Recent News and Updates

The Town of Riverhead Comprehensive 

Plan Survey is now available online for 

your input on your ideas and plans to 

create your vision for the future 

of your town, village or hamlet. 

Also, please add your comments to 

the interactive map on the site.

 Look at how possible 

new zoning may affect your area.

Click on the link below or copy link and 

paste in a new tab:  

https://townofriverhead

comprehensiveplanupdate.com/

1. Letters can be addressed to: Supervisor, Yvette Aguiar; and Town Council Members Frank Beyrodt, Kenneth Rothwell, Robert Kern, and Tim Hubbard; and Town Clerk, Diane Wilhelm and Town Attorney, Eric Howard.

Emails can be sent to:

TownClerk@townofriverheadny.gov, Aguiar@townofriverheadny.gov, Hubbard@townofriverheadny.gov, Beyrodt@townofriverheadny.gov, Rothwell@townofriverheadny.gov, Kern@townofriverheadny.gov, Howard@townofriverheadny.gov

Also, please Cc: RNPC and your Civic Association

The letter or email subject line should include: “Zoning Code: Chapter 301, Article LIIC” or “Firearm Business Use"

Your letter or email can open with 

specifically naming: 

Ms. Aguiar, Mr. Hubbard, 

Mr. Rothwell, Mr. Beyrodt, 

Mr. Kern and Mr. Howard. 

Or, simply “Riverhead Town Board 

Members and Town Attorney Howard”

3. Use any or all the following suggested 

wording or create your own:

• This is a request to the Town Board to move forward with the Firearms Business Use zoning code revision.
• The Town Board has a responsibility to protect our residents and reputation with respectful zoning and should focus on rather than ignore the need for well-considered restrictions on the sale and use of guns in Riverhead Township.
• The town formed a Cannabis Advisory Board to decide on cannabis sales and use to keep residents safe, it makes perfect sense that firearm sales and uses be given the same consideration.
• The town could form a Firearms Advisory Committee to decided on firearms sales and use, putting a moratorium in place while the zoning revisions is completed.
• We need to decide on specific zoning allowances in order to protect our neighborhoods, hamlets and property while keeping Riverhead a family friendly town for residents and visitors.

4. Dozens of interested residents attended the 

June 21st public hearing on the proposed 

 revision for firearms businesses and made reasonable suggestions for the zoning.       

• Many expressed a need for greater distances from all  schools, houses of worship, places of mass gatherings, government  offices, parks, beaches and public areas. 
• There were suggestions to prohibit locations near residential areas, concerns of firearms businesses going against the work to revitalize Riverhead and create a safe and welcoming destination
• There were statements in favor of limiting zoning to within industrial areas with large open space buffers.
• We would expect our Town Board members to consider all or some of these ideas and perhaps seek more suggestions.  
• Supervisor Yvette Aguiar has stated that the revision does not have the interest of the board members to move forward. 
• At the July 19th Town Board meeting, Tim Hubbard stated that he believes the zoning needs to be addressed. He has committed to working on a revision that will be agreeable to all, but will need the support of the Town Board for the resolution to go to vote and be approved.  
•  We applaud Town Councilman Tim Hubbard for understanding the importance of this zoning code revision and committing to moving ahead. 
• We hope that he will have the support of his fellow Council members.
• We appreciate the efforts that Town Attorney Erik Howard has put into creating the first draft and believe that he, together with Councilman Hubbard, will be able to craft a thorough and acceptable revision.
• We would like to see the entire Town Board recognize that this zoning revision is important to the residents of Riverhead and will work in support of the town’s best interests.

5. Please sign your letter or email with your full  name, town and a contact phone number, and please send a copy to the  RNPC at this address as well as to your Civic Association.

Thank you for your time, your effort and your willingness to contribute to this cause.

Phil Barbato

Riverhead Neighborhood Preservation Coalition

We will coordinate with EPCAL Watch to observe actions by the Town and T5 regarding the sale of this precious resource. 

A letter has been sent out by EPCAL Watch to the 6,876 plus signers (as of the date of this post) of the EPCAL petition (Read and sign the Petition created by EPCAL Watch: · Riverhead Town Board: Oppose the inclusion of over 1,000 vulnerable acres in the EPCAL property sale @Change.org). 

Since its inception, the RNPC has been staunch advocates for preserving the quality of life, the area's rural character and the protection of 

the water resources, agricultural areas 

and historical sites. 

We adamantly disagree with the decision to include these vulnerable 1,050 acres in the current sale at EPCAL. As a collective, we believe that the ten kettle hole lakes and several vernal ponds, the last largest tract of native, undisturbed grasslands in the state along with diverse woodlands that include core Pine Barrens should be protected in perpetuity. 

