Industrial Development in Riverhead: Environmental Compliance and Tree Preservation Requirements

Navigating Industrial Development in Riverhead: Your Essential Guide to Environmental Compliance and Tree Preservation Requirements

As Riverhead continues to experience significant industrial growth, developers and businesses face increasingly complex environmental compliance and tree preservation requirements. Understanding these regulations is crucial for successful project completion while maintaining the community’s natural character and meeting legal obligations.

Understanding Riverhead’s Environmental Compliance Framework

Riverhead has an opportunity to plan for new development in such a way that the natural environment can be better preserved. The condition and quality of natural resources not only affect public health and safety, but play a significant role in the local economy. The town operates under multiple layers of environmental protection, including the Pine Barrens regulations and local zoning ordinances.

The Core Preservation Area consists of 55,000 acres (4,720 in Riverhead), in which all new development is essentially prohibited, with limited expansion of existing agricultural uses being permitted. The Compatible Growth Area consists of 47,500 acres (5,484 in Riverhead), in which appropriate patterns of compatible residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial development are permitted.

Industrial Development Requirements and SEQRA Compliance

Long Island projects must comply with federal and state environmental laws. Industrial development typically triggers environmental review under the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), which assesses potential impacts on air, water, noise and traffic. This comprehensive review process ensures that all potential environmental impacts are thoroughly evaluated before project approval.

The Planning Board is responsible for guiding development of land and growth within the Town of Riverhead. In accordance with the Riverhead Town Zoning Ordinance, state statute, and subdivision regulations, the Planning Board reviews and approves commercial and residential development.

Tree Preservation Requirements: What Developers Must Know

Tree preservation has become a critical component of Riverhead’s development approval process. Planning director Rick Hanley, asked by the supervisor to draft new rules to address the issue, presented at Thursday’s work session a proposal to require commercial developers to conduct an inventory of all trees on site. Trees having a caliper of six inches or greater would be depicted on a plot plan, so that the planning department could determine which trees should be preserved.

Any existing woodlands, stand of or individual tree(s) or instance of unique or indigenous vegetation, and any other significant natural features, such as, but not limited to, water bodies, drainagecourses, fresh and salt water marshes, coastal dunes, bluffs, beaches, escarpments, overlook areas and wildlife habitats, must be included and every good faith effort made to preserve, maintain and enhance same.

Site Plan Review and Permitting Process

Extensive grading, clearing, cutting and filling, excavating or tree removal associated therewith shall be avoided. Screening with trees or other plantings may be required for parking and other disturbed areas which are created. This requirement emphasizes the town’s commitment to minimizing environmental disruption during development.

No building permit or land clearing permit as required by Chapter 217, Buildings, Building Construction and Improvements and Housing Standards, Parts 1 and 2, of the Code of the Town of Riverhead, required for any such activity, including, without limitation, grading, clearing, cutting and filling, excavating or tree removal associated therewith, or the erection, construction, alteration, demolition or moving of any structure, shall be issued until the required site plan approval shall have been granted. No person shall undertake or carry out any such activity or use, including without limitation any grading, clearing, cutting and filling, excavating or tree removal associated therewith, without first having obtained site plan approval therefor, pursuant to the provisions of this article, posting a performance bond provided for herein and securing a land clearing permit.

The Role of Professional Tree Services in Compliance

Given these stringent requirements, working with experienced tree service professionals becomes essential for industrial developers. When projects require tree preservation planning or removal services, partnering with a qualified tree service riverhead provider ensures compliance with local regulations while maintaining project timelines.

With over 22 years of experience in the tree removal industry, our professional staff consistently delivers quality service throughout the Long Island area. With a fleet of trucks, Competition Tree, Inc. is fully capable of tackling any size job with our Suffolk tree service. Let our trained professionals take care of your Long Island tree removal or tree maintenance needs. This level of expertise is crucial when navigating complex industrial development requirements.

Buffer Requirements and Natural Screening

Industrial developments must carefully consider buffer zones to protect adjacent residential areas. “I think that in any construction abutting a residential development, you leave a natural buffer of say 100 feet or 150 feet. You can’t touch anything within 100 feet. It’s left undisturbed. You don’t clear and replant,” she said. This approach preserves existing vegetation while providing necessary screening.

Industrial Development Agency (IDA) Considerations

Other benefits which qualified businesses may receive through RIDA include sales and compensating use taxes exemption, mortgage recording tax exemption and real property tax abatement. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors of RIDA are held on the first Monday of each month at 5 p.m. at Riverhead Town Hall, 4 West Second Street, Riverhead, New York. Understanding IDA processes can provide significant financial benefits while ensuring environmental compliance.

Future Industrial Development Trends

One of the most significant aspects of the plan is a series of recommendations for changes to the town’s industrial zoning districts, many of which are in the hamlet of Calverton, where residents have been asking for change for more than a year after proposals for several “high-cube” warehouses. The plan recommends creating a new “Calverton industrial” zoning district that would comprise districts currently called Industrial A and Industrial C. It also recommends increasing the allowed height of industrial buildings, which is currently 30 feet, allowing for buildings up to 40 feet tall with the use of Transfer of Development Rights credits (TDRs), and instituting a ‘pyramid height law’ to limit the visual impacts of the buildings.

Best Practices for Successful Project Approval

To ensure successful industrial development in Riverhead, developers should:

At Competition Tree, we are committed to ensuring the safety and satisfaction of our clients. This commitment extends to helping industrial developers navigate complex environmental requirements while achieving their development goals.

Successfully navigating Riverhead’s industrial development landscape requires careful attention to environmental compliance and tree preservation requirements. By understanding these regulations and working with experienced professionals, developers can achieve their goals while contributing to the community’s sustainable growth and environmental stewardship.