Officials invited the public to “witness Riverhead history” at the groundbreaking ceremony at noon at 127 E. Main St.

This announcement comes four months after J. Petrocelli Development Associates was named the master developer by the Riverhead Town Board to construct the $32.6 million Town Square project.

“This has been a long time coming. It’s very exciting,” Mr. Hubbard said during the morning work session.

The plans include a five-story, 78,000-square-foot mixed-used building with up to 76 hotel rooms and 12 condominium units, along with restaurant and retail space and 12 underground parking stalls.

The town purchased three East Main Street properties for $2.65 million in a non-competitive sale over the summer.

It demolished buildings at 117 and 121 East Main St. in 2022, then acquired the former Craft’D eatery space at 127 E. Main St. through eminent domain after the owner accepted a $170,000 settlement offer in September.

The ceremony was originally scheduled for October but was postponed while town officials waited to confirm with the governor’s office on who could attend.

“We have all the dignitaries from the state, the county and different organizations that have funded this project will be present along with elected officials,” Mr. Hubbard said.

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Vibes Ink at 41 East Main St. will close Friday, Oct. 31, after five years downtown and reopen Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 52 Montauk Highway.

Eric Roddy, 43, who goes by Taboo and co-owns the business with his wife, said rising rent tied to downtown development plans made staying in Riverhead unsustainable.

“We heard all the rumors that they were going to do these buildings, all these apartment buildings and stuff like that. So rent started going up,” Taboo told the Riverhead News Review.

The tattoo parlor’s artists will make the move to Southampton, where Taboo said he found more affordable space. He declined to specify how much his Riverhead rent increased, but said he expects loyal customers to follow.

Vibes Ink’s tattoo artists specialize in styles ranging from American traditional and neo-traditional to black-and-gray realism and color work.

The shop will offer Halloween-themed tattoo specials on its final day in Riverhead — a farewell for clients before reopening in Southampton.

“I’ve been a household name on this island for I don’t know how many years, and it’s not going to change,” Taboo said. “My customers will follow me wherever I go. I’m sure the Riverhead clients that we learned to love like family will follow us too.”

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This recent decision marks the end of the town’s months-long eminent domain pursuit of 127 E. Main St. and allows for the Town Square and hotel project to move forward. Supreme Court Justice John J. Leo granted a vesting order filed on Aug. 27 by the town’s defense attorney Frank Isler. This allows for the transfer of ownership of the leasehold interest property of Craft’D to Riverhead Town.

The town board previously approved a budget adjustment to make a $120,000 settlement offer to Craft’D’s owner, SNR Bar 25 Corp. Officials are expected to approve the newly agreed to settlement and $50,000 budget adjustment increase at the Sept. 16 town board meeting.

Craft’D made a social media post about its closure on Aug. 28, the day after the acquisition was approved. The owners invited its patrons to raise a glass with them at a final celebration on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Court documents stated that the Craft’D owners must vacate the premises by Sept. 30, and Riverhead Town must pay the restaurant owners the full settlement no later than Oct. 15.

Attorney Craig Blanchard, who represented SNR Bar 25 Corp., said in an email he and the Craft’D owners were pleased to reach a resolution with Riverhead Town.

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“So the town offered this building as an alternative space for us to relocate to while all of the construction is happening on our campus,” said Wendy Weiss, executive director of EEAC. “I worked closely with the town throughout the process, and they’ve been great community partners. They subsidized the move, so it didn’t have to be a big financial burden on East [End] Arts Council.”

The annex building was part of the town hall purchase in 2022. This space will allow the arts school, recording studio and administration offices to be housed in one building. The gallery will remain open through early 2026 for the annual members show. This gives EEAC time to find another gallery space in or around Riverhead.

“We hope to be able to find a new fine art gallery space in or around Main Street, because this building does not have like exhibition space, but it’s great for the school and the recording studio and the administrative offices,” said Ms. Weiss.

The downtown revitalization requires raising the gallery and school to sidewalk level. It also means some buildings will be rearranged and reoriented. This will protect the buildings from flooding and better incorporate them into the overall project.

“The gallery building is going to be moved a bit to the east to allow for a fire lane access between it and the hotel. Then the carriage house building is going to be flipped around and placed behind the school building, and the Fresh Pond Schoolhouse building will likely be placed behind the gallery building,” Ms. Weiss explained. “The entire campus will have fill to create a slope that leads down toward the river, and at the base of the campus will become an amphitheater, which will also help in the water collection.”

