Garfield Langhorn statue moved to Town Hall; June 3 Town Board wrap-up

The statue of Riverhead Medal of Honor recipient PFC Garfield Langhorn has been moved to Town Hall on West Second Street. 

A 20-year-old U.S. Army-radioman in Vietnam, Langhorn sacrificed his life on Jan. 15, 1969, trying to protect wounded fellow soldiers in his unit, which had been ambushed by the enemy while they were on a rescue mission in search of two downed American pilots. 

A bronze bust of Langhorn was placed in front of the former Town Hall on Howell Avenue in the early 1990s as a memorial to his sacrifice and service. It now stands outside the current Town Hall at 4 West Second Street, where most town government offices relocated in October 2023.

The statue was placed in a prominent place at the building’s north entrance, which opens onto the parking lot and is the entrance used by nearly all staff and visitors.

Peconic Monument Works donated its services to the town to move the statue. In recognition of their contribution, the Town Board presented certificates of special thanks to Hollis and John Warner of Peconic Monument Works. 

“Peconic Monument Works offered their services to carefully relocate and reinstall the monument at the entry of the new Town Hall so all employees and visitors to Town Hall may be reminded of Private Langhorn’s brave sacrifice,” Council Member Ken Rothwell said.

Also during the June 3 meeting, the Town Board:

• Classified the special permit and site plan application of a proposed motocross track on River Road in Calverton as a Type 1 action pursuant to the State Environmental Quality and review act and requested lead agency for the project’s environmental review process. Read more about the proposed motocross track here.
• Granted a special permit for National Grid to construct a 24-truck depot for the transportation and delivery of compressed natural gas at its facility at 8 Mill Road. National Grid officials said the facility will receive and deliver the gas during peak use in the winter months.   
• Adopted the findings and determination necessary to proceed with the eminent domain actions to acquire the leasehold interest of SNR Bar 25 Corp, which operates the bar Craft’d, at 127 East Main Street. The town, which owns the building, must acquire the leasehold interest in order to convey the building to designated master developer Joe Petrocelli, who has proposed building a mixed-use hotel and condominium building on the site. Read more about the eminent domain proceedings here.
• Ratified an agreement with environmental consultant Jeffrey Seeman to help advocate for the town’s interest regarding the environmental review of the Suffolk County Water Authority North Fork Pipeline water extension project. The SCWA proposes to build the pipeline through Riverhead Town. The town has been designated an “interested” agency, rather than an involved agency. Seeman will be paid $165 per hour, up to $5,000.  
• Set a public hearing for July 1 at 2 p.m. on a proposed amendment to Town Code Chapter 105. The new section of the code would allow the Town Board to hire an administrative law judge for the purpose of conducting administrative hearings and adjudicating violations of the state school bus camera law.
• Ratified the reappointment of Isaac Israel and Martin Sendlewski to the Riverhead Parking District Advisory Committee.
• Ratified the reappointment of Matt Schmitt, Richard Wines, Charlie Scheer and Jeff Rottkamp to the Riverhead Farmland Preservation Committee.
• Held a public hearing on a special permit for what would be the first satellite Earth station in Riverhead Town, located in the Calverton Enterprise Park.
• Held a public hearing on a proposal to use $75,000 of Community Preservation Funds to purchase 48 Willow Street in Aquebogue for use as open space.
• Held a public hearing on an amendment to the town’s cannabis zoning law. The amendment would allow cannabis business in the Business CR zoning district, which is located on certain parts of the Route 25 and 25A corridors in Calverton and Wading River. Town officials said they unintentionally excluded that zoning district when drafting the cannabis law. Specific locations would remain subject to the code’s distance requirements from certain uses, including schools, churches and other cannabis businesses.
• Held a public hearing on legislation to repeal and replace the Town Code chapter on public nuisances.