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Walmart plans to convert Riverhead location into supercenter
A proposal to expand a luxury hotel in Southampton Village has won preliminary approval for $1.64 million in tax breaks.
The Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency gave an early go-ahead to the tax breaks for the proposed 40-room hotel on Hill Street. The project, which will have eight units of workforce housing, is next to the Southampton Inn, a 90-room hotel. The owners are the same.
Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that the average nightly rate at the new hotel, which will feature a heated pool, is expected to peak at around $800 in July and August, according to a market analysis prepared by the property's owner. An office building on the property will be converted into eight one-bedroom workforce apartments. Another office building will be refurbished.
The $29 million project is expected to generate a “net public benefit” of $2.5 million over 15 years, said Kevin Gremse, of Grow America, a consulting firm that works for the IDA. Gremse cited a likely revenue boost from Suffolk County's 5.5% hotel occupancy tax.
"This is a shot in the arm for the village and the community, and the people who choose to live there on a year-round basis. They need it,” said Dede Gotthelf, owner of the Southampton Inn and managing partner of 71 Hill LLC, which owns the property, during a recent presentation to the IDA.
But the proposal has drawn some criticism from public officials. An IDA member who opposed the relief said locals will likely be priced out of the hotel. A Southampton Village trustee said the project should include more workforce apartments.
Josh Slaughter cast the lone vote against the preliminary tax breaks during the IDA's meeting on Jan. 29. The owner could hike room rates and not need the public assistance, Slaughter said at that meeting.
The Suffolk County IDA has scheduled a Feb. 20 hearing on the tax relief. A final vote is expected on Feb. 26.
***
Walmart is planning to convert its Riverhead store into a supercenter, the national retailer’s one-stop shopping destination, combining a full-service supermarket offering groceries, bakery, deli, meats and produce with a discount department store. Denise Civiletti reports in Riverheadlocal.com that Walmart representatives met yesterday with Riverhead Planning Department staff to discuss the company’s plans during a pre-submission conference at Riverhead Town Hall.
The footprint of the existing store, currently about 167,000 square feet including the outdoor garden center, would be expanded to about 180,000 square feet under the current plans, according to engineer Alek Kociski of Bohler Engineering.
The plan is to build an addition in the area presently occupied by the outdoor garden center and convert the tire center, which is not active, into retail space. The entire interior of the store will be redesigned to accommodate the new supermarket’s offerings.
The expansion will require the purchase of development rights to allow additional floor area in the shopping center, Riverhead Senior Planner Greg Bergman told the Walmart representatives. The developer in 2010 purchased 41 development rights to build the original center, to develop the Walmart store and the other buildings on the site.
The expansion plan will require no variances, Walmart attorney Brian Kennedy said.
Suffolk County DPW may ask for a traffic study, Bergman said.
Since the supercenter will have a deli and a bakery, grease traps are needed, so that requires health department approval, Senior Planner Matt Charters said.
Jason Klipa, Walmart’s director of public affairs for New York said he couldn’t estimate when the company will file its application for an amended site plan approval, but it will begin working on preparing the necessary documents. The “next closest thing” to the Riverhead supercenter would be the Yaphank Walmart, which opened about six or seven years ago, Kilpa said.
Walmart opened the current Riverhead store across from Tanger Outlets in 2014, relocating from its prior location in Riverhead Plaza, the Route 58 retail center just east of Ostrander Avenue.
***
The Town of Southampton Youth Bureau has opened registration for its Winter Break programs during the February school recess. The free programs are open to students in kindergarten through grade four and will run from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday February 17, Wednesday February 18, and Thursday February 19.
Space is limited, and advance registration is required.
Activities begin next Tuesday with “Get Active at SYS.” Transportation from the Flanders Youth Center will be provided. Next Wednesday children are encouraged to dress up for Costume Day at the Youth Center in Flanders. The week concludes on Thursday, February 19, with “Get Creative at the Parrish Art Museum,” offering an engaging museum tour and hands-on art workshop at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, with transportation included.
All programs are offered at no cost, but preregistration is required due to limited availability. For more information or to register, families may call the Southampton Youth Bureau at 631-702-2425 or visit southamptontownny.gov/YBpayment.