The construction also affected this year’s Endless Summer Soiree, which was moved to Saturday, Sept. 13, and is being hosted by Strong’s Marine in Mattituck.

“That is our biggest private fundraising event of the year. It’s crucial to us, maybe even more so … due to the changes that have been happening with the move and disruption operations and everything. It’s nice to see the community come forward to support things and understand,” said Ms. Weiss.

It is possible the Mosaic Festival, which takes place in May, will also be affected.

“We shut the streets down, and everyone does art in the street. We use the town square space for things like that, so we’ll have to [ask the] developers for more precise timelining of whether or not that will need to be relocated. That will be determined later,” said Ms. Weiss.

Overall, the outlook has shifted to optimism, and the move to the annex building is part of that equation.

“We are definitely looking at this as an opportunity. At the beginning, it felt very intimidating, but we quickly came together as a team,” said Ms. Weiss. “We are looking at things as opportunities, rather than challenges. We’ve really embraced it all and look forward to what’s to come.”

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Supreme Court Justice John J. Leo granted a vesting order filed on Aug. 27 by the town’s defense attorney Frank Isler. This allows for the transfer of ownership of the leasehold interest property of Craft’D to Riverhead Town.

Riverhead Town Attorney Erik Howard confirmed in an email a settlement agreement is pending review by the counsel of Craft’D’s owner, SNR Bar 25 Corp. The town board previously approved a budget adjustment to make a $120,000 settlement offer, however, it is unclear if this figure has changed.  

Craft’D made a social media post about its closure the day after the acquisition was approved. The owners invited its patrons to raise a glass with them at a final celebration on Saturday, Sept. 20.

They will offer $3 draft beers and canned beers, and other discounted drinks. A buffet will be open after 6 p.m.

“After six incredible years of cooking, serving, laughing and sharing memories, our time here has come to an end due to the town’s decision to move forward with their project,” read the statement posted on the Craft’D Facebook page. “The bar has been so much more than a place to drink and eat. It’s been our home, your gathering spot, and the backdrop to countless first dates, birthdays, wedding after parties and reunions. We’ve made lifelong friends behind the bar. And we’ve felt the love from this community every single day.”

Sean Kenna, co-owner of Craft’D, strongly debated with Riverhead Town officials at a public hearing back in May and urged them to consider delaying its eminent domain proceedings until he tried to find a new space for his restaurant.

It has not been confirmed if Craft’D will relocate or reopen elsewhere in Riverhead. As of press time, Mr. Kenna has not responded for requests for comment. He and his business partner, Robert Manolio, will continue to operate Cucina 25 at 12 West Main St.

“This isn’t just the end of a chapter — it’s the closing of a beautiful book,” the statement read. “One that we’ll cherish forever.”

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(Credit: courtesy)

The purpose of the qualified and eligible public hearing is for the applicant to provide evidence it has the necessary qualifications, expertise and, most importantly, the financial wherewithal to serve as the master developer and complete this extensive project.

Joseph Petrocelli, head of the 70-year-old family-run construction firm, has been credited for his previous contributions to Riverhead’s downtown revitalization, from the Long Island Aquarium to Hyatt Place East End to Treasure Cove Resort Marina. His construction company has also worked to preserve three historic buildings on Main Street, including East Lawn House, Howell House and the Preston House.

The Riverhead Town Board approved a resolution in April 2022 designating J. Petrocelli as master developer for the Town Square project. If it is deemed the qualified and eligible sponsor by the Town Board, the $2.65 million sale of three East Main Street properties to the company would be approved without competitive bidding.

The buildings at 117 and 121 East Main St. were demolished by the town in 2022, and 127 East Main St., where Craft’D eatery resides, may be acquired through eminent domain proceedings to allow for the construction of a five-story, 78,000-square-foot mixed-used building with up to 76 hotel rooms and 12 condominium units, along with restaurant and retail space and 12 underground parking stalls.

In a breakdown of its Riverhead Town Square Development budget summary, J. Petrocelli estimated the total project costs for the hotel would be $32.6 million, which includes the $2.65 million for land acquisition, $26 million in hard construction costs, $3.36 million for architectural and engineering work and other soft costs, as well as $603,000 in contingency.

