Lawmaker: New Pedestrian Bridge Only One Part of Riverside Revitalization

 lawmaker who has spent hours meeting with residents about breathing new life into the Riverside and Flanders communities said that a proposed new pedestrian bridge connecting Riverhead and Riverside is only one part of the bigger plan.

"There are several elements to the community plan; the bridge is one," Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman said. 

Others, he said include the trail, the new downtown corridor, the redesigned traffic circle, the sewer system, a possible reopening of the shuttered restaurant at the traffic circle, and a mid-sized supermarket.

"These ideas have grown and evolved from discussions with community groups," he said.

Schneiderman said renderings that were presented at a meeting of the Riverhead town board recently were only created so that a visual representation of the plans might further discussions.

"The actual designs will be left to professional architects and engineers and planners," he said. "These drawings were meant to start the conversation."

Of the revitalization efforts, Schneiderman said, "We are progressing now rapidly. The grants are in for the trail and almost in for the footbridge. The Suffolk County Department of Public Works is well into re-designing the circle."

And, he added, consultants,  Woodbury-based CDM, are nearly finished with a sewer study for the area.

What element do you feel is most critical to revitalization efforts in Riverside and Flanders? Share your ideas in the comments section.