If you agree, please click on the link below or copy and paste in your browser.

https://www.change.org/p/riverhead-town-board-oppose-the-inclusion-of-1-050-vulnerable-acres-in-the-epcal-property-sale  

The RNPC Blog concept was initiated on the RNPC website as a project to increase participation by the member civics and promote outreach to residents and other local civics in the area. 

We look forward to involving more of our fellow citizens with participating with the RNPC, an organization that advocates for the community

 and their concerns. Our best defense against 

over-development and special interests is an engaged and educated public that holds local government accountable.

Everyone is asked to review the current blog for available information and make suggestions for updates, additions or corrections of story content and also, new issues affecting their community. 

Click on the link below or 

copy and paste  in your browser:

https://rnpcblog.wordpress.com/

NEW UPDATE!

"The Supreme Court Case has been adjourned until 11/23/21"

..............................

We are pleased to report that on 1/27/21 Riverhead has filed an Article 78 Supreme Court Lawsuit against CMA Mine and the DEC, the lead Agency who allowed a “Negative Declaration” on the 

sand mining project. 

This lawsuit stops the CMA mining operation from expanding until a Court decision is reached. Riverhead retained the Law Offices of Thomas M. Volz, PLLC, to represent us in this litigation. The first Court date of 3/11/21 has been adjourned until 6/4/21. We will keep you updated as the case progresses. We thank the Town of Riverhead for initiating this litigation. There is nothing more important than protecting our water quality, and we agree with Riverhead that the CMA mining expansion application poses a clear and present threat to our water supply. 

We remain very concerned that the NYSDEC would permit a mining operation to excavate into and below the water table immediately adjacent to an abandoned Town landfill Superfund site.

Read more at :

https://rnpcblog.wordpress.com/

2021/03/29/cma-mine/

Find more information at:

 https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/states-clash-with-pentagon-on-pfas-water-limits-polluted-sites

A bipartisan clean water infrastructure bill passed the Senate 89-2 this spring. The S19 Bill: The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act would create a $35 billion fund for states 

and tribes to improve water systems — 40 percent of which would go to under-served, rural, 

and tribal communities. 

The legislation would fund projects that address aging infrastructure and improve water quality, remove lead pipes from schools, and update infrastructure to be more resilient to the 

impacts of extreme weather and climate change. 

The bill, having passed the Senate, will now 

move to the House of Representatives. 

https://grist.org/politics/long-overdue-the-senate-just-passed-35-billion-for-clean-drinking-water/

For more information on the sources of groundwater contamination in certain areas, and the need for the Town, local and state officials to  take action now, copy and paste the link below:

https://riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com/2020/12/103131/editorial-officials-must-keep-pressure-on-navy-to-take-action/

We oppose any plans to develop any of these vulnerable 1,000 plus acres that the 2016 Environmental Impact Review determined 

as critical, sensitive habitat as per previous 

SEQR, DEC and DSGEIS efforts. 

The 596.4 acres of grassland and 787.3 acres 

of existing woodland should be considered 

as “non-developable” at EPCAL. Previously, the 

only section of the EPCAL property that had 

been marketed was the 600 acres that had been designated for commercial development.

Note the proposed EPCAL subdivision map featured at the top of this column that shows 

the potential of the proposed commercial development extending into the grasslands, wetlands and preserved woodlands areas 

protected by a 2004 DEC covenant. The 

majority of the EPCAL property for many 

years has been designated as a planned recreational park for Riverhead residents. 

Residents want to know why the Town allowed

 this giveaway of our Town's resources 

without the knowledge and consent of the taxpaying public. 

Let's do all that we can NOW to save these vital 1,000 plus acres of wetlands, grasslands, woods, ponds and lakes within the Peconic River 

Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers System corridor and Pine Barrens at EPCAL! 

You can help save these 1,000 plus acres by 

joining with 6,876 plus signers (fellow residents) 

of this petition at Change.org

https://www.change.org/p/riverhead-town-board-oppose-the-inclusion-of-1-050-vulnerable-acres-in-the-epcal-property-sale 

We have noted that it is very difficult for many citizens to participate in town decision-making:

• Board meetings have been closed to many residents
• Some residents have not been allowed to speak or cut off before finishing their statement
• Residents' letters citing major concerns in their area have not been acknowledged or received any response

New York State's "Open Meetings Law" requires that the public business be performed in 

an open and public manner and that the 

citizens of this state be fully aware of and able 

to observe the performance of public officials

 and attend and listen to the deliberations and decisions that go into the making of public policy.

https://www.dos.ny.gov/coog/openmeetlaw.html

Read more about New York State's 

"Open Meetings Law" 

by clicking on the link below or go to 

the second story on the Initiatives page.