Riverhead sets Sept. 1 hearing date for zoning dispute tied to Suffolk's revised pipeline plan

As the Suffolk County Water Authority pursues an alternate route for its North Fork Pipeline, Riverhead officials maintain that the project must comply with its zoning laws.

The town board voted Tuesday to set a Sept. 1 date for a hearing known as a Monroe Balancing Test as the water authority's second round of public hearings gets underway this week.

Balancing tests are used to resolve conflicts between government entities by factoring whether a proposed project has public benefits and therefore should be exempt from usual zoning requirements.

The 7 ½-mile transmission line would pump more water from Flanders to Southold, where SCWA officials say the aquifer is taxed by “excessive demand” and the threat of saltwater contamination. But to reach Southold, the pipeline must travel through Riverhead, which runs an independent municipal water district.

Riverhead Town Attorney Erik Howard said it’s important to maintain decision-making as the “host community” for the project.

“The bulk of the project will still go through Riverhead Town, so all the impacts will still be on Riverhead,” Howard said in an interview.

The alternate route

An earlier plan to route the pipeline along Sound Avenue drew opposition from residents, business owners and local leaders concerned about the impact months of construction would have on the agricultural corridor.

Last month, the SCWA unveiled an alternate route for the project traveling north on County Route 105 from Flanders and turning east on Main Road. A new booster station would be built on water authority property on the southeast corner of that intersection.

The new route is 1 mile shorter and projected to cost $25 million, down from the initial $35 million estimate. The water authority estimates completing the project two years earlier, in 2028.

Though Howard said Main Road is a more “preferable” route to Sound Avenue, he said the project could potentially require road opening permits as well as approvals for the proposed booster station.

Suffolk County Water Authority officials declined to comment on Riverhead’s plans to conduct another balancing test Tuesday. Previously, they said construction would be planned in the offseason and completed in stages of 300-600 feet per day to minimize disruptions.

Opposing conclusions

Riverhead Town and the water authority remain in a legal battle over zoning authority after each held balancing test hearings last year and reached opposing conclusions.

The water authority maintained that providing clean water has inherent public benefit, while Riverhead argued the project’s construction would have negative impacts without bringing a direct benefit to its residents, who are not SCWA customers.

The pipeline is intended to address current water supply shortages but has fueled debate over conservation and the potential for increased development if more water is supplied to the North Fork.

Greenport Village Mayor Kevin Stuessi said water availability is a critical issue and that development is governed by local towns and villages, not the water authority.

“We’re already seeing issues with water pressure in the mornings,” Stuessi said in an interview. “The village needs to be in a position, as does everybody on the North Fork, that we can provide clean water when it's needed, whether it's for drinking, taking a shower or, God forbid, putting out a fire.”

Riverhead scheduled the test as the water authority prepares to host another round of public hearings on the revised plan. Hearings will be held Thursday at the Southold Town Recreation Center at 5 p.m. and next Wednesday at the Riverhead Free Library at 4:30 p.m.