Code Enforcement Crackdown In Riverhead

RIVERHEAD, NY — Riverhead Town is getting tough on unsafe and blighted properties in the downtown area.

On Tuesday, Riverhead Town Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith was joined by members of the town board, code enforcement agents, the fire marshal, and the town attorney to announce action taken recently to bring blighted downtown buildings up to town code and make the properties safe.

With more than 100 violations issued to properties downtown, it was the first time in 10 years that the buildings had been inspected, the supervisor said.

“This is a safety issue, plain and simple. It is remarkable that these buildings have been allowed to go un-inspected for 10 years," Jens-Smith said. "Especially as we are trying to revitalize our downtown, it is important that we know that there are safe buildings for businesses to move in to. I want to thank the owners who have already acted to remedy the situation. The town would like to work together with the property owners to come into compliance and we will be taking all necessary options to ensure that they do so. It is time that Riverhead reclaims its downtown.”

Violations included animal infestation, leaky roofs, exposed asbestos, failing integrity of wall systems, unsafe electrical wiring, cracks in foundation walls, and unsafe and non-operational fire and sprinkler systems, the supervisor said.

"We will not be intimidated by those that are holding back the potential of our downtown," she added.

The crackdown was part of Jens-Smith’s code enforcement action strategy, undertaken to tackle code violations in a systematic way to the benefit of the community, a release said.

“All properties inspected received deficiency notices with 'comply by' dates. A handful of properties have already done work to remediate the deficiencies, others which have failed to remediate or communicate a plan have been sent 'Order to Remedy' notices," said town investigator Rich Downs.

“As our community works towards downtown revitalization, it is imperative that blighted properties come into compliance. Blighted, vacant properties have long plagued our Main Street. We would like potential businesses to feel confident and safe when they are thinking of investing in this beautiful town," Deputy Supervisor Catherine Kent said.

Councilman James Wooten addressed the issue of blight. "The stores that we are talking about have been vacant for so long, more than 20 years. We know the shopping trends have changed; a lot of the bigger store aren't desirable anymore. They'e been vacant for so long, it's almost not worth fixing up. A lot of these are tear-down buildings." He applauded the effort and said enacting laws comes down to enforcement.

Councilwoman Jodi Giglio complimented the supervisor on the code enforcement violations issued to owners whose properties have been "stagnant for many years."

Giglio also applauded the new opportunity zone, which brings investment dollars to downtown Riverhead; the opportunity zone, she said, is a new zone created by the federal government establishing that Riverhead, until 2043, can defer capital gains and bring investment money to areas that have the lowest income, blighted properties, and properties that are identified as having a need for improvements. "I'm very excited about investors coming to Riverhead to invest in buildings that have been vacant for so long," Giglio said. She added if the town was going to change zoning downtown it should happen soon so investors do not have uncertainty moving forward.

The effort is the result of organized action, and bi-weekly meetings the supervisor holds with the code enforcement department, fire marshal’s office, police chief, and town attorney’s office to put Riverhead residents first.

Individual property owners and parcels were not identified at the press event; the supervisor said the property owners had 30 days to come into compliance. Legal action could then be commenced, she added.