Riverhead Zoning Board rejects Calverton cannabis cultivation plan

The Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 at its January 8 meeting to deny variance requests from Brother Bear Canna, LLC for a proposed 33,700-square-foot cannabis cultivation facility on Middle Country Road in Calverton. The unanimous ruling prevents the applicant from advancing to a Planning Board site-plan review and preserves local zoning thresholds that neighbors and civic groups argued were put in place to protect residential character.

The application sought two specific variances: an increase in allowable ground coverage in the zoning district from 15 percent to 24 percent and permission to erect an eight-foot deer fence around the cultivation area. Board members declined both requests after residents and civic organizations raised concerns about odors, added truck and vehicle traffic on a corridor that serves nearby homes, and the proximity of the project to several over-55 communities and single-family neighborhoods.

Local opposition emphasized that the proposed operation resembled industrial controlled-environment agriculture more than traditional greenhouse farming, a distinction that informed objections about noise, light, and air handling systems that could affect neighboring properties. Residents circulated a petition and appeared at the meeting to document opposition, underscoring community unease about large-scale indoor cultivation sited near long-established residential pockets.

The ZBA decision underscores the role of variance review as a gatekeeper for large development projects in Riverhead. By enforcing the 15 percent ground-coverage limit, the board maintained a key component of the town's land-use framework intended to limit building intensity and preserve open space and neighborhood scale. Denial of the deer-fence variance likewise reflects attention to visual and safety considerations in residential settings.

For Calverton and neighboring communities, the ruling offers immediate relief from a project residents feared would alter traffic patterns and neighborhood character. It also sets a precedent for how similar proposals may be evaluated, particularly when they aim to expand ground coverage or introduce industrial-scale cultivation techniques into areas zoned for lower-intensity uses.

Brother Bear Canna can still pursue options: redesigning the proposal to conform to coverage rules, reducing the project footprint, relocating fencing plans, or filing a new application that addresses the zoning board's concerns. Whatever path the applicant chooses, residents and local officials will have another opportunity to weigh in during any future Planning Board review or subsequent applications.

The decision highlights the practical power of local land-use boards to shape how the burgeoning cannabis industry integrates with Suffolk County neighborhoods. Neighbors should monitor upcoming filings and public meetings to track whether revised plans return to the town for additional review.