New Riverhead downtown buildings may go by pattern book

 Riverhead officials are considering adopting zoning and code recommendations for future construction of downtown buildings, which come from a pattern book the town approved earlier this year.

Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar told Newsday on May 10 she had previously recommended including zoning guidelines in the pattern book for the DC-1 area — which extends from the south side of East Main Street from Griffing Avenue to just past Ostrander Avenue in the downtown business area.

“I was against the pattern book because I saw the parameters that were utilized, and it did not include the zoning,” Aguiar said, adding, “I wanted to make sure we got our money’s worth as a town and we had something that people understood, and that developers and the community knew what was going in there.”

The pattern book, which the town board adopted Jan. 20 and was developed by architectural planning firm Urban Design Associates, is intended to serve as a guide for future downtown development.

The board held public hearings related to the pattern book’s recommendations at its May 3 regular meeting.

The pattern book makes recommendations on the size and height of buildings — such as limiting them to four stories or 50 feet. The pattern book also recommends adopting “zero net energy” standards by using solar panels on roof tops, geothermal heating systems and "green roof" coverage with vegetation on flat or slightly-sloped roofs downtown.

Connie Lassandro, of Baiting Hollow, who works as an independent consultant with downtown developers, said at the meeting she was “glad to see the pattern book come to fruition.”

“It’s a great start. I hope to see the rest of the developments downtown fall in line with that,” Lassandro said. However, Martin Sendlewski, a Riverhead-based architect, said at the meeting he was concerned about codifying some of the pattern book's recommendations, such as zero-net energy standards.

"I agree with the concept, I agree with looking ahead toward green energy and zero-net energy increase, but right now, you're only imposing it on one very select group of developers in the town. I think that's unfair and I think that's going to be costly,” Sendlewski said.

Residents can submit written comment on the proposed changes to Town Hall until 4:30 p.m. Friday.