Efforts to stimulate the construction of affordable rental housing in Southold Town have been delayed, pending revision of the proposed code amendment and another public hearing.
The code amendment before the board, which went to public hearing last month, required clarification because it contained apparently contradictory provisions regarding a statutory cap on the number of units the town board could allow on any one site. In one place, it set the maximum at 24 units, while another provision allowed the town board to set a 36-unit maximum.
The board is removing the reference to 36 units.
“It was our intent to promote affordable housing that would be consistent with the scale of the community,” Supervisor Scott Russell said, so the 24-unit cap would be more appropriate.
Since the change may be considered a “substantial revision” the board opted Tuesday to hold another public hearing.
The hearing is scheduled for July 12 at 4:32 p.m.
Complaints about vineyard, CR 48 intersection aired
During Tuesday night’s meeting, Cutchogue resident Bill Shipman complained to the Town Board again about enforcement actions regarding Vineyard 48’s operations and the intersection of County Road 48 and Depot Lane.
Shipman said there were two EMS calls for alcohol overdoses at Vineyard 48 within the past month, on May 22 and June 5 and 20 such calls in “the last three or four years.” The other “30-odd vineyards on the North Fork don’t experience those calls,” Shipman said, demanding to know what the town does about it.
“Every infraction gets forwarded to the State Liquor Authority,” Supervisor Scott Russell responded.
Shipman renewed his plea for stepped-up enforcement at the intersection of County Road 48 and Depot Lane, the scene of a fatal limousine accident last summer that claimed the lives of four young women. The limo was broadsided when it attempted to make a U-turn into the westbound lanes of the four-lane divided highway.
Stretch limos and party buses often cannot negotiate the U-turn, which is legal, without making a three-point turn — stopping to back up before proceeding westbound, blocking the westbound lanes. The limousine driver in last summer’s crash made such a maneuver and is facing criminally negligent homicide and assault charges in Suffolk County Criminal Court, following his indictment by a grand jury in March.
“It’s still going on,” Shipman said. ABC News Channel 7 out of NYC filmed eight limos and party buses making the risky turn at the intersection two weekends ago, he said.
Shipman said he has been complaining to the Town Board and the chief of police since 2012.
“I told you something was going to happen and it happened,” he said Tuesday night. “I’m telling you again if something is not addressed, something is going to happen again.”
After the deadly accident, the county installed a traffic light at the intersection, but the signal is not a phased signal with turning arrows. The county also declined to prohibit U-turns at the intersection. Russell told Shipman Tuesday that only the county can take those measures.
Shipman pressed for more police patrols to ticket limo drivers caught making turns that are dangerous. Even if a turn is legal it can still be dangerous and police can still ticket a driver for making a dangerous turn, he said.
The supervisor said town police do patrol the intersection and do enforce the law. He said they can’t be there all the time because Southold is a large town with many intersections that demand attention.
“We’ve explained it to you a hundred times,” Russell told Shipman. “It was being addressed just not to your satisfaction. We don’t have the manpower to do that at every intersection. We have dangerous intersections all over town.”
New Suffolk to host Fourth of July
The Town Board Tuesday approved a permit for a Fourth of July parade in New Suffolk, on July 4, 2016 at 11 a.m. beginning on New Suffolk Road at Tuthill’s Lane and ending at the town beach.
Holiday fireworks displays approved
The following fireworks displays were approved by the Town Board Tuesday:
- July 2 Greenport F.D. (rain date July 3) at Greenport HS athletic field
- July 2 Orient Yacht Club (rain date July 3) on a barge off Orient Yacht Club
- July 4 Greenport F.D. (no rain date) at Greenport HS athletic field
- July 4 Mattituck Environmental (rain date July 5) 9205 Skunk Lane, Cutchogue.
Love Lane’s First Friday events set
Love Lane in Mattituck will be closed from Route 25 to Pike Street on July 1, Aug. 5 and Sept. 5 for the monthly “First Friday” event sponsored by Love Lane Merchants, from 5 to 9:30 p.m.
Help wanted: Pumpout boat operators
Southold is looking to hire pumpout boat operators to work under supervision of the Town Trustees on a seasonal, part-time basis from June 29 through October 30 at $16 per hour.
In other action Tuesday night, the Town Board:
- Appointed attorney James Harmon Jr. to the town’s Helicopter Noise Steering Committee. Harmon will serve as counsel to the committee at no compensation.
- Approved the annual Greek Festival held by the Transfiguration of Christ Greek Orthodox Church to hold its Annual Greek Festival on July 9 and July 23 from 4 to 11 p.m.
- Authorized an outdoor family movie night Aug. 20 at Tasker Park on Peconic Lane, where “Despicable Me” will be shown.
- Approved the 26th Annual Antique Car Show by Boy Scout Troop 6 on Saturday, Sept. 3 at the Peconic Lane Community Center.
- Acknowledged the upcoming retirement of Southold Town Recreation Supervisor Ken Reeves effective July 12.
- Set a public hearing July 12 at 4:34 p.m. on the zone change application of ADF Ventures for a portion of property at Corwin Street in Greenport, from Light Industrial to R-40.
