Residents incensed over the idea of a proposed shrimp farm in their community turned out en masse at Tuesday’s Southold Town board meeting to blast the idea.
In November, Tess and Todd Gordon of Laurel came before the town board at a work session and said they hoped to launch a new, indoor, business, Celestial Shrimp Farm, in Peconic — and if approved, it would be the first indoor shrimp farm in New York State.
The couple came before the board to outline the specifics of their plan, which would need the board to consider expanding the allowable uses within the existing residential zone to add fish farms.
Currently, fish farming is only allowed on the town’s marine-zoned parcels; the Gordons’ hopewas that the business could be sited on nine acres of property currently zoned residential on Route 48, just west of Mill Road in Peconic.
Residents of Henry’s Lane, however, galvanized and headed to Town Hall to express their displeasure with the idea of a commercial enterprise in their residential community. Their collective fears had been fanned by a recent code committee meeting where a draft was presented that would have allowed for shrimp farming.
George Viola, who has lived on Henry’s Lane year-round since 1982, said the couple didn’t even own the property yet; he said he questioned why the board was even considering making changes to allow for a business at the site when the property hadn’t even yet been purchased.
He added that other areas in town should be considered. “Homeowners have a right to quality of life protection,” Viola said. “There are other places where it’s more advantageous and the location does not impact adversely the surrounding homeowners.”
Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell echoed what he’d said at the December town board meeting, when the John and Margaret Skabry, a couple unhappy with the possible plans, voiced their concerns.
The supervisor said he wanted to “clarify” that there was “no specific proposal for that specific property”, and no application has yet been submitted. Russell said the Gordons had appeared before the town board at a work session with a “business model they wanted to adopt” and “need a location.” He added that during the work session, “A town board member asked if any specific locations” were under consideration. “It was an inappropriate question,” Russell said. “We need to find zoning that’s best appropriate” for the proposed project, he added.
New York State, Russell said, protects agricultural practices. “We have to do something. You can’t zone them away. We need to find a place somehow.”
The supervisor assured that he, “personally, does not envision a scenario where fish farmers will be allowed in residential zones.”
One by one, residents stood at the podium and pleaded with the board to put the brakes on the idea.
“We need strong leadership to protect the North Fork,” said Nancy Sawastynowicz of Cutchogue. After reviewing proposed changes to “a local law in relation to amendments to Chapter 219, shellfish and other marine resources, as well as Chapter 280, zoning, in connection with aquaculture uses, Sawastynowicz said she was “strongly against the use regulations, including that the “aquaculture operations shall be on a parcel that is at least five acres”, and that structures used for aquaculture operations shall be set back at least 100 feet from any property line.”
She added that her question centered on why the town would consider a code amendment to “a residential, two acre lot size in a highly developed residential zone.”
Sawastynowicz said the operation could bring flies, rodents, and trucks “in and out. Before this board should even consider changing our zoning code, I say visit the fish farm on the South Fork in the heat of the summer to get a good whiff.”
She added that she had concerns about “genetically modified organisms,” or GMOS, and also said the 9.5 acre parcel in question has a native freshwater pond. “It is a natural recharge area for water. Please take this into your consideration.”
In addition, Sawastynowicz said, in the New York Right to Farm law, it states that agricultural practices “shall not constitute a private nuisance. I’m sure that everyone on Henry’s Lane . . .is really annoyed now, just hearing what you, this town board, wants to do to their neighborhood. This is not the way our town board should represent this town.”
Russell repeated that a place needed to be found for the operation, and said the town would look at industrial-zoned parcels, adding that the current marine zones are “too restrictive.”
He added that the possibility existed of expanding the number of feet that such structures could exist from a property line.
Other residents implored the board to remember that water quality is critical in Southold Town.
“Be assured that all of us here are doing our homework,” Councilwoman Jill Doherty said, adding that any draft code revisions would go before a public hearing.
Russell added that residents are always welcome to attend code committee meetings and add their input.
Other residents said while aquaculture should be promoted, the location near Henry’s Lane wasn’t the right location. Some thanked the board for taking the time to listen and for hearing residents’ concerns.
“I love beer and I love shrimp,” said Gary Stroud of Peconic. He said, however, that if a brewery were suggested for Henry’s Lane, he’d have the same concerns, while the new location for a brewery at the old Ford dealership was a “good” fit, as the parcel is zoned for business. To place a commercial operation in such an “environmentally sensitive” area, he said, “is unconscionable. It’s a horrible idea.”
Mary E. Curry II of Cutchogue said she took offense when Russell said Doherty’s question about what specific locations were being considered was “inappropriate.” She added, “I would want anyone on the board to ask every question.” She added that the changes she’s seen to Southold Town over the past nine years are “heartbreaking” and said while when she moved to the area, she was not an environmentalist, she’d gained a deep respect for the nature that exists in town and wants to see it protected and preserved.
Russell said the reason why one parcel couldn’t be singled out for discussion was because that was “tantamount to spot zoning” and said the larger issue was where the business could be sited under current zoning.
Peter Terranova of Peconic said at the same time the town was looking to preserve its resources, it’s still important to bring business into the community.
Benja Schwartz of Cutchogue said the process should be for a committee to work on the master plan.
Councilman Jim Dinizio agreed and said process was critical. As for discussions involving the fish farm, Dinizio said, “That process, in my opinion, was circumvented.” Dinizo said when Planning Director Heather Lanza brought the Gordons to the town board at a work session, what was “inappropriate” was “the appearance” that the planning department might be “favoring” the applicants. “We have process and procedures. You can’t circumvent that,” he said. Proper procedures involves and applicant going to the building department and later applying for a use variance if necessary, he said. “I know they’re hard to get, but you know what? They should be hard to get. The process was circumvented in this case and it happens quite a lot. People are so upset because they’re aggravated, they don’t know what the information is.”
Russell disagreed and said he believed it was important to bring as many people as possible into the discussion as early as possible.
“I can assure you we aren’t going to rush pell mell into anything,” Russell said.
Michael Harvey, who lives on Henry’s Lane, said both he and his wife were born and raised on the North Fork and said, at 38, and raising two kids, he did not have as much time to come to town board meetings. He said when he was young growing up in Greenport, an oyster factory that closed at the end of 5th street just “sat there for years, vacant”; he warned that a potential business that failed could leave behind similar abandoned structures.
Others begged the board not to allow the rampant commercial development seen in Riverhead to take hold in Southold.
