The Riverhead Planning Board granted administrative site plan approval for improvements to the future location of Suffolk County Social Services complex at the former K-Mart building on the corner of Route 58 and Northville Turnpike.
The board voted 4-1, with at its last meeting to approve the application of the landlord of the property, East End Commons Associates, with Vice Chairperson Ed Densieski dissenting.
“I was really hoping we can have a public hearing on this and the 20-25 families that live right behind it can have a say,” Densieski said during his vote.
“I’m going to vote ‘yes’ because this is strictly a site plan application. And that’s that,” Chair Joann Waski said.
The site plan is for improvements to the building, including the construction of a 145-square-foot side vestibule, facade improvements, new walkways, curbing, accessible parking, and upgrades to the site’s lighting, Site Plan Reviewer Heather Trojanowski said during a staff report before the vote.
The site plan also changes a portion of the building’s use from retail to a campus-style office.
Trojanowski added that the Suffolk County bus route stops directly in front of the former Kmart building. “So they wouldn’t have to worry about pedestrians walking across the parking lot or crossing [Route] 58 to gain access to the site,” she said.
“I’m happy to see all of the improvements that are going to be made on the property, and we’re very happy, I know, because there were concerns about the bus route. And I’m personally very happy that people will be able to have direct access to the building,” Waski said.
Suffolk County legislators authorized a 20-year lease with East End Commons in December to relocate social services from its previous location at 893 East Main Street in Riverhead, where the county’s lease expired Nov. 13. The office space being leased at East End Commons is more than 15,000-square feet larger than the space on East Main Street.
Officials with the applicant told RiverheadLOCAL that there is currently no time frame for when the building may open.
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