***
East Hampton Town officials moved forward with a new Latino Advisory Committee at the outset of the new year, and the committee met for the first time this past Saturday, with front-of-mind questions about what local police can and should do in the event of an ICE raid. Created in the shadow of Department of Homeland Security activity on the South Fork late last year, the bulk of the inaugural meeting, held over Zoom due to the weather on Saturday morning, covered introductions for the 15-person committee, but discussion did eventually morph into what local government can do in the face of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that the answer, essentially, was that local police can observe, but they cannot interfere with ICE activity.
Kicking off the meeting was the introduction of the two co-chairs, Yesenia Quichimbo and East Hampton Town Democratic Committee Chairwoman Anna Skrenta, for what town officials have said is meant to be a nonpartisan committee.
Skrenta emphasized that mindset, “This is not a political group, but I do think that introducing or creating a bridge between local government and the community to help folks understand how it all works and how to get involved, I think is super important, and I'm excited for that aspect of this group.”
East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, who said she has worked closely with nonprofits like Ruta27 and Organización Latino Americana during her time in office, said she hopes the committee can work to build trust and safety in the community.
“We want to raise the voices of the Latino members of our community,” Burke-Gonzalez said. “I like to think of it as we are one community, not separate communities.”
***
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado announced yesterday that he was dropping his longshot primary campaign against his estranged boss, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Vaughn Golden reports in THE NY POST that Delgado announced the move in a post on X Tuesday morning, just days after Hochul pulled solid support at the state Democrats’ convention in Syracuse last week.
“I’ve concluded that there simply is no viable path forward,” Delgado wrote.
“Though my campaign has come to an end, I fully intend to do all I can in our effort to build a more humane, affordable, and equitable state that serves all New Yorkers,” added Delgado, a former congressman from the Hudson Valley.
“I will also support Democrats in our effort to hold the line against Trump and take back our democracy,” he wrote.
Delgado would’ve had to petition his way onto the ballot after only securing about 15% of the vote against Hochul at the party’s nominating convention in Syracuse last Friday.
Hochul appears to now face a clear path until November, when she’s likely to face Republican Bruce Blakeman, the current Nassau County executive.
Hochul campaign communications director Sarafina Chitika told THE NY POST yesterday, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, our campaign and our party are strong and ready to defeat Donald Trump and his enablers up and down the ballot, take back the House, and hand Bruce Blakeman yet another loss this November.”
***
Shelter Island Friends of Music are presenting a free concert this coming Sunday afternoon, February 15 at 3 p.m. in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church. Performing is PubliQuartet, a chamber ensemble dedicated to bridging the gap between new and traditional repertoire. Known for their communicative presence and imaginative programming, they confront boundaries and form lasting connections with audiences.
The ensemble comprises four versatile musicians who have performed at major festivals and concert series across the U.S. and internationally.
PubliQuartet is committed to championing underrepresented composers, commissioning new works, and engaging audiences through multimedia presentations and contextual programming.
That free concert is this coming Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church.
***
Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Southold Town Board last night agreed to appoint a Public Safety Task Force to examine the health, safety and welfare concerns associated with federal immigration policy and to examine all proposed federal, state and local legislation.
Meanwhile, Lisa Finn reports on Patch.com that ICE has spoken out about the three men detained in Greenport last Wednesday.
In a statement to Patch on Monday, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman stated, "The fact is on Feb. 4, ICE New York City conducted operations targeting a known criminal illegal alien convicted of aggravated DWI with a child/passenger less than 16 — a felony in Greenport. During that operation, ICE officers arrested three illegal aliens, one who was previously removed in 1998 and illegally reentered, committing a felony, and all in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Violating immigration laws is a crime and carries consequences, which includes arrest, detention, and removal from the United States," the statement said.
According to ICE, "Martir Zambrano-Diaz, an illegal alien from Honduras, provided a false name to ICE officers in an attempt to obscure the fact that he committed a felony and is subject to federal prosecution for illegally re-entering the U.S. after removal."
Hugo Ardon-Osorio, "an illegal alien from Guatemala, and Alexandro Rivera-Magana, an illegal alien from El Salvador, both admitted they illegally crossed the border with Mexico in violation of U.S. immigration law," ICE said.
Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA of Eastern Long Island {Organización Latino Americana} a Latino-focused advocacy group, responded to ICE's statement: "The two men that we have been focusing on have no criminal backgrounds," she said. "If ICE wants to use civil infractions as their definition of 'criminal,' that's up to them. What we see are caring, loving, contributing members of our community — taxpayers and great role models for our community."
