Some residents are calling for “an immediate moratorium on subdivisions and flag lots” in the Village of Greenport.
Bob Kehl of Fifth Avenue submitted a petition with 38 signatures to the village board last night and said he is continuing to collect more signatures seeking the moratorium.
Kehl and Jo Anne McEntee, also a Fifth Avenue resident, say the petitions are aimed at preventing the planning board from creating nonconforming, undersized lots in the village. They point to two pending subdivision plans advanced by James Olinkiewicz of Shelter Island Heights, which would divide existing improved lots into two. The new lots would not meet current code requirements for minimum lot area or setbacks. One of the subdivision plans is a flag lot that lies behind Kehl’s and McEntee’s Fifth Avenue homes.
“The code says there should be a gradual elimination of nonconforming uses but the village is allowing subdivisions to create new nonconforming size lots,” McEntee told the board last night.
The village is looking to develop more rental housing for working families.
“The problem is, this village has been taken over by Air BNB and summer rentals. That’s why there’s no Section 8 rentals for working people,” resident Bill Swiskey said.
Village taking ‘corrective action’ with building department
Mayor George Hubbard Jr. opened last night’s meeting with a statement about the village building department.
“We’re taking corrective action to straighten out issues that have arisen,” Hubbard announced. He gave as an example a new protocol put in place requiring a “red tag” on files that have had documents removed for review by a board or another department.
“I have asked Deputy Mayor Jack Martilotta to be our liaison to the building department,” Hubbard said. “People can send complaints to him anonymously via email,” he said.
“I have spoken to village administrator Paul Pallas to make sure we’re sticking to state code,” the mayor said, “in light of some things have been done in the past…so none of these issues ever arise again.”
Residents have complained of alleged irregularities in the department and demanded the board replace director of development Eileen Wingate. In September the mayor suggested the village hire a senior building inspector in order to step up code enforcement. That proposal was roundly criticized by residents at the board’s Sept. 24 meeting, but the board voted 4-1 (Trustee Doug Roberts dissenting) to advertise for the new position, which has not so far been filled.
In other action last night, the village board :
authorized a letter of support for the Long Island Oyster Growers Association’s application for an education and outreach grant, including the possible exploration of a shellfish storage facility in the village;
authorized the release of payment in the amount of $547,300 for a Pierce Enforcer customized pumper truck for the Greenport Fire Department;
approved the establishment of a permanent taxi stand in the Adams Street parking lot near the gazebo;
authorized the mayor to sign a representation letter to Sax/BST regarding the Sax/BST audit the village’s financial statements for fiscal year 2014-2015;
authorized the village tree committee to solicit bids for tree and stump removal and pruning;
authorized the village attorney to research potential revenue or reimbursement sources regarding the area of the Third Street ferry terminal;
authorized trustees Martilotta, Phillips and Roberts to research the process of applying for and obtaining Community Development Block Grants;
Solicitation of bids/RFPS
The village board last night authorized the solicitation of bids for generators at the sewer pump station and for the rehabilitation of Building 10 on Moore’s Lane;
rejected all responses received to the Oct. 15 RFP for carousel rounding boards and directed the clerk to re-notice a new RFP for same;
Budget transfers
The board authorized the following budget transfers:
$3,300 from appropriated fund balance to fund temporary part-time staffing in the clerk’s, treasurers’ and building department offices;
$19,000 from appropriated fund balance to purchase an auxiliary pump for the central pump station;
$547,000 from fire apparatus reserves to fund the purchase of a new pumper truck;
Public assembly permits
The board approved a public assembly permit for the U.S. Power Squadron’s use of a portion of Mitchell Park on July 28, 2016 and for the use of Fifth Street Park for the Greenport High School all-class reunion on July 16, 2016;
Appointments:
Jeanmarie Oddon as deputy records access officer for a term to expire April 4, 2016;
Village ice rink and carousel employees: Edina Wiacek, Mark Sotiridy, Leonora Chandler, Emelia Jacobi, Sarah Kravitz, Sarah Doherty, Remi Doroskoski, Madelyn, Shannon, Jennifer Milauskes, Grace Izzo, Sean Sepenoski, Sean Cary, Sarah Shannon, Cora Small, Paige Confort Brian Hallock and Fiona Faherty.
