ZBA denies cannabis cultivator variances, hears warehouse and ambulance proposals

The Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals on Jan. 12 denied variance requests from Brother Bear Canna for an 8-foot deer fence and expanded impervious coverage tied to a planned indoor cultivation facility on Middle Road. The board’s rulings leave the applicant to revise its site plan if it hopes to move forward within the town’s zoning and stormwater controls.

The denial was the most immediate outcome of a meeting that also included public hearings on two other contentious land-use proposals: an appeal seeking a use variance to allow a 3,900-square-foot storage warehouse on Main Road and an application for an ambulance center proposed for the Route 58 shopping center area. Board members heard public comment and planning staff concerns on both applications and reserved decisions to allow time for further review.

The Brother Bear Canna request sought relief from height limits for a deer fence and additional impervious surface coverage to support an indoor cultivation operation. The town’s emphasis on impervious coverage reflects longstanding concerns about runoff, drainage and impacts to local wetlands and hatched-out floodplain areas. For neighbors on Middle Road, the denial preserves current limits on site hardening and the visual character of the area until a revised plan that meets zoning standards is filed.

Public testimony at the meeting brought traffic, land use compatibility and environmental protection into focus. Commenters addressed how additional warehouse or medical service facilities could alter traffic flows on Main Road and Route 58, and whether the proposed ambulance hub fits with existing shopping center operations. Planning staff flagged outstanding site-plan questions, including stormwater mitigation and access arrangements, prompting the board to hold decisions on the warehouse and ambulance center applications while those issues are resolved.

For local residents the outcome matters in practical ways. Property owners near Middle Road will see applications come back with adjusted designs or mitigation plans if the cultivator seeks approval again. Main Road abutters and Route 58 shoppers and tenants should expect more detailed traffic and site plans and a chance to comment further. Zoning board reserves create a pause that can produce design changes, added conditions, or appeals to higher review boards.

The takeaway? Keep an eye on the ZBA agenda and review project files at town hall if a nearby proposal concerns you. Our two cents? Attend the next hearing or submit written comments so the board has a fuller record to weigh environmental impacts, traffic effects and neighborhood fit before it issues final decisions.