View all episodes
By WLIW-FMA proposal to expand a luxury hotel in Southampton Village has won preliminary approval for $1.64 million in tax breaks.
The Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency gave an early go-ahead to the tax breaks for the proposed 40-room hotel on Hill Street. The project, which will have eight units of workforce housing, is next to the Southampton Inn, a 90-room hotel. The owners are the same.
Alek Lewis reports in NEWSDAY that the average nightly rate at the new hotel, which will feature a heated pool, is expected to peak at around $800 in July and August, according to a market analysis prepared by the property's owner. An office building on the property will be converted into eight one-bedroom workforce apartments. Another office building will be refurbished.
The $29 million project is expected to generate a “net public benefit” of $2.5 million over 15 years, said Kevin Gremse, of Grow America, a consulting firm that works for the IDA. Gremse cited a likely revenue boost from Suffolk County's 5.5% hotel occupancy tax.
"This is a shot in the arm for the village and the community, and the people who choose to live there on a year-round basis. They need it,” said Dede Gotthelf, owner of the Southampton Inn and managing partner of 71 Hill LLC, which owns the property, during a recent presentation to the IDA.
But the proposal has drawn some criticism from public officials. An IDA member who opposed the relief said locals will likely be priced out of the hotel. A Southampton Village trustee said the project should include more workforce apartments.
Josh Slaughter cast the lone vote against the preliminary tax breaks during the IDA's meeting on Jan. 29. The owner could hike room rates and not need the public assistance, Slaughter said at that meeting.
The Suffolk County IDA has scheduled a Feb. 20 hearing on the tax relief. A final vote is expected on Feb. 26.
***
Walmart is planning to convert its Riverhead store into a supercenter, the national retailer’s one-stop shopping destination, combining a full-service supermarket offering groceries, bakery, deli, meats and produce with a discount department store. Denise Civiletti reports in Riverheadlocal.com that Walmart representatives met yesterday with Riverhead Planning Department staff to discuss the company’s plans during a pre-submission conference at Riverhead Town Hall.
The footprint of the existing store, currently about 167,000 square feet including the outdoor garden center, would be expanded to about 180,000 square feet under the current plans, according to engineer Alek Kociski of Bohler Engineering.
The plan is to build an addition in the area presently occupied by the outdoor garden center and convert the tire center, which is not active, into retail space. The entire interior of the store will be redesigned to accommodate the new supermarket’s offerings.
The expansion will require the purchase of development rights to allow additional floor area in the shopping center, Riverhead Senior Planner Greg Bergman told the Walmart representatives. The developer in 2010 purchased 41 development rights to build the original center, to develop the Walmart store and the other buildings on the site.
The expansion plan will require no variances, Walmart attorney Brian Kennedy said.
Suffolk County DPW may ask for a traffic study, Bergman said.
Since the supercenter will have a deli and a bakery, grease traps are needed, so that requires health department approval, Senior Planner Matt Charters said.
Jason Klipa, Walmart’s director of public affairs for New York said he couldn’t estimate when the company will file its application for an amended site plan approval, but it will begin working on preparing the necessary documents. The “next closest thing” to the Riverhead supercenter would be the Yaphank Walmart, which opened about six or seven years ago, Kilpa said.
Walmart opened the current Riverhead store across from Tanger Outlets in 2014, relocating from its prior location in Riverhead Plaza, the Route 58 retail center just east of Ostrander Avenue.
***
The Town of Southampton Youth Bureau has opened registration for its Winter Break programs during the February school recess. The free programs are open to students in kindergarten through grade four and will run from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday February 17, Wednesday February 18, and Thursday February 19.
Space is limited, and advance registration is required.
Activities begin next Tuesday with “Get Active at SYS.” Transportation from the Flanders Youth Center will be provided. Next Wednesday children are encouraged to dress up for Costume Day at the Youth Center in Flanders. The week concludes on Thursday, February 19, with “Get Creative at the Parrish Art Museum,” offering an engaging museum tour and hands-on art workshop at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, with transportation included.
All programs are offered at no cost, but preregistration is required due to limited availability. For more information or to register, families may call the Southampton Youth Bureau at 631-702-2425 or visit southamptontownny.gov/YBpayment.
