Letters

We all know how beautiful it is on the East End. And we all know that change is inevitable.

I have become a frequent buyer of everything under the sun on Amazon. The pandemic spurred me into high gear. You can get “stuff” fast without venturing out into a public store.

However, everything has consequences.

My wife and I moved from Westhampton Beach to Vero Beach, Florida, about a year and a half ago. We made a bad mistake — and now we are trying to move back.

We found a beautiful condo in a 55-plus community in the Town of Riverhead. We were sorely disappointed when we got outbid. However, we subsequently found out that the old Grumman air strips in Calverton could become a jetport, resulting in big cargo jets flying at low altitudes over residential housing in Calverton and Riverhead [“Proposed Calverton Air Cargo Facility May Impact South Fork,” 27east.com, May 24]. Also, a huge Amazon distribution center may be built there, which would result in very heavy truck traffic on country roads.

The noise and air pollution would be staggering, especially in the 10-mile radius of the Grumman air strips. But the negative fallout could extend to Westhampton Beach. There is already a large Amazon facility at Gabreski Airport.

If this monstrous project in Calverton comes to fruition, it will cause real estate values in the surrounding areas to plummet, and it will forever change the greater Riverhead area and beyond.

A company called Triple Five is at the center of this controversy. They have a very checkered history. You have to wonder why the elected officials in Riverhead would do business with a company with so many issues hanging over its head.

It is interesting to note that the listing real estate agent for the condo we tried to purchase did not disclose anything at all about the possibility of the jetport and the huge distribution center right next door. Had I been successful in buying the condo, I’m not sure what I would have done after learning about this black cloud looming over Calverton. While there is an old saying, “buyer beware,” it is also true that full disclosure is required in real estate transactions.

I might add that I am rethinking my purchases on Amazon. Apart from helping local merchants, Amazon has become a huge company, and it is causing unintended consequences like the situation in the Town of Riverhead.

One final note: A new slate of candidates will be on the ballot in the November elections in Riverhead, and they vow to try to make the contract with Triple Five null and void and quash this project.

I urge you to read your local newspapers and stay abreast of this vital situation.

Dick Sheehan

Vero Beach, Florida