Developer wants Riverhead zoning change to build hospital workforce housing

Joseph Manzi, a developer from the Suffolk County hamlet of Rocky Point, wants the Riverhead Town Board to change the zoning of 26 acres in the town so that he can build 34 units of workforce housing for the employees of a nearby hospital, Newsday reported. Staff at the Peconic Bay Medical Center have approached Manzi to build the housing to accommodate for a planned expansion of the facility. But Manzi’s lawyer, Steven Losquadro, said the property’s zoning rules do not allow for such construction. Losquadro said his client would build the units without dramatically increasing density and keep those units “much more affordable.” Some Riverhead officials were open to the proposal, but others are worried that it could increase congestion in the area. [Newsday]