Business & Tech

'Save Main Road' Speaks Out Against Proposed Bowling Alley 'Billboard'

Public can weigh in at a public hearing on July 25 at 7 p.m. at Riverhead Town Hall.

A civic group dedicated to preserving the rural quality of life in Riverhead and on the North Fork is seeing red over a proposed bowling alley sign that they believe will be a blight on the landscape.

The 'Save Main Road' group has been speaking out in recent weeks about a proposed 96 square foot sign pitched by the All Star bowling alley in Riverhead.

The sign, said Larry Simms of Save Main Road, is "three times the maximum size allowed. In the context of its Main Road setting, the 96 square foot structure sought would be a billboard, not a sign."

Simms is urging residents to let their voices be heard at a Riverhead Town zoning board of appeals public hearing on the issue on July 25 at 7 p.m. at Riverhead Town Hall.

Initially, the original application was for "a very different sign," Simms said, one that was internally illuminated and animated, but that application was withdrawn before any hearings were held.  

The application, filed by Main Street Holdings for The All Star, located at 96 Main Road in Riverhead, seeks a variance to and/or relief from the provisions of the town code regarding signs.

At a public hearing held on July 11 — which was left open and held over until July 25 – Simms said All Star owner Jeffrey Rimland said he needed the larger sign because individuals did not know the property was a bowling alley, due to the look of the structure, name of the business, and existing signage.

"We find it hard to accept that people don’t know about All Star," Simms said. Media coverage, Facebook, Twitter, and a website, he said, have all raised public awareness in regard to the business. "In short, we doubt that a billboard will have the radical impact on business the owner apparently seeks," he said.

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Simms said the Save Main Road group sees no hardships that would be posed by adhering to the town's 32 square foot limit. He also said the group believes a variance for a phone number on the sign should not be granted, and added that architectural review board approval is required.

Rimland, Simms said, also maintained that a larger sign was needed because the business was in a "big box" area.

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"We take extreme issue with this statement, and submit that this is not a matter of opinion," Simms said. "The nearest big box store is over a mile away, with most considerably further. In fact, All Star Bowl is easily the biggest business in its immediate neighborhood, in terms of structure visible from the street, parking lot, and most other measures. Virtually every other business has signs that meet code, and far smaller than the billboard for which All Star seeks permission."

Simms said the sign would mar the bucolic landscape. "Whether or not the proposed All Star sign might help their business, it would unquestionably harm the neighborhood," he said. "It would also work directly counter to the provisions in our zoning laws designed to 'perpetuate the open character and rural appearance of the Town' and to 'preserve [its] historic character and architectural heritage.' That character, appearance & heritage are what make Riverhead special;  they also hold the key to our long-term economic well-being. These are things Save Main Road is committed to protect."

Rimland and other All Star owners could not be reached for comment.

What do you think about a new, 96 square foot sign outside the bowling alley on Main Road? Share your thoughts with Patch.

 


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