***
East Hampton Town officials moved forward with a new Latino Advisory Committee at the outset of the new year, and the committee met for the first time this past Saturday, with front-of-mind questions about what local police can and should do in the event of an ICE raid. Created in the shadow of Department of Homeland Security activity on the South Fork late last year, the bulk of the inaugural meeting, held over Zoom due to the weather on Saturday morning, covered introductions for the 15-person committee, but discussion did eventually morph into what local government can do in the face of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that the answer, essentially, was that local police can observe, but they cannot interfere with ICE activity.
Kicking off the meeting was the introduction of the two co-chairs, Yesenia Quichimbo and East Hampton Town Democratic Committee Chairwoman Anna Skrenta, for what town officials have said is meant to be a nonpartisan committee.
Skrenta emphasized that mindset, “This is not a political group, but I do think that introducing or creating a bridge between local government and the community to help folks understand how it all works and how to get involved, I think is super important, and I'm excited for that aspect of this group.”
East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, who said she has worked closely with nonprofits like Ruta27 and Organización Latino Americana during her time in office, said she hopes the committee can work to build trust and safety in the community.
“We want to raise the voices of the Latino members of our community,” Burke-Gonzalez said. “I like to think of it as we are one community, not separate communities.”
***
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado announced yesterday that he was dropping his longshot primary campaign against his estranged boss, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Vaughn Golden reports in THE NY POST that Delgado announced the move in a post on X Tuesday morning, just days after Hochul pulled solid support at the state Democrats’ convention in Syracuse last week.
“I’ve concluded that there simply is no viable path forward,” Delgado wrote.
“Though my campaign has come to an end, I fully intend to do all I can in our effort to build a more humane, affordable, and equitable state that serves all New Yorkers,” added Delgado, a former congressman from the Hudson Valley.
“I will also support Democrats in our effort to hold the line against Trump and take back our democracy,” he wrote.
Delgado would’ve had to petition his way onto the ballot after only securing about 15% of the vote against Hochul at the party’s nominating convention in Syracuse last Friday.
Hochul appears to now face a clear path until November, when she’s likely to face Republican Bruce Blakeman, the current Nassau County executive.
Hochul campaign communications director Sarafina Chitika told THE NY POST yesterday, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, our campaign and our party are strong and ready to defeat Donald Trump and his enablers up and down the ballot, take back the House, and hand Bruce Blakeman yet another loss this November.”
***
Shelter Island Friends of Music are presenting a free concert this coming Sunday afternoon, February 15 at 3 p.m. in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church. Performing is PubliQuartet, a chamber ensemble dedicated to bridging the gap between new and traditional repertoire. Known for their communicative presence and imaginative programming, they confront boundaries and form lasting connections with audiences.
The ensemble comprises four versatile musicians who have performed at major festivals and concert series across the U.S. and internationally.
PubliQuartet is committed to championing underrepresented composers, commissioning new works, and engaging audiences through multimedia presentations and contextual programming.
That free concert is this coming Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church.
***
Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the Southold Town Board last night agreed to appoint a Public Safety Task Force to examine the health, safety and welfare concerns associated with federal immigration policy and to examine all proposed federal, state and local legislation.
Meanwhile, Lisa Finn reports on Patch.com that ICE has spoken out about the three men detained in Greenport last Wednesday.
In a statement to Patch on Monday, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman stated, "The fact is on Feb. 4, ICE New York City conducted operations targeting a known criminal illegal alien convicted of aggravated DWI with a child/passenger less than 16 — a felony in Greenport. During that operation, ICE officers arrested three illegal aliens, one who was previously removed in 1998 and illegally reentered, committing a felony, and all in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Violating immigration laws is a crime and carries consequences, which includes arrest, detention, and removal from the United States," the statement said.
According to ICE, "Martir Zambrano-Diaz, an illegal alien from Honduras, provided a false name to ICE officers in an attempt to obscure the fact that he committed a felony and is subject to federal prosecution for illegally re-entering the U.S. after removal."
Hugo Ardon-Osorio, "an illegal alien from Guatemala, and Alexandro Rivera-Magana, an illegal alien from El Salvador, both admitted they illegally crossed the border with Mexico in violation of U.S. immigration law," ICE said.
Minerva Perez, executive director of OLA of Eastern Long Island {Organización Latino Americana} a Latino-focused advocacy group, responded to ICE's statement: "The two men that we have been focusing on have no criminal backgrounds," she said. "If ICE wants to use civil infractions as their definition of 'criminal,' that's up to them. What we see are caring, loving, contributing members of our community — taxpayers and great role models for our community."