The environmental impact statement for a proposed 131-acre industrial subdivision in Calverton will be the subject of a public “scoping” hearing before the Riverhead Planning Board Thursday evening at Riverhead Town Hall.
A scoping statement, which is a draft document, is open for public comment. It will determine the scope and nature of environmental review for the proposed subdivision.
Check out the draft scoping statement below.
The site is located at Middle Country Road just west of Splish Splash Aqua Park, opposite the lavendar farm. It extends south along the Long Island Expressway. The site is accessible via Middle Country Road.
Around 86 acres of this site are a sod farm. In the southeast corner of property is a wooded area.
The Riverhead Planning Board in Nov. classified the application Type I under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. This means that it requires mandatory coordinated reviews among the agencies involved pursuant the SEQR.
The planning board became the lead agency in the review on Feb. 3. They declared that the proposed action could have a serious potential adverse effect on the environment, health, and welfare of the surrounding areas. They also issued a positive declaration under the SEQR, which required the preparation a draft environmental impact statement. The applicant was directed by the planning board to prepare a draft scoping document for the environmental impact statement.
VHB Engineering and Design consultants prepared the draft scoping statement on behalf of applicant.
Bagatelle Associates, East Hills, submitted three conceptual subdivision plans to the town, as required under town code.
The applicant has identified its preferred alternative as a subdivision with three proposed industrial-use building lots (19.48 acres), 41.60 acres, and 44.74 acre), one lot (4.73acres) that is designated for future development and one lot (19.90 acres) that is dedicated to open space (19.90acres), and one lot (4.73acres) that is reserved for future development. The preferred subdivision would retain a half acre of mapped land that is currently in use.
The lots proposed would be accessed via an internal network of private roads that runs from Middle Country Road to a new intersection. A secondary emergency access is provided onto Middle Country Road. The conceptual subdivision plan also allows for future access to LIE North Service Road right of way.
The draft environmental impact statement will assess potential adverse impacts to soils, water, ecological resources and zoning.
The DEIS will also assess the cumulative effects of the proposed action, as well as other planning developments in this area. This information will be provided by the Town of Riverhead.
A traffic impact study will also be prepared by the applicant. Traffic engineers will collect data from the area around the project site. The data will be adjusted for the COVID-19 epidemic’s effects on traffic volumes and to account State DOT projected traffic growth rate. Trip generation estimates for the proposed uses will also be used by the traffic engineers to assess the traffic impact of the project.
The site’s 117 acres are located in the Industrial A zone. 14 acres at the southern end, near the Long Island Expressway is in the Riverfront Corridor zone.
The property is located in the Central Suffolk Special Groundwater Protection Area. It is also within the Peconic Bay & Environs Critical Environmental Areas.
The DEIS will also examine the impacts of four other options: (1) no-action;(2) yield map with 38 lots according to existing zoning; (3) single user under existing Industrial A; and (4) alternative access (access via Long Island Expressway).
Sam Schwartz is a multidisciplinary consulting firm that specializes in traffic issues. The town has hired Schwartz at the applicant’s expense to assist with the review of the application as well as the DEIS.
The public is invited to comment on the draft scoping statements during Thursday’s public hearing. This can be done either in person at Riverhead Town Hall (200 Howell Avenue, Riverhead) or via Zoom.
To comment via Zoom, log on at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87821899994?pwd=SDB3eTlvUzNuanNQRjNqZXZQR1VNZz09 or call 1-646 558-8656.
Meeting ID: 878 2189 9994 – Passcode: 850689
The meeting starts at 6 p.m.
Calverton-Industrial-Subdivision-OSTAD-Draft-Scope-for-EIS-
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