The Riverhead Town Board established a new committee to advise the town on renewable energy and other new technology at its meeting on July 2.
The Emerging Technology Committee will “focus on identifying, investigating and analyzing new and emerging technologies and present any relative information to the Town Board regarding the potential impact of these technologies on the Town of Riverhead.”
Riverhead Water District Superintendent Frank Mancini will chair the committee, which was organized by Council Member Bob Kern. Other committee members will include Brookhaven National Laboratory Environmental and Community Engagement Manager Amy Engel; Cornell Cooperative Extension Clean Energy Coordinator August Ruckdeschel; Stony Brook University Assistant Vice President for Government Relations Carl Mills; Riverhead Town Senior Planner Greg Bergman; Riverhead Town Assistant Engineer Ken Testa; and Jeffrey Seaman, an environmental consultant for Riverhead Town.
Supervisor Tim Hubbard made it a point to note that the committee will work on issues throughout the town, not just at the Calverton Enterprise Park. “But we certainly will be incorporating them as part of our subcommittees of the [EPCAL] committee and of the task force that we put together,” he said during the board vote.
The resolution was adopted 4-0. Council Member Ken Rothwell was absent from the meeting.
In other action at the July 2 board meeting, the Town Board:
- Honored Riverhead High School graduates for their contributions as peer leaders in the Riverhead Community Awareness Program: Tiana Atkins; Simon Lucarelli-Senft; Aiden Reynolds; Hiranya Gunasingha; Isaac Lopez Amaya; Alexandra Santoro; Daniela Flores Hernandez; Jack McCormick; and Jackson Redmond. “What you did with CAP will always look fantastic on a resume — so keep that in mind,” Supervisor Tim Hubbard said. “And we appreciate everything that you did to help our younger students.”
- Authorized a runway use agreement for the Race Track, Not Street drag racing events for this summer. Eight events are scheduled from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays: Aug. 17; Aug. 24; Aug. 31; Sept. 7; Sept 14; Sept. 21; Sept. 28; and Oct. 5. Four rain dates are scheduled for Sundays: Aug. 25; Sept. 1; Sept. 8; Sept. 15; and Sept. 29.
- Approved a budget transfer to use $41,500 of American Rescue Plan Act federal funds to fund the construction of parking and sanitary systems at Veterans Memorial Park, rather than using general fund revenues.
- Approved a budget transfer of $5,100 from the town’s fund balance to the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The funds will be used by RVAC to conduct a topographical survey of its property on Osborn Avenue needed in order to evaluate the feasibility of constructing a new ambulance headquarters facility there.
- Reappointed members to the town’s Business Advisory Committee: Ray Castronova (developer with Zenith Organization); Diane Burke (former East End Arts director); Connie Lassandro (housing consultant and Riverhead Chamber of Commerce president); Monique Parsons (event organizer and Riverhead Chamber of Commerce board member); Lee Mendelsen (attorney and Riverhead Industrial Development Agency board member); Steve Shauger (Hyatt Place manager); and Tracy Stark-James (Riverhead Industrial Development Agency executive director).
- Ratified an amendment to the accelerated services fee schedule for Riverhead Building Department services. The town amended town law in May to allow building department personnel to process applications outside of regular business hours for a fee. The schedule was amended to allow commercial developments to pay $500 for a building department use permit inspection.
- Scheduled a public hearing for the special permit application that seeks to construct a 15,000 square foot single story office building on vacant land at 374 Main Road in Aquebogue. The land is within the Rural Corridor zoning district, which allows professional offices by special permit. The hearing will happen Tuesday, July 16.
- Authorized a lawsuit against Island Water Park Corp., also known as Scott’s Pointe, for alleged town code violations. The lawsuit, which was filed the day after the meeting, is asking for a court to temporarily shut down Scott’s Pointe amusement park in Calverton until the property gets in compliance with town law, as well as order the park to remove the unlawfully built go-kart track and pickleball courts — restoring the property to “pre-violation status” — and impose a financial penalty of at least $100,000 on the company. (Read more here)
- Authorized a lawsuit against Southampton Town to prevent it from taking any further action “in connection with the Riverside Sewer Treatment Plant and establishing the Riverside Sewer District.” The lawsuit seeks to block the plant, which is critical to build high-density housing in the hamlet, which is within Southampton Town but borders Riverhead. (Read more here)
- Held a hearing on a proposed three month extension to a moratorium on major industrial development applications in the Calverton hamlet, located outside of the Calverton Enterprise Park. (Read more here)
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