Placard-waving Wading River residents turned out in force at last week’s Riverhead Town Board meeting to again demand that the town declare a moratorium prohibiting the approval of new projects on Route 25A until after an ongoing study of the zoning in that corridor is complete.

“Approving projects before the study is compete defeats the entire purpose of the study,” said Dominique Mendez, president of the Riverhead Neighborhood Preservation Coalition. “If you don’t wait for the recommendations of the impending study and give yourselves time to revise zoning based on the recommendations, then this study will not be able to do the job we’re all paying for.”

The town agreed to pay up to $44,000 to have the corridor studied earlier this year. There are four commercial applications varying in size, currently proposed in the area.

But Supervisor Sean Walter said the situation isn’t that dire. He said one project, Joseph Vento’s proposed 42,000-square-foot commercial development on the south side of Route 25, between McDonald’s and the funeral home, was submitted but the applicant never paid the application fees.

Another, John Zoumas’ proposed 52,000-square-foot commercial project on Route 25A, east of the CVS pharmacy, is located in the Pine Barrens Commission’s jurisdiction and likely won’t ended up looking anything like what is proposed, Mr. Walter said. That land also is being considered for acquisition by the county for open space, he said.

That leaves Kenney Barra’s proposed 37,418 square foot project on the corner of Route 25A and Sound Avenue, and Great Rock’s proposed clubhouse expansion, Mr. Walter said. The Great Rock proposal also may not be permitted depending on what the town determines upon reviewing prior covenants on the land, he said.

“That’s a lot of ifs,” Ms. Mendez said.