The Southampton Town Board closed a public hearing on converting the former Wildwood Bowling Alley in Riverside into a church, Iglesia Pentecostal Familia de Dios, after hearing from church representatives and neighbors, and set a 30-day written comment period rather than voting on the application.
Daniela Perez Oriana, whose father is the church's pastor, told the board that earlier statements about the size of the congregation were mischaracterized, and said the church has been a tenant in Riverhead for 17 years without complaints. She also provided the board with the congregation's weekly schedule. "We respectfully ask the board to consider our applications on its merits in accordance with the applicable laws and zoning regulations," she said.
Neighbor Donna Ferrara, who lives on Wildwood Lake, said the building's septic system predates 1962 and urged a county health review before any approval. "We respectfully request and encourage the town planning board to recognize this as a change in use and refer the church's application to the county board of health to request a septic review to allow for the protection of Wildwood Lake," she said.
A speaker who identified himself as Joseph Comer, a resident of Topping Drive, argued the property's parking area is bordered by publicly owned land subject to New York's public trust doctrine. "I just think that they bought the wrong property," he said.
A speaker identified as Renee, representing the Wildwood Neighborhood Watch, said the group's objection was not about the congregation itself. "This is about parking, traffic, land use and the impact on our surrounding community," she said, asking the board to require answers on congregation size, operating hours and whether anyone would live on site before the application moves forward.
In other business, the board closed a hearing on a covenant amendment allowing 15,018 square feet to be shifted between two commonly owned lots on Flying Point Road in Water Mill, with a 10-day written comment period passing 6-0 with one member absent. The applicant's representative, Carl Benacosta, said the change creates no new density and leaves both lots conforming.
The board also closed a hearing on a pre-application from the Southampton Housing Authority to subdivide a 1.9-acre North Sea Meacocks Road property into four lots for affordable, income-restricted housing, setting a 10-day comment period that passed 6-0 with one member absent. Attorney Wayne Bruin and Housing Authority director Curtis Highsmith said the lots would be limited to households at 80% of area median income or below; Highsmith said a preference for first responders could raise fair-housing concerns because there is no data to show such a preference would not discriminate against a protected class.
Finally, the board closed a pre-submission hearing on Stillwater Tree Farm's proposal for a 7,584-square-foot agricultural building and legalization of existing hoop houses, storage containers and outdoor storage in Water Mill, setting a 30-day comment period. Bill Kelly, the applicant's authorized agent, told the board the building would house equipment used for growing trees, and owner Jackson Dodds described his farm's harvesting equipment and tractors.