While Rechler Equity Partners tries to renegotiate the sale price of some 300 acres of land in Calverton to build a high-tech industrial park, local developer Ray Dickhoff has submitted site plans for a work force housing and retail complex on Peconic Avenue, also downtown, which he expects to start constructing sometime this summer.

While the Vintage Group requests further extensions from the town for its grand retail and residential plans near the court complex, to be called Vintage Square, the owners of Atlantis Marine World are securing grant money for their hotel and convention hall project.

See a pattern here?

While the big, out-of-town investment firms and regional developers are spinning their wheels on how to ensure a long-term return on their proposed plans -- and how to fund them -- local businesspeople with successful track records in Riverhead are taking action.

Sure, the locals care about making money as much as the out-of-towners do, but there is one important difference in Pickersgill, Dickhoff and Atlantis aquarium owners James Bissett and Joe Petrocelli.

They care about Riverhead.

Their children and grandchildren may live in Riverhead, or perhaps take over the family business one day. They deeply want to see the entire downtown succeed, draw in money, create jobs, increase the tax base and boost property values, not to mention be a source of pride.

The local businesspeople have faces the public can see, and examine if they wish. They don't speak in carefully planned press statements or hide behind lawyers or entanglements of corporate partnerships. They have a vested interest, while the others are simply vested.

We need the Town Board to recognize the value of these local developers, and, as these creative businesspeople move forward, the town's elected leaders would be best served to keep the others, especially the do-nothing Apollo group, out of their way.

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