The proposal to change the town’s Community Benefit Zoning Use District received overwhelming support from residents at Tuesday’s town board meeting, as many in the audience — and town board officials — have wanted to see the Family Community Life Center come to fruition since it was first proposed by Pastor Charles and Shirley Coverdale in 1988.

“This is a carefully planned, intentional and comprehensive plan of its own, completely for the benefit of the people of Riverhead, for all the talk that we’ve done about accessory dwelling units and so on, this is not just a dream, it is the path to implementation,” Mark Haubner, Aquebogue resident and member of the Comprehensive Plan Update team said. “The name itself embodies the care and concern from which this project comes: Family Community Life Center — each of these words has meaning beyond just the title itself.”

In collaboration with builder Georgica Green Ventures, LLC, the mixed-use, transit-oriented development proposal also known as The Northville Commons calls for the construction of a 10,000 square-foot community center and 80 affordable apartment units on nearly 13 acres of the First Baptist Church’s land on Northville Turnpike.

Part of the vision for The Northville Commons is to create a 24-hour childcare facility, assistance for seniors, mental health support, after-school programs and other wellness and recreational offerings, such as a gymnasium, indoor track and multi-sport practice space for year-round public use.

In addition, the Coverdales plan to set aside units for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. 

Dawn Thomas, the town’s community development administrator, presented the potential Community Benefit Zoning code revisions at a town board work session on July 10, where she mentioned the changes would allow for additional workforce housing on lots larger than 10 acres. Furthermore, 10 percent of units built for a CBD development would be available for ownership, such as condos.

A public community center would be allowed as well to provide educational and recreational services such as daycare, senior services, caregiver support, nutrition and wellness programs, performing arts space, fitness facilities, and more to tenants and the general public.

Both the rental and homeownership units will be offered to residents who fall between 50 and 130% of the Area Median Income guidelines for Suffolk and Nassau counties, which $164,900 annually, according to 2025 data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The AMI for Riverhead specifically is roughly $75,000 annually, said Councilman Bob Kern at the work session.

“We house a lot of the workforce for the North and South Fork, but it’s important for our community to have people who can invest, live and take pride in the community,” Ms. Thomas said. “It’s [about] regular people with a job, who are trying to get by and not have to drive 40 miles to work everyday. [People who] just [want to] be part of a community, be able to take your child to the little league … to be able to use the local library — all of those things that become harder when you live further away from where you work.”

Governor Kathy Hochul announced earlier this month more than $36 million was awarded to 48 projects across the state through its County Infrastructure Grant Program. The Northville Commons received $1 million through this program, and was the only infrastructure project on Long Island awarded funding. This money will contribute to the creation of an on-site sewage treatment plant, new sidewalks and landscaping.

“This is something that I’ve supported from day one … I think it’s going to be a huge benefit to the Town of Riverhead and to our local people,” Supervisor Tim Hubbard said. “We’re losing too many young people [who are] moving off Long Island, [because they] can’t afford to live here and the cost is very expensive. I think this is going to be a project in the right direction in keeping our young people here.”

The town board approved the resolution to bring the matter of the Community Benefit Zoning code amendment to a public hearing Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 2 p.m., which was met with applause from the audience.

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That hiatus ended last Thursday, when the church and builder Georgica Green Ventures updated the board on the status of the plan, parts of which date back to 1988. 

The proposal calls for construction of a community center as well as 80 affordable apartments on 13 acres of land the church owns on Northville Turnpike. Board members voiced mostly support for the project last week, but also asked a number of question. 

Councilman Tim Hubbard asked about “the elephant in the room” — whether the applicants would pay taxes, which was an issue in the past, when officials where unclear about whether the church would be required to pay taxes. 

Dave Gallo, president of GGV, which became involved in the project in 2009, said they would pay taxes. 

Councilman Frank Beyrodt asked about the potential impact on the Riverhead school district if the project were to bring in additional school children.

Mr. Gallo said most of the units will be small one-family units, which will not have a lot of school children. 

“Our church has been an active part of this community for a long time,” said Charles Coverdale, pastor of First Baptist Church for the past 41 years. “When I became pastor, we began to look at what we could do for the Riverhead community. It’s my belief that churches should do more than just marry people and preach the gospel.” The church also offers services like worship and counseling for inmates, as well as feeding the needy through its Open Arms Care Center food pantry. It’s been trying to build a Family Community Life Center on its property for more than 35 years.

The current housing proposal calls for the construction of 80 affordable apartments on Northville Turnpike and five affordable “for sale” homes. The proposed rentals homes will comprise 48 one-bedroom units and 32 two-bedroom units. Previous versions of the plan had proposed more than 100 units. 

In addition, 20 units will be set aside for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. 

The housing component of the plan would be done in conjunction with Georgica Green Ventures, which built the 116-unit Riverview Lofts affordable apartment complex on East Main Street and is currently working on another project, on the Railroad Avenue. 

The proposed Family Community Life Center will also have youth sports and educational programs, according to an overview of the plan submitted by the applicant. . 

The Community Center building will be 10,000 square feet and will include a gym and multi-use space, according to plans. There will be a gym for after-school sports and an athletic dome for year-round activities. The proposed building also includes space for work force and career development events, such as job readiness and training programs. 

The church has been planning the proposed community center for several years, and annually holds a Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast as a fundraiser for the project. 

“We are a community-based, nonprofit that was started in 1988,” said Shirley Coverdale, president and CEO of the Family Community Life Center. 

She said that early in the formation of the life center concept, a study was done to document the needs of the community and it found that Riverhead had a large underserved population. 

Pastor Coverdale said the Family Community Life Center is intended to serve the entire community, not just members of the church. 

The property is currently zoned RA-80, which is two-acre residential zoning. However, the Town Board created a Community Benefit District overlay zone in 2016 to allow increased the density on the land along with frontage on a major highway and connection to the town’s water and sewer districts. 

The overlay zone allows one unit per acre, but allows the number of units to be increased if the applicant buys farmland development rights. 

“I was here in 2016,” said Mr. Hubbard. “I supported the program then and I still support here today. Mr. Gallo has proven to us the work that he can do in this town.”

“This is going to be spectacular,” Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said. “This is exactly what we want to do in Riverhead.”

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