Petitioners: ‘Sweetheart’ land deal in Calverton includes environmentally sensitive land

Petitioners are urging the Town of Riverhead to not include environmentally sensitive land in the Enterprise Park sale at Calverton.

The former Grumman site has been the topic of intense debate for years. Many residents are pushing back against a plan to sell the land to a developer, saying it’s sweetheart deal that will hurt taxpayers.

Initially the plan was to sell 600 acres of the property to a group called Calverton Aviation and Technology for $40 million. The agreement then changed, and another 1,050 acres was added to the deal for the same price.

Some residents say there are two major problems with that addition: the low-price tag, and that the land is “environmentally sensitive” and should be left as is.

A petition with around 1,600 signatures is asking the Town Board to remove the extra 1,050 acres from the deal.

William Van Helmond, who is president of the Jamesport Civic Association and running for Town Council, says the land should be preserved.

“We'd like to see it as is so the species can live here,” he says. “…We would not want to see a building right here where you're walking around like in Brooklyn or somewhere in the city.”

News 12 reached out to the developer for a comment.