The Riverhead Planning Board granted preliminary site plan approval Thursday for a new self-storage facility on Main Road in Riverhead.
The board unanimously approved the new development, titled Extra Space Riverhead, a two-story 36,250-square-foot self-storage building at 61 Main Road in Riverhead. The property is located next to the Dari-Land ice cream shop, and is the site of a long-vacant house.
The Planning Board also discussed a site plan application that seeks to redevelop two existing commercial buildings at 940-946 West Main Street — including the former Blackman Plumbing Supply — with two new buildings, including one three story, 153,4000 square foot self-storage facility, and a one story 49,700 square foot rental building for a “non-nuisance” tenant rental building.
The development, proposed by the Fisher Organization, would be in the Peconic River Community zoning district, which allows “wholesale businesses,” a definition that leaves “a lot of room for interpretation,” Senior Planner Greg Bergman, the town’s zoning officer, said. He said the town code defines a wholesale business as one with low environmental and traffic impacts, and that he would consider self-storage a wholesale business. The other building’s use, described as for a “non-nuisance” tenant, needs to be expanded on, Bergman told the board.
Bergman said there was unauthorized clearing done on the property and a new access was created; he said code enforcement has issued stop work orders, but they have been ignored. Bergman said that because of that work the town will double the site plan application fee for the development. Representatives of the Fisher organization disputed that account during the meeting, saying that the clearing was done properly on overgrown vegetation.
Bergman said the site plan is proposing 50,000 square feet more than allowed in the zoning district, and the applicant will need to get variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
“I’m hesitant to use this word because it is so subjective, but I think this is really an overdevelopment of the property,” he said.
In addition to the approval of the self-storage facility on Main Road, the Planning Board:
Granted a six-month extension of preliminary site plan approval to LI Cauliflower Association Commercial Center, which is seeking several restaurants, including a Chick-fil-A and Dunkin’ Donuts.
Granted final site plan approval to Sandy Pond Mini Golf to construct an 18-hole mini-golf course, new parking lot and other site improvements on an existing nine-hole golf course at 1495 Roanoke Avenue.
