Politics & Government

Town Questions Sports Complex in Light of Riverhead YMCA

With private funds growing for a proposed Riverhead YMCA, the Southold Town Board questions the feasibility of a new Southold gym and pool facility.

Though a and subsequent c have indicated a need for an indoor pool and sporting facility in town, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell and other town board members are considering how ambitious the facility should be with a Riverhead YMCA proposal moving forward.

The Riverhead News-Review reported this week that Peconic YMCA has raised $6 million of the $8 million needed to construct a YMCA in Riverhead Town, originally proposed 10 years ago. Though sites such as the Enterprise Park at Calverton and Riverside Drive in Riverhead have been considered, the group is now eyeing points as far west as the terminus of the Long Island Expressway and as far east as Jamesport.

A Jamesport location would meet the requested recreational needs of the western half of Southold Town and would require the planning and park and recreation departments to reconsider how ambitious a new Southold sports complex should be, said Supervisor Russell at this week’s work session.

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“Riverhead has their own committee working to establish this facility, and the Town Board is seemingly in support of it,” Russell said.

Special projects coordinator Phil Beltz said that he’s working on a cost benefit analysis of a new Southold pool and gym complex and is locating people with experience in grant writing to help get grant funding for such a project.

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