Town officials on the North Fork of Long Island retreated from a potential rezoning that would have allowed for the construction of luxury hotels on an oasis of farmland.
The Riverhead town board removed language about “agritourism inns and resorts” from the comprehensive plan update, Patch reported. A majority of the town board agreed to the removal of those aspects on Tuesday.
A press conference scheduled for Wednesday by members of the community — including Southold Town Supervisor Al Krupski and environmental groups — was canceled after the Riverhead town board’s decision was announced.
When the proposed rezoning emerged last month, it sparked an immediate outcry among some in the North Fork community.
The benefits were apparent. Town officials viewed it as a way to boost the tax base, while even farmers acknowledged the opportunity to land a big payout to sell development rights.
Under the proposal, developers who scored special permits would have been required to build on tracts of at least 100 acres and preserve at least 70 percent of the land for active farming. Town officials believed the updated code could lead to the preservation of some of the town’s estimated 7,000 acres of open space.
There were only seven properties identified by town planner Matt Charters as eligible for developments under the proposal. Those properties stretched across more than 700 acres and had the potential to yield thousands of hotel rooms.
Opposition was fierce, including a petition that garnered more than 2,600 signatures to oppose hotel and resort development on Sound Avenue and preserve the area’s “rural charm.” After the board backed down, rezoning opponents ran a victory lap.
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“Much still remains in the comprehensive plan update that threatens Riverhead’s community character, but for today we will be grateful for the residents of Riverhead, who have given of their time to make sure their voices were heard,” Laura Jens-Smith, president of the Greater Jamesport Civic Association and the former Riverhead town supervisor, told Patch.