HomeMy WebLinkAboutTR-01/21/2004 OFF®(�
Albert J. Krupski,President ��� C� Town Hall
James King,Vice-President h'Z` G�fi� 53095 Route 25
Artie Foster CM P.O.Box 1179
W Southold,New York 11971-0959
Ken Poliwoda
Peggy A.Dickerson �ifi� Telephone(631) 765-1892
j Fax(631) 765-1366
BOARD OF TOWN TRUSTEES
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
MINUTES
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
7:00 PM
Present were: Albert J. Krupski, Jr., President
James King, Vice-President
Artie Foster, Trustee
Kenneth Poliwoda, Trustee
Peggy Dickerson, Trustee
E. Brownell Johnston, Esq., Assistant Town Attorney for Trustees
Lauren Standish, Secretarial Assistant
CALL MEETING TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
NEXT FIELD INSPECTION: Friday, February 20, 2004 at 8:00 a.m.
TRUSTEE KING moved to approve, TRUSTE DICKERSON seconded. ALL AYES
NEXT TRUSTEE MEETING: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 at 7:00 p.m.
WORK SESSION: 6:00 p.m.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON moved to Approve, TRUSTEE KING seconded. ALL AYES
APPROVE MINUTES: Approve minutes of December 17, 2003.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON moved to Approve, TRUSTEE KING seconded. ALL AYES
I. MONTHLY REPORT: The Trustees monthly report for
December 2003. A check for $10,004.66 was forwarded to the
Supervisor's Office for the General Fund.
II. PUBLIC NOTICES: Public Notices are posted on the Town
Clerk's Bulletin Board for review.
III. APPLICATIONS FOR AMENDMENTS/WAIVERS/ CHANGES:
Board of Trustees 2 January 21, 2004
1: GARDINERS BAY ESTATES HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.
requests an amendment to permit#5003 to use dredged sand to
fill 33 X 40 area with spoil and use dredged sand for beach
nourishment on adjacent property. Located: Gardiners Bay
Estates channel/boat basin. East Marion. SCTM # 37-4-7.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Do I have a motion on this?
TRUSTEE KING: I'll make a motion.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Do I have a second?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I'll second. ALL AYES
2. Docko, Inc. on behalf of ROLLA CAMPBELL requests an amendment to Permit
#5201 to add 24 (+/-) If. of 4' wide fixed wood pile and timber
pier extension and a 30 (+/-) If. X 4' wide wood fixed "L",
a boat-lift including associated braced support piling and
relocate three braced tie-off pilings all waterward of the
apparent high water line. Located: Private Road, Fishers
Island. SCTM #4-4-16. MORATORIUM
3. Richard Larsen on behalf of JOHN JOY requests an
amendment to permit#5762 to change width of a 33 foot dock
from 3' feet to 4' feet. Located: 1330 Deep Hole Drive,
Mattituck. SCTM #115-12-18.
TRUSTEE KING: Did you look at this too, Ken?
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: No.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: We approved a 3' X 33' and they built a 4'
X 33'.
TRUSTEE KING: We discussed this, two sets of
handrails.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: You want to put it off and have all of
them prepare them?
TRUSTEE KING: Yes.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: All right, go ahead.
TRUSTEE KING: I want to make a motion to table this
because of the inconsistencies with the permit that we
issued compared to what's been built.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Second.
TRUSTEE KING: All in favor? ALL AYES.
4. Proper-T Permit Services on behalf of FAYE REYNOLDS
requests an amendment to Permit#5338 to add to and include
in the project the inkind/inplace replacement of an
additional 142 (+/-) linear foot of existing bulkhead
located: 855 Old Salt Road, Mattituck. SCTM
#144-5-16.
TRUSTEE KING: They're about halfway through the project
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Board of Trustees 3 January 21, 2004
now. Looked at it, I don't have any problem with it. And
the only thing I would recommend is a ten foot non-trip and
CAC recommended not touse treated wood, but they're doing
it in plastic. I would assume they're going to continue
doing it in plastic. I can't
imagine them changing, so I'll make a motion to approve.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA:: Second.
TRUSTEE KING: With the stipulation there's a 10'
non-turf buffer.
TRUSTEE KING: All in favor? ALL AYES.
5. JASON LUHRS requests a One-Year Extension to Permit
#5488 to install a stone driveway to the garage. Located:
1132 Chestnut Road, Southold. SCTM #59-3-16.5.
TRUSTEE DICKRESON: We did it in the office. Do we go ahead
and make a motion?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Go ahead.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: I'll make a motion to approve the
One-Year Extension. Do I have a second?
TRUSTEE KING: Second.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: All in favor? ALL AYES.
6. JOAN MCDONALD requests the last One-Year Extension to Permit
#5287 to construct a single-family dwelling with deck/porch,
septic system, public water supply and a pervious
driveway. Located: 705 Bayshore Road, Greenport. SCTM
#53-3-9.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: I believe we all looked at this in
the field. After looking through the permit I believe the
one that excludes the cutting of phragmites and allow the 50'
non-disturbance buffer to remain intact without a
planting plan. With those stipulations I'll make a
motion to approve the one-year extension.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Second.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Is there anyone here on behalf of Joan
McDonald? Okay, go ahead.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Did that plan originally show any stone wall
retention?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I believe it did. I think we checked, but it
had sort of an ambiguous wording on the buffer area that we
wanted to clear up. If you could, in fact, put in the
minutes there were no (inaudible)
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Yeah, what she requested didn't exist.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Last year we gave the first one-year
extension. For single-family residence, deck/porch with
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Board of Trustees 4 January 21, 2004
septic system, public water pervious driveway, setback 100
feet from the wetlands selective clearing to within 50 feet
of the wetlands, hay bails would be placed down at the 50
foot buffer line. During construction there is to be no
mechanical clearing within the buffer zone, only hand
trimming. Four foot wide mulch path, all roof runoff to be
contained by dry wells. Then there's another sentence: Any
cutting of the phragmites without planning to restore the
buffer with non-fertilizer dependent vegetation will require
review from this office.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I think what Ken said
is consistent with that. She can certainly apply for
anything --
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Right (inaudible).
