Neighbors pushback against Riverhead multiplex proposal

Developers hoping to build a multiplex movie theater on the East End are receiving a push back from concerned neighbors.
Property owner Riverhead PGC, a subsidiary of Phillips International in Manhattan, is seeking a variance from the Town of Riverhead to construct a 60-foot building off Route 58 in Riverhead. Developers say that the building is currently 30 to 35 feet high.
It wants to construct a 10-screen, 1,490-seat movie theater, along with two restaurants in the former Wal-Mart Shopping Center.
Neighbors have told News 12 that they are concerned about litter, traffic and the proposed height of the building. They say the proposed theater's proximity to homes in the surrounding area could depreciate their value.
But laundromat owner David Mastillone points out that Riverhead currently doesn't have a single movie theater, and that the nearest is nine miles away.
"I think it's a good thing," he says. "I think it will bring business to the center."
Pizzeria owner Bryan Aguilar also says the theater would bring him more customers in what is now a partially empty shopping center.
In a statement, Charles Cuddy, the attorney for the proposed multiplex says, "We are aware of the concerns of neighbors of the proposed cinema, and we will take into account all of the concerns of neighbors."
A public hearing on the theater proposal is scheduled for May 11.