A construction loan of $19.6 million, $12 million in developer equity and the $1 million Restore NY Grant awarded to J. Petrocelli in 2024 would cover these costs, according to the company’s presentation. Mr. Petrocelli said his company would coordinate with the town to create a Recommended Action Plan, or RAP, detailing plans for the development; set up a project team; and hold regular meetings to stay on track with established goals and milestones. The site plan process can also begin within 60 days of the study period.

If granted approval by the town, Mr. Petrocelli said he is looking to start the project as early as November. In the agreement, J. Petrocelli would be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Town Square development for 10 years at a rate of $150,000 per year.

“Activation is the key word of the whole [Town] Square project … because we need to hand-pick and go after clients or people that will fill our space, that are going to create that activation,” Mr. Petrocelli said. “We’ve come a long way — I appreciate the opportunity to come here once again. [Let’s] try to make Riverhead great again.”

Alongside Mr. Petrocelli were his attorney, Eric Russo, leading the presentation; Long Island Aquarium executive director Brian DeLuca; Huntington-based architect Andrew Giambertone; Hyatt hotel manager Steve Schoeder; and Kevin Walsh, who would serve as chief engineer for the project. His nephews, John and James Petrocelli, also offered the public insight on the company’s history and overall mission.

Mr. Petrocelli said he is in talks with three international chain hotel brands that are interested in the Main Street project. The fifth floor of the proposed hotel will consist of 12 condominium units, ranging from studios to two-bedrooms, and dedicated parking for condo owners would be below a portion of the building, with access to Heidi Behr Way.

On the topic of parking, once the proposed First Street parking garage is completed, guests of the hotel would be able to park there. In the interim, Mr. Petrocelli said parking will be made available to guests behind The Suffolk.

In its projected revenue performance, the company has predicted a steady growth of economic revenue from the hotel project — from $5.2 million at 72% occupancy in its first year to $6.2 million at 78% occupancy by year 10.

In addition to the hotel portion, the Town Square project in its entirety has five other components: the upper and lower Town Square, including a proposed playground and splashpad; the amphitheater; “complete streets” or streetscapes; and a parking garage. This initiative is possible thanks to multiple funding grants the town has obtained over the years, including a $24 million federal RAISE grant and a $10 million state Downtown Revitalization grant.  

Two historic East End Arts Council buildings at 133 and 141 East Main St. will be raised and ultimately repositioned to make room for the “sustainable and flood-resilient amphitheater” on a portion of those parcels. The property’s grading will be changed to protect the campus from flooding and EEA will temporarily operate out of 206 Griffing Ave. during this construction period.

Mr. Giambertone said the hotel project building was designed with flooding in mind, which is why it is slated to be at a level 13 elevation, where the current Peconic riverfront is at a level 4.

Severals letters were submitted in support of naming J. Petrocelli the master developer of the Town Square project, from the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce, the Riverhead Rotary, Larry Oxman of the Long Island Science Center, Discover Long Island, Jerry and the Mermaid restaurant and East End Arts. The company’s accountant, Liberty Mutual, and TD Bank also provided bonding and other financial information to boost credibility.

Joseph Yaiullo, curator and cofounder of the Long Island Aquarium, said he experienced “being in the trenches” with Mr. Petrocelli when they were trying to get the aquarium off the ground, and said that without his vision, artistry and dedication, “there would be no Long Island Aquarium.”

Richard Wines, chair of the town’s Landmarks Preservation Committee, voiced his support for Mr. Petrocelli and the repositioning of the historic East End Arts buildings.

“We see this as a very positive way to enhance the historic fabric of downtown Riverhead,” Mr. Wines said. “I think this project has the ability to enhance [East End Arts], by slightly shifting the buildings, giving them a little more air [and] getting them up out of the flood plain.”

Those who came up to the podium to express concerns or opposition to the hotel project posed questions about any potential burdens to the taxpayers and the company’s option to apply for Riverhead IDA tax abatements and requested an extended public hearing to 30 days.

“The information that has just been presented does not allow us an opportunity to ask questions and have discussion and dialogue, which is part of what a public hearing on qualified and eligible should be about,” said Angela DeVito of South Jamesport. “What we will be able to do is write in comments, but not ask questions, so that we can act in a reasonable and responsible manner as residents of this town.”

Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard said the open comment period will run for 10 days and end on Friday, Aug. 1. The full presentation from J. Petrocelli Development Associates is now live on the Riverhead Town website.

The post J. Petrocelli makes its case for Town Square master developer appeared first on Riverhead News Review.

