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Riverhead cuts agritourism proposal from comprehensive plans

Farmers work to set up a harrow to be pulled behind a grain hopper and tractor in preparation for planting.
Amanda Loman
/
AP
Farmers work to set up a harrow to be pulled behind a grain hopper and tractor in preparation for planting.

The Town of Riverhead removed a proposal to promote agritourism from its comprehensive plans. The proposal would’ve allowed developers to build resorts and spas on farmland to help farmers make money and increase property tax revenue for the town.

Agritourism refers to activities or structures on farms that invite customers to experience rural life, such as farming, ranching and other attractions, for recreation, education or entertainment.

Since the proposal was announced, it has met fierce opposition from residents and farmers who organized a letter-writing campaign and online petition. More than 2,700 people signed on as supporters “to preserve our farms, scenic vistas and this historic area.”

“Sitting down and putting public people down together and working together as a community to solve this is the way it’s going to be done,” said Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard during a recent town board meeting. “We have to listen to the people and work together to make this beneficial for everybody in the town.”

Including the proposal in Riverhead’s comprehensive plan would have affected the RA-80 zoning district, which runs along the Long Island Sound shoreline and is composed mainly of farmland and residential homes, but also small animal and bird rehabilitations and horse training facilities.

The initial plan would permit agritourism inns and resorts on at least 100-acre plots of land, provided the developer preserves 70% of the plot for agricultural use and 30% for structures and amenities.

The removal of this proposal was contentious among board members as they considered how to balance the needs of farmers and tax revenue for the town and its residents.

“Our farmers are selling their land. Our farmers cannot afford to make a living in regular farming. That’s why agritourism has become so big out here,” Hubbard said. “The farmers have had to do it to survive.”

He said local farmers are encumbered by high, competitive costs — especially compared to Canadian farmers who are subsidized, meaning they can see their produce at competitive costs. According to Hubbard, this competition is driving the local farm businesses into the muck since there are too many overhead expenses to keep up with and their children are not interested in continuing the family business.

“The generational farms are disappearing and this is a reality,” Hubbard said. “No farmers, no food.”

With agritourism out to pasture, board members said there needs to be another way to increase tax dollars to fund the town and school districts. “We want to find a happy medium of preservation and development because if we preserve that 6,300 acres off the tax roll, nobody’s going to be able to afford to live in the Town of Riverhead,” Hubbard said. “ We have to find a way to preserve it, but we also have to find a way to help the farmers.”

Hubbard said the board is not abandoning agritourism entirely because it wants to “take care of the issues that we have to take care of.”

Most of the residents who spoke at the meeting were pleased with the board for listening to the community’s concerns about the proposal and for taking appropriate action. Some suggested that the board can look into other ways to raise tax revenue, including taxing those who enter the town to buy locally farmed products.

“I applaud everybody for their letters, your handwriting campaign, the texts, the emails… It’s great to see the town energized,” Hubbard said. “We have to work together.”

Jenna Zaza is a news intern at WSHU for the fall of 2024.