Revised plans for a proposed cannabis cultivation greenhouse in Calverton were aired at the Riverhead Planning Board meeting Thursday. The changes are intended to eliminate the need for zoning variances previously denied by the Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals.

The applicant behind the proposed Brother Bear Canna greenhouse on Middle Road reduced the project’s impervious surface coverage by eliminating paved parking areas and shrinking the size of the greenhouse, according to town planner Greg Bergman.

The revised site plan came before the Planning Board for discussion only. No action was taken.

The project seeks approval to construct a greenhouse of roughly 31,000 square feet for cannabis cultivation, along with related site improvements including drainage systems, lighting, mechanical equipment and onsite wells.

In January,following a lengthy hearing a month earlier, the Zoning Board of Appeals denied requests for variances related to an 8-foot deer fence and impervious surface coverage in the Agricultural Protection Zoning district.MORE COVERAGE:Proposal by cannabis grower for Calverton farmland hits a wall at ZBA

In response to those denials, the applicant removed the proposed paved parking areas and now proposes grass and dirt parking areas delineated by railroad ties, Bergman said. The revised plans also call for demolition of an existing house and detached garage on the property and relocation of the greenhouse farther south on the parcel.

But during Thursday’s review, Bergman said a newly submitted slope analysis identified approximately 18,100 square feet of slopes exceeding 15%, which cannot be counted as buildable area under town code.

Excluding those steep slopes pushes the project’s impervious surface coverage above the 15% maximum allowed in the APZ district, he said.

Attorney John Anzalone, representing the applicant, said the greenhouse will be reduced by approximately 2,700 square feet to bring the project into compliance and eliminate the need for a variance.

Bergman told the board he requested a formal opinion from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets after hearing concerns from residents and some board members about whether the proposed facility is considered an agricultural use. The Agriculture and Markets Law states that cannabis, when cultivated in accordance with the Cannabis Law, is considered a crop.

Source: RiverheadLOCAL