August 23rd, 2023 - Riverhead Industrial Development Agency To Hold Another Public Session

This past Friday, Governor Kathy Hochul visited the Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center along with several other local lawmakers and distinguished members of the community, for an official opening ceremony for the center’s recently completed $3.3 million, 7,828-square-foot building. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that the new building will enhance the center’s ability to provide even more of the vital services and programs it supplies. Construction of the building was made possible through fundraising and several state grants. Listening to Governor Hochul speak about the importance of what the center provides was an experience Executive Director Bonnie Cannon said she found hard to put into words. “It was unbelievable,” she said. “It was so phenomenal. We’ve been here for the past 70-plus years, doing this work, but so many people still don’t know what we do or that we exist. So now we have this new building and having the governor’s stamp of approval — it’s just a long time coming. The new building — one of several building on the 6-acre property — will vastly expand on what the center can offer. Previously, it was licensed to care for around 36 children, Cannon said. The addition of the new building moves that number to more than 100. NYS Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., who lives in neighboring Sag Harbor, was on hand at the ribbon-cutting as well. His support has been crucial in helping obtain grant money, Cannon said. He spoke about the significance of the expansion of the center and its place in the community. “It is with immense pride and gratitude that we celebrate the official ribbon-cutting of the new building at the Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center,” he said. “The center’s educational and enrichment programs are a lifeline for working families. New York’s investment in the center is not just in bricks and mortar, but in the future of our community.***Southold Town is weighing a developer's request to build a first-of-its kind affordable housing complex in Cutchogue that would require a zoning change. Tara Smith reports on Newsday.com that representatives of Cruz Brothers Construction, which presented their plans at a board meeting last week, is seeking a change of zone from low-density residential to affordable housing district for the North Fork Villas project. The developer plans to build 36 rental apartments on vacant property on the north side of Main Road between Depot Lane and Pequash Avenue in Cutchogue. The housing district would allow for more units to be built on the 3.2-acre property, which is now zoned for one single-family home per acre lot. Earlier this year, the Southold Town board repealed a measure that capped development at 24 apartments in affordable housing zones. Board members at the meeting embraced the concept but said they must weigh the need for housing, community character and viability of the project before approving the zoning change. The board said it will review the plan. Then, the developers can formally apply for the change, followed by a review by the town planning department and a public hearing. Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell urged the board to consider the community housing plan the town is on the brink of adopting as they review the project. The board plans to hold a public hearing on the plan, which will serve as a road map for spending funds collected from a new 0.5% real estate transfer tax to address the housing crisis. No date has been set for the hearing. ***Disgraced former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke was arrested yesterday on multiple sexual misconduct charges during an undercover sting by county park range