, community character, economics, and ecological impacts—with public input, of what is being proposed versus the as-of-right zoning, which is residential. Without such a review, the Town of Riverhead should not move forward.

On Thursday, August 15, the Riverhead Town Supervisor made a statement at the Town’s work session that the public hearing, which was scheduled for Tuesday, August 20, would be canceled after an "unusually high volume of opposition and commentary received." The Town will now hold a public forum on Wednesday, September 18 at 6 p.m. Join us at the Riverhead Town Hall (4 West Second Street, Riverhead) and tell the Riverhead Town Board Members that such a large-scale proposal to allow this type of development on residentially zoned land along Sound Avenue cannot move forward without a comprehensive, transparent, and objective environmental impact review.

The Riverhead Town Board scheduled a meeting to adopt its Comprehensive Plan on Wednesday, September 4—in the middle of the afternoon and on the first day of school—which included language to protect this ill-conceived proposal. The Group, its civic association partners, and the public had planned a press conference ahead of this meeting to urge board members to remove this language from its plan. The evening prior, the town board issued a press release to say the language would in fact be removed. At the meeting, the board also announced it would be tabling the “agri-tourism” proposal for the foreseeable future.

It is unlikely this proposal is gone for good, and the Group will continue to keep an eye out for future updates.

Find comprehensive news coverage by RiverheadLocal on this proposal here.