Diane Tucci, former executive director of the Riverhead BID, Riverhead Chamber of Commerce and an organizer of Greenport’s annual Maritime Festival, said she has curated craft vendors, musical acts, food and drink offerings and other street festival essentials in an effort to create a reimagined summer block party and downtown crawl — where the fun goes “beyond the street closure.”

“The whole idea is, in the very short amount of time, to keep the event going, because everybody loves the event and what it’s about, but starting to infuse what Riverhead is about and the East End,” she said.

Now more music-centric, there will be over 12 areas for live music, with performers including Real East End Brass, Bingo Bango!, Project Vibe, Hoodoo Loungers, East End Arts Band, BFS Trio, 2 Man Acoustical Jam, Bobby Nathan Band, Miss Mayhem and School of Rock. Festival goers can bring their own seating, set up in a spot and enjoy the music.

“[They can] go into a restaurant, get something to go, get a beer from wherever, and sit and watch the music, then pick up their chair and go somewhere else,” Ms. Tucci said. 

Several local breweries will be participating this year, including Long Ireland Beer Company, Twin Fork Brewing Co., übergeek Brewing Company and Jamesport Farm Brewery. The number of food trucks will be scaled down to just those operated in Riverhead or by Riverhead residents, and strategically placed to fill any gaps.

The downtown crawl will also include new and returning activities and entertainment, such as laser tag, pop-up pickleball on a street court with Box Pickleball, selfie photo check-ins, and a classic car show and race car display run by Riverhead Raceway. At 8 p.m. the bell rings on a family-friendly wrestling match between Championship Entertainment Productions heavyweight champion Joe Ocasio and John Da Animal.

Since the fireworks show location is moved to the Peconic River, Grangebel Park and the Reflextions immersive art exhibit will be open for the public to visit during the festival.

“This is really about our makers, growers, artisans, craftspeople and things that are fun for people to enjoy,” Ms. Tucci said. “The downtown crawl is really bringing more back to that Riverhead focus.”

Outside of the Alive on 25 barricades and the 5 to 9 p.m. festival time, a downtown crawl is also planned out. Live music is scheduled throughout downtown. From 9 a.m. to noon, Jerry’s Famous Karaoke will take place at Jerry and the Mermaid Seaside Clam Bar and Grill. At North Fork Brewing Co., Shawn Barron and Matt Woodburn will play from 4 to 7 p.m. Buoy One Restaurant and Market will feature Ahmad Ali, and the Kevin Lewis Duo will play Seaside Grill, both also from 4 to 7 p.m. Over at Myles on Main, Matt Hunter hits the stage from 6 to 9 p.m., and Goodlife plays the Riverhead Brew House from 6 to 10 p.m.

The full event announcements are rolling out on the festival’s Instagram feed @riverheadblockparty, the Alive on 25 Facebook page and aliveon25.org website. The roads closed include the entirety of Peconic Avenue and State Route 25 from Griffing Avenue to Union Avenue, from 3 to 11 p.m. No parking is allowed on the roadway for the duration of the event. 

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The Riverhead Town Board approved a resolution in April 2022 to designate J. Petrocelli Development Associates as master developer for the Town Square project. Joe Petrocelli has been credited for his previous contributions to Riverhead’s downtown revitalization, from the Long Island Aquarium to Hyatt Place East End to the Preston House.

If officially deemed the qualified and eligible sponsor for the Town Square project, the $2.65 million sale of three East Main Street properties to J. Petrocelli would be approved. The buildings at 117 and 121 East Main St. were demolished by the town in 2022, and 127 East Main St., where Craft’D eatery resides, may be acquired through eminent domain proceedings.

The Town Square project has six components: the upper and lower Town Square, including a proposed playground and splashpad; the amphitheater; “complete streets” or streetscapes; a boutique hotel; and a parking garage. This initiative is possible thanks to multiple funding grants the town has obtained over the years, including a $24 million federal RAISE grant and a $10 million state Downtown Revitalization grant.  

Two historic East End Arts Council buildings at 133 and 141 East Main St. will be uprooted and relocated to create the “sustainable and flood resilient amphitheater” to be located on a portion of these parcels. The property’s grading will be changed to protect the campus from flooding and the EEAC will temporarily operate out of 206 Griffing Ave. during this construction period.

