Proposed legislation that would standardize setbacks from bluffs, banks and bulkheads had a public hearing last night before the Southold Town Board.
Changes to the Wetlands and Shoreline chapter of the town code would increase the minimum setback from 50 to 100 feet from a bluff for pools and related structures. The chapter would also be amended to clarify that a bulkhead is a wetland boundary for setback purposes under that chapter of the code.
The zoning chapter of the town code would be amended to require a 100-foot setback for all buildings and structures located within 100 feet of a bluff or bank. Current code imposes the 100-foot setback only on lots adjacent to L.I. Sound, Fishers Island Sound and Block Island Sound. Additionally a zoning code provision relating to setbacks from a bulkhead would be struck to eliminate duplication in administrative review.
The proposed amendments have been found consistent with the town’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program policies, said Councilman Bob Ghosio, who read into the hearing record correspondence from various parites.
The Group for the East End registered its “strong support” for the proposed amendments. In a letter from senior environmental advocate Jen Hartnagel, the organization praised the implementation of a uniform standard for wetland setbacks while adding more protective setback standards for certain structures in sensitive ecological areas.
“Hurricane Sandy illustrated the start need to protect our shoreline,” Hartnagel wrote. “Enhanced setbacks are a consistent recommendation in all major coastal planning strategies,” she noted, citing as reasons the rising sea level and the potential future increase of storm frequency and severity.
Richard Strauss, of Woodstock, Connecticut questioned the need to include the lots on the west harbor and inner bays of Fishers Island. He also expressed concern about the failure to provide a definition of a “bank,” for which the code does not specify a minimum height.
Leslie Weisman, chairperson of the Zoning Board of Appeals, spoke at the hearing to say the ZBA members unanimously supported the proposed changes.
“We believe it is in the best interest of property owners,” Weisman said, referring to the elimination of duplicate review processes.
Planning Board chairman Donald Wilcenski wrote to say that board also supports the adoption.
The town is still waiting on approval from the county planning commission and so cannot act on the proposed changes until the commission’s decision is rendered. The matter was tabled until then.
In other action last night, the town board:
- approved a resolution increasing the bond amount for improvements to the highway department’s facilities (see separate story);
- accepted the bid of Diam-n-Blue Mechanical Corp. in the amount of $444,500 for heating, ventilation and air conditioning
work in connection with the construction of a new Southold Town Highway maintenance building. - authorized the purchase of a new phone system for the highway department for $7,000, and approved the purchase of a used 1994 Ford L-9000 dump truck from Fine Care Landscape Inc., at the agreed price of
$9,950. - approved highway department budget transfers totaling $46,707 to cover over-expended budget lines for items such as asphalt patch and resurfacing projects, payroll and overtime, parts and supplies and heavy duty vehicles (the purchase of the used dump truck);
- accepted the bid of Dvirka and Bartilucci to conduct semi-annual groundwater and
quarterly gas monitoring through calendar year 2019 at a total combined cost not to exceed $75,000 over that time; - authorized the town engineering department to re-issue a request for proposals for an energy performance contract for town facilities;
- approved a host of end-of-year budget transfers for various town departments;
- appointed an intern in the town attorney’s office, Ashley Finger, to serve Jan. 4-22, without compensation.
