With the clock ticking to today’s election, candidates turned out Sunday at a debate that was marked by civility and a focus on the issues facing Southold.
The event was hosted by the Hellenic American Taxpayers and Civic Association of Southold Town, held at the Transfiguration of Christ Greek Orthodox Church in Mattituck.
“This is democracy in action,” said Andreas Markakas, as he greeted the crowd who poured into the meeting room after church services to hear the candidates speak.
The event was kicked off by candidates once again giving a brief rundown of their bios. To see complete coverage of all previous debates, forums and in-person candidate video interviews with each candidate on SoutholdLOCAL, click here.
Questions from those in attendance focused primarily on traffic issues, with residents voicing concerns that it’s impossible, especially during pumpkin season, for Southold residents to travel west, or to make a left turn.
Route 48, one resident said, “is an accident waiting to happen,” especially with a flood of cars stopping at one local farmstand. Some residents asked if it would be possible to create a turning lane somewhere between Riverhead and Southold so emergency vehicles would have safer and faster access.
Damon Rallis, running for the town supervisor’s seat on the Dem ticket against incumbent Scott Russell, said he didn’t think it’s fair that any one business or farmstand should be mentioned but he did say when the traffic issues became problematic at the location in question, he was in code enforcement and worked for months to spotlight and solve issues at the location, something that has taken a long time.
He said it was important to look at the big picture, at all the businesses townwide that have sparked an increase in traffic. “When we sit down and look at a site plan for a farmstand or a winery, we have to think about things like parking.”
Rallis said the goal was to offer an alternative to a one-party board and said the town is currently lacking in “checks and balances”.
Russell, addressing the transportation question, said the town is already part of a consortium, made up of the five East End Towns, the East End Transportation Council, that focused on the Volpe study a few years back, a “think tank” that identified a hybrid rail and bus shuttle system.
“One problem,” still exists, Russell said, which is that the upstart cost, as well as annual operation costs of $40 million per year, mean that fares alone can’t carry the burden. “You need the MTAs cooperation. It’s a bully organization,” he said, adding that the MTA “will not cooperate.” Not only does the MTA get ridership fees, but a portion of residents’ mortgage and cell phone taxes, he said. “They have a finger in every pie,” he said. Only if New York State steps in to help Southold Town, he said, is there a chance that the MTA might “cede assets so we can get a transportation system to rival others around the country.”
Speaking about traffic at specific farmstands, Russell said the issue is a traffic issue. Sound Avenue, he said, is “a small, two lane country road not meant to bear the traffic we’re seeing.” He said the town has been working with the farmstand to come up with a parking solution to get people across Sound Avenue safely.” One problem that arises with parking on an agricultural operation, Russell said, is that the focus is on keeping as much land as possible for agriculture. He added that huge strides have been concerning a farm in East Marion.
Another resident asked about having traffic control officer at sites that have the most concerns. Russell said the town doesn’t have the resources to site an officer at any one specific business. “That’s their obligation,” he said; the resident agreed individual businesses could pay.
In the end, Russell said Route 48 is a county road and Route 25, a state road, so the cooperation of both agencies is critical. He added that the New York State Department of Transportation has made improvements over the past 20 years to Route 25, including turning lanes and lights. “It’s an ongoing process,” he said.
Father Constantine Makrinos of the Greek Church said he’s noticed it takes “ten minutes to make a left” on Route 25 and Depot Lane. Russell said the problem is the state is “reluctant” to put lights up, and it takes some time.
Benja Schwartz of Cutchogue said local limo licenses might be an answer.
Debbie O’Kane, running for town board on the Dem ticket, who has campaigned on the issue of possibly creating a public/private partnership for transportation, much like one in Maine, said “out of the box” thinking is necessary to solve the problems. She said the issue is especially important at a time when Suffolk County could potentially cut funding for bus service to the area.
Another resident said he’d like to see underground power lines, beginning in Riverhead and heading east; he said the town should require, in new construction, that all auxiliary lines be buried underground, with an eye toward maintaining quality of life.
Councilwoman Jill Doherty, running for re-election, said all new subdivisions that come before the planning board are required to feature underground electric.
Another resident said, over the past 15 years, the North Fork has been “bombarded” with limos coming from Manhattan and other locations, to visit wineries. Recently, it took 90 minutes to get from Riverhead to Mattituck, he said. He suggested a plan to widen roads.
Russell said the town has worked for years with groups to market the North Fork. “Unfortunately, success has consequences,” he said. “People have heard about us.”
The town has taken steps to “reel in” certain operations that have gone beyond the limits of their site plans, he said. In addition, Russell said, the town banned special events on town roads from June 1 to November 1. “The last thing we need is another 800 to 1,000 bikes on our roads during the height of the season,” he said. The town has also loudly opposed an influx of freight truck traffic on town roads from Connecticut, he said.
Father Makrinos also asked about flooding; Russell said the town has proposed $250,000 in the 2016 budget for flooding and stormwater mitigation; he said a priority map is being developed as investments are planned.
