The Riverhead Town Board on Feb. 18 held a public scoping session to shape the required draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Duffy MX Motocross Track, an outdoor motocross facility proposed for a 15-acre property at 2822 River Road in Calverton.
The projectreturned to town review last yearafter an earlier version stalled under the Calverton industrial moratorium. In October 2025, the Town Boardissued a SEQRA positive declarationfor the application, triggering the requirement for an environmental impact statement.
Senior Planner and Zoning Officer Greg Bergman told the board the scoping session was limited to what the environmental impact statement must study, not whether the public supports or opposes the project. Separate hearings will be held on applications for a special permit and site plan approval, he said.
Bergman said the applicant submitted a draft scope on Jan. 15, triggering a 60-day SEQRA timeline for the town, as lead agency, to issue a final scope. He said the final scope is due March 16 and he asked the applicant for a one-day extension so the board could adopt it at the March 17 Town Board meeting.
Bergman said the town received scoping comments from the state DEC, Suffolk County Department of Health Services and the Central Pine Barrens Commission.
Among the most consequential issues: DEC determined the project will require a mined land reclamation permit, and town staff said the Zoning Board of Appeals must be added as an involved agency because mining is not a permitted use in the Calverton Industrial zoning district.
Bergman also said DEC indicated the applicant will need a Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers permit, and a variance from WSRR requirements to obtain that permit, in addition to the mined land reclamation permit.
The draft scope describes excavation of about 120,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel—reported to take about eight months—followed by construction of parking areas and related structures, and notes sand mining is not permitted in any zoning district in Riverhead.
It also identifies impacts to prime agricultural soils (Riverhead Sandy Loam), including more than 2.5 acres within Suffolk County Agricultural District 7, and notes the loss would be an irreversible conversion of agricultural land.
The draft scope flags Pine Barrens issues as well, stating the site is within the Central Pine Barrens Compatible Growth Area and does not conform with the plan’s land-use standards, including a requirement to set aside at least 40% natural open space; it notes Pine Barrens advised a hardship waiver is required if the project is not revised to conform.
Source: RiverheadLOCAL