J. Petrocelli’s hotel project consists of a five-story, mixed used building with up to 76 hotel rooms and 12 condominium units, along with restaurant and retail space at 127 East Main St. and 12 underground parking stalls. The $2.65 million total price tag also includes funding commitments of up to $660,000 through grant applications made by J. Petrocelli for the hotel and Town Square projects. The contract stated the master developer would be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Town Square for 10 years at a rate of $150,000 per year.

The contract stated J. Petrocelli may formally apply for a payment in lieu of taxes — or PILOT – an agreement from the Riverhead IDA “to secure economic benefits related to the project.” This means the developer would be exempt from paying standard property taxes in full, but would instead negotiate an agreement with the Riverhead IDA to make these payments in phases or increments.

In cultivating its Recommended Action Plan, or RAP, the master developer would work with outside consultants and town planning, engineering, water and sewer district staff to produce concepts, designs and a construction schedule. The RAP would also include any necessary zoning code amendments. Once members are identified for the Master Developer Project and the Town Project teams, the individuals will be responsible for meeting monthly, and within 30 days of the agreement’s execution, the team can establish a list of milestones and target dates.

The co-created RAP can be submitted within four months of the approval of the master developer agreement. A final RAP and related SEQR materials will be presented to the Town Board, then a timeline will be established on when it is expected to hit certain milestones in the project. The contract said “the RAP will include such reports, public input processes and analysis related to [the] Town Square Project and Hotel Project, which input is socially, environmentally and economically responsible, to ensure a sustainable development outcome.”

Potential environmental impacts would be considered by the Town Board, the agreement stated, and all the properties involved, including the hotel, are currently zoned for their intended uses and will not require any zoning changes.

Additionally, the document contains consulting agreements with J. Petrocelli that deems the company the construction manager for an amphitheater, a playground, public gathering space, walkways and other Town Square features. The town will pay the company 7% of the total construction costs.

J. Petrocelli will also agree to terms listed in a temporary non-exclusive license agreement for construction staging and construction parking. Portions of 121 and 127 East Main St. would be used for staging of material and equipment for the hotel development, as well as construction vehicle and employee parking.

These employees would access the hotel project site via Peconic Avenue to Heidi Behr Way, which is “specifically intended to avoid and/or minimize impacts to the business and residential community” near Main Street and not disrupt any historic and programmed events, such as Alive on 25, the Country Fair and Mosaic Festival.

Unless the master developer obtains special approval from the town, there would be no access to the hotel project site and construction staging area from Main Street to McDermott Avenue to Heidi Behr Way from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The approval of a Utility and Drainage Easement Area surrounding the hotel project property would allow J. Petrocelli to construct, install, operate, maintain, repair and reconstruct necessary utilities and drainage facilities for the development.

The reduced compensation for the construction staging and parking areas, easement for utilities to serve the hotel project, and the easement for entering and exiting the hotel project parking to Heidi Behr Way would not exceed 7% of the total combined project cost for construction.

Amid questions about the public’s desire for a hotel, Annemarie Prudenti, deputy town attorney, said at a July 2 Town Board meeting that the hotel concept was recommended through a market study conducted in 2020 and the matter has been publicly discussed. In terms of the public parking garage portion of the project planned for the north side of Main Street, Ms. Prudenti clarified that Mr. Petrocelli would not be managing the parking garage.

She stressed that the master development agreement was “an arm’s length transaction,” with the Riverhead Town Attorney’s office taking the lead on negotiations with Mr. Petrocelli. The Riverhead Town Board did make “good recommendations” incorporated into the agreement, but Ms. Prudenti “did not dictate any contract provision, any term in the master developer agreement, or in the approximately 10 agreements annexed thereto and made a part thereof.”

“There’s a lot of different elements contained in the master developer agreement, and I’m confident that when the public reads all the exhibits annexed thereto, they will agree that it’s a very good agreement for the Town of Riverhead,” Ms. Prudenti said.

The full master development agreement is posted on the Riverhead Town website townofrivereadny.gov, under Divisions and Departments, and then the Town Clerk tab.

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Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski, Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard, Shelter Island Town Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams, Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore and East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez mulled the issues that affect life in their respective locales, be it seasonal, year-long or in the future. 

When asked about top priorities, Mr. Hubbard discussed the highly-anticipated Town Square project, which has received multiple federal, state and county funding grants over the years, including a $24 million federal RAISE grant and $10 million state Downtown Revitalization grant.

The Town Square project has six components: the upper and lower Town Square, the amphitheater, “complete streets” or streetscapes, a boutique hotel and a parking garage. With its groundbreaking coming up soon, Mr. Hubbard said the project would be a “first of its kind on the East End of Long Island.” The supervisor expressed excitement for Riverhead’s continued revitalization efforts towards becoming a destination town.

