Calverton site seems likely home for YMCA

Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter sat with the rest of his town board this week at a public hearing on a plan to turn over 7.3 acres of town-owned property in Calverton to the YMCA, which would build a community center -- the first on the North Fork.

He was watching himself on a video projection screen, talking about how wonderful it would be to have a new YMCA in the town -- part of a 45-minute presentation by YMCA officials and volunteers explaining what a new center would do for Riverhead.

While the idea of having a YMCA has been strongly supported in the town, any site actually picked -- and there were several proposed over more than a decade -- drew sharp opposition from nearby residents who all said they wanted the programs but could do without the extra traffic, noise and large parking fields that the YMCA would need.

All felt the YMCA would be wonderful to have, but should go somewhere else.

Some suggested it be built in the downtown Riverhead business district, but that was opposed by business owners concerned about parking.

On Tuesday night, however, no one opposed the newest proposal, which would house the $8-million YMCA at the Enterprise Park at Calverton, a 2,900-acre site owned by Riverhead, much of which is still undeveloped.

The town will provide the property and the YMCA will build a 40,000-square-foot center in stages, using grants and private funding. YMCA officials said they have $6.5 million in pledges toward the facility and expect more to come once they get control of the land.

Formal approval to give the property to the YMCA could come as soon as next month. Construction would take at least a year.