Supermarket Developer Submits New Proposal To Westhampton Beach Village

Westhampton developer Andrew Mendelson was at on Thursday morning submitting a revised petition for a 40,000-square-foot supermarket he wants to build on 4.2 acres he owns on Old Riverhead Road in Westhampton Beach.

The new petition asks that a grocery store be added as a permitted use in the village's B-3 district, which sits in the north-west corner of the village.

A portion of Mendelson's property sits within the B-3 district; the other half in the village's industrial zone.

Aside from asking for a change to the B-3 district, Mendelson's new petition states that if the village opts to amend the B-3 district, that his industrially-zoned land be rezoned to the B-3 district.

Mendleson said he believes that his new petition will not trigger a master plan update.

"There was a recommendation by planners to place a shopping center in the B-3 district so no master plan update is needed," said Mendelson, who noted that as of right currently, he can build a home depot or food distribution center on his property.

In the past, Richard Haefeli, the village's attorney, has stated that Mendelson's previous petition, and asked that a grocery store use be added to both the village's B-3 and industrial zones, would require a master plan update, compete with a environmental study.

The village completed it's last master plan update four years ago.

Haefeli also stated that when a petition is submitted to the village, village officials are not required by law to do anything — Mendelson has been requesting that the village, at the very least, hold a public hearing on his petition.

Editor's Note: The petition is attached to this article.