“When traffic would come out to the East End in the summertime, it would drive through Riverhead to get to Southold, it would drive through Riverhead to get to the South Shore. Now, they’re actually stopping in Riverhead because we have so many destinations,” Mr. Hubbard said. “Between the [Long Island] Aquarium, Splish Splash, wineries, breweries, our beaches, Briermere Farms — we have so much for people to stop and enjoy.”

Mr. Krupski reiterated the town’s commitment to increasing the inventory of accessory dwelling units, commonly known as ADUs, to address the affordability crisis and housing inventory shortage. 

“It kind of spreads out that housing throughout the whole town,” he said. “So, you’re not looking at one project that’s kind of dominating one area.”

The construction of ADUs has been slow rolling, but Mr. Krupski said the Town Board is working to adjust its processes to increase the success rate. Southold also recently hired a community development project supervisor for its Community Housing Plan to help streamline housing projects in the town. 

Southold’s ongoing zoning update, its first comprehensive overhaul since 1989, included an as-of-right caretaker unit in its draft to help business owners, Mr. Krupski said. This would allow businesses to keep at least one employee on site at all times, something the supervisor is hopeful would alleviate traffic in the area during busier seasons. 

The zoning update has not been finalized and voted on yet, as its public comment period closes July 18.

Rail service restoration to the former Peconic, Southold and Cutchogue stations is something Mr. Krupski posited to increase train traffic to the area.

Transformational, economic development was another topic brought up during the panel discussion, including the redevelopment of Enterprise Park at Calverton — commonly referred to as EPCAL. The 2,900-acre property was formerly the site for the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, contains a 10,000-foot runway and rail access under development, and is near major highways.

Calverton Aviation & Technology sued the town last year in hopes of resurrecting its $40 million purchase deal after the town canceled a 2018 contract to sell CAT more than 1,600 acres of EPCAL land. 

When asked about his vision for the site, Mr. Hubbard said he sees it as what the U.S. Navy intended for it to be: an economic driver for Riverhead Town with “environmentally safe and high-paying technology jobs.”

“It’s in litigation right now, so there’s not a lot I can talk about, but the fact is you need to develop that land into high-paying jobs, technology [and] aviation type jobs,” Mr. Hubbard said. “I’m not saying an airport … but you can build jet engines there, helicopter engines, and these types of jobs will pay a salary where young people, especially, can afford to stay and live on Long Island.”

Mr. Hubbard stressed Riverhead Town’s commitment to buying local and supporting the community’s mom-and-pop shops amid the growth of big box retailers in the area. He also spoke about improving internet services in the area and how the town would welcome more variety in cable providers. 

The participating supervisors also touched on how recent federal policy changes have impacted decisions at the municipal level. For Riverhead, specifically, Mr. Hubbard said local organizations have been asking for monetary support from the town because their federal and state funding has been cut. 

“The Family Service League [in Riverhead], they provide programs that are much needed — you can’t afford to lose some of these programs, but [the federal government] is asking for now the towns to dip into their monies,” Mr. Hubbard said. “We have to go to our residents and our taxpayers and say, ‘Hey, you know, we’re probably going to pierce the tax cap again’ … We just need to think about explaining to the residents: ‘This is what it is, and this is why it is.’”

Ms. Brach-Williams noted Shelter Island’s limitations for growth, especially for businesses, on the island only accessible by ferry. In order to preserve the island’s diverse community of private businesses, the supervisor said the town needs to adjust its site plan review and make it less onerous, cumbersome and time consuming. 

“Like the rest of the East End, we are so lucky,” Ms. Brach-Williams said. “We have such natural beauty. We have a diverse community of year-round homeowners, second homeowners and seasonal visitors. 

“And we all have the same goal, which is to maintain the environmentally beautiful place we live in,” she said. “So, we do tend to all work together.”

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Dawn Thomas, the town’s community development administrator, gave a presentation along with Barry Long of UDA Associates and Alexia Friend of LVF Landscape Architecture on the Main Street Streetscape component of the Town Square project at a June 26 work session.

The Town Square project has six components: the upper and lower Town Square, the amphitheater, “complete streets” or streetscapes, a boutique hotel and a parking garage. This downtown revitalization initiative is possible thanks to multiple funding grants the town has obtained over the years, including a $24 million federal grant that complements a $10 million state grant secured two years ago. 

Through a $750,000 DRI grant and part of the $10 million RAISE grant, the town plans to spend $3.4 million on Main Street streetscapes to create a safer, pedestrian-friendly downtown.

“We took those concepts and the designs that were sort of put forward through the public process, and now we’ve actually done a real design for the Main Street, including stormwater management safety features, shortened crosswalks, narrowed drive lanes, widened sidewalks,” Ms. Thomas said. “Dining areas, and new signage, and new lighting — all of those things that the public said were important to them are now included in these plans.”

The Main Street streetscapes project is roughly 770 linear feet long, Mr. Long said, and spans from Roanoke Avenue to East Avenue. Although the ideas for improving Main Street are “not new,” he said, they are based on recommendations and input from residents compiled in the Downtown Riverhead Pattern Book. A majority of the responses to the pattern book survey indicated improvements to Main Street’s appearance, enhancements to pedestrian experience and increased lighting were important.

“The idea is to create activity zones in front of the storefronts, rather than just having one kind of generic concrete sidewalk,” Mr. Long said. “[The new proposal] shows the envisioned beautification, enhanced pedestrian experience and additional lighting.”

Mr. Long explained the activity zones are meant to be animated to “bring Main Street to life.” For example, café tables, flower pots or signage will be outside of storefronts — elements that draw people into a business. A clear pedestrian zone keeps the street open for people to move and an amenity zone is reserved for more greenery, public seating, bike racks and more lighting.

Taking inspiration from Westhampton and Greenport, Ms. Friend said certain areas will have extended sidewalks into Main Street to reduce the roadway width, so cars are encouraged to drive slowly and allow for safer pedestrian crossings. At the Suffolk Theater specifically, where the bulk of the Town Square will reside, a HAWK signal — which stands for High Intensity Activated Crosswalk — will be installed to increase pedestrian safety.

There have also been conversations with PSEG Long Island and internet providers about infrastructural improvements to the downtown, including burying power lines hanging above Main Street. Ms. Friend said these enhancements will make electrical service more reliable and reduce any issues of trees interfering with the power lines. There will be more decorative street poles installed as well.

In terms of parking near Main Street, the Riverhead Town Hall parking lot holds around 280 spaces and this second phase of the downtown revitalization process includes the proposed 500-space parking garage slated for First Street. The streetscapes design outlines roughly 21 spaces for short-term parking and pick up and drop off. In the process of widening the sidewalks and narrowing the street, 11 parking spots on Main Street would be removed.

The entirety of Main Street would be 15-minutes to park free, Ms. Thomas said, and then there would be time regulations, such as one-hour parking areas. The idea is to have people who are going to visit Main Street for longer can park farther away, which leads to better turnover for the Main Street merchants.

Grant applications are in motion right now for planned pedestrian alleyways coming from the First Street parking garage on the north side of Main Street. These alleyways will be “artistically lit” with motion sensor lighting and clearly marked pedestrian access points.

When Councilman Kenneth Rothwell posed a question about the changes to Main Street’s infrastructure, Ms. Thomas said all power lines and fiber optics will be connected underground. The roadway will also not be ripped up as it was in Westhampton because of existing water and sewer lines under the asphalt.

“Logistically, how we handle that construction piece and to keep the businesses afloat and not disturb is a logistics thing that we have to continue to work on — perhaps we’ll do one side and then the other, we’re not really 100% sure how that lays out yet,” Ms. Thomas said. “The last thing we want to do is disturb any existing businesses. W know how hard they work as it is, and our job is to make sure that they continue to exist and then thrive once these revitalization projects are completed.”

Since Route 25 is a state-owned roadway, the New York State Department of Transportation would need to provide a permit for this project and part of their criteria of the permit is for Riverhead Town to take over its own plowing of the renovated part of the roadway.

Ms. Thomas said a contract is expected within 60 days to begin construction.

“The parking garage piece will really depend on when we get that contract. Then, we think it’ll take a little bit to design that garage — it’s going to take some more public engagement, more stakeholder engagement to make sure that it’s right for us. Once it’s designed and we have construction drawings, which we’ll have the money to do, then you guys can bid it and build it,” Ms. Thomas said to the town board.

The Town Board will be voting on a resolution on Tuesday, July 1, to set the qualified and eligible public hearing for the designation of J. Petrocelli as the master developer of the Town Square project.

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