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No. It will eliminate the phragmites cutting
because there are no phragmites there.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Peg seconded it.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: All in favor? ALL AYES.
7. Jennifer B. Gould, Esq., on behalf of ALLEN KRAUS
requests a One-Year Extension to Permit#5501, to construct
a single-family dwelling. Located: 110 Second Avenue,
Peconic. SCTM # 7-4-20.3 and 20.4.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Artie, you want to take the second one?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I'm familiar with this anyway. They had some basically
setbacks with well, so they needed -- time's running
out. So I see no problem with this. I'll make a motion to
grant the application.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Second.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: All in favor? ALL AYES.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Approved.
8. Amato & Associates, P.C. on behalf of JOSE SUQUET
requests a Transfer of Permit#5518 from North Bay
Properties to Jose Suquet and a One-Year Extension to Permit
5518 to stabilize/restore eroded bluff face and install
timber access walk and timber platforms for access to the
beach. Located: 8869 Oregon Road, Cutchogue. SCTM #
83-1-33.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I actually spoke to the attorney
representing Mr. Suquet, and he said that it had all sorts
of problems. They didn't begin any work on the project and
just want to transfer the permit and then get on with the
work. So they never, there are no changes and nothing was ever
done. And the next one is the next door neighbor and
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Board of Trustees 5 January 21, 2004
they're -- because of the problem, they're doing the work
for the neighbors.
TRUSTEE KING: So they're going to do the work for both
properties?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Yes.
TRUSTEE KING: So do the next one, then do them both?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Right.
9. JOSEPH CASARONA requests a One-Year Extension to permit
5517, to stabilize/restore the eroded bluff face and install
timber access walk and timber platforms for access to the
beach. Located: 55 Glen Court, Cutchogue. SCTM #83-1-1 &
36.1.
TRUSTEE KING: So I guess they're going to do these
together. I'll make a motion to approve the extension.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Second.
TRUSTEE KING: All in favor? ALL AYES.
TRUSTEE FOSTER moved to go off the Regular Meeting and onto the Public Hearings,
TRUSTEE KING seconded. ALL AYES
At the beginning, we have 12 public hearings,
tonight two at the end, if anyone came in late, have been
postponed by the agents, #13, John Betsch and #14 Peconic
Design and Construction.
Just for information, the Town Board has accepted
the draft of the rewrite of Chapter 97 Wetland Code for the
Town, and there will be a Public Hearing on that Wetland
Code draft February 24th, and a copy of the draft is
available on line on the Town's web site, or if you would
like a hard copy, you can come into the Trustees office.
And for you folks who just came in, there are two items on
the agenda that aren't going to be heard tonight, #13, John
Betsch, and #14, Peconic Design and Construction.
IV. PUBLIC HEARINGS:
THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING IN THE MATTER OF THE
FOLLOWING APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS UNDER THE WETLANDS
ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF SOUTHOLD. I HAVE AN AFFIDAVIT OF
PUBLICATION FROM THE TRAVELER WATCHMAN. PERTINENT
CORRESPONDENCE MAY BE READ PRIOR TO ASKING FOR COMMENTS
FROM THE PUBLIC.
5
Board of Trustees 6 January 21, 2004
PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS ORGANIZED AND BRIEF.
FIVE (5) MINUTES OR LESS IF POSSIBLE.
1. MIRIAM MEYERS & GARY MANGUS request a Wetland Permit to
construct a house addition, an accessory garage, and repair
the existing bulkhead. Located: 1295 Island View Lane,
Greenport, SCTM 57-2-16.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Is there anyone here that would like to
speak on this, to this application? For or against, either?
MR. MANGUS: Is there any information you need to go forward?
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Actually, the Board had a discussion
about the existing bulkhead.
MR. MANGUS: Okay.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Would you get up and use the mike,
please, so we have a clear record?
MR. MANGUS: Sure. Thank you.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: I think the Board pretty much decided
that the garage was not even within our jurisdiction but the
bulkhead being what it was, the Board felt that its
existence wasn't necessary and possibly the top boards could
be removed.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: It's a tidal marsh behind the bulkhead, which
lends us to believe the bulkhead's not functional. But
there's a bunch of snow and ice covering, and it was kind of
hard to see behind it, so.
MR. MANGUS: I had to dig out behind it this past year
because during some heavy weather a couple of the boards
were coming off, and I had to dig down in and bolt that to
the pile, bolt that through the piles to attach them. So
most of the way along I dug it out and filled it back
in. But water comes over it in storms and then erodes it
back out. So we had a lot of loss of soil and stuff on that
side. We do have plants and stuff in there in the summer.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's one of the problems with a hard
structure is that you do tend to accelerate the structure
because of it, and looking at it, if you'd like, we could
look at it without the snow cover.
MR. MANGUS: Sure.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Because it's difficult without the ice,
but looking at it, it just seemed obvious to the Board that
if you took that top board off, then that storm water would
be able to erode it because it wouldn't be there. It would
just flow in and out.
MR. MANGUS: I'm actually keeping my boat on the other side
of it and tied it to it, and it would ride up over that in
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Board of Trustees 7 January 21, 2004
the high tide and stuff. The high tide I'm actually
standing ankle deep in water on the inside of the bulkhead
as it comes to it.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: As you can see if you look either to the right
or left you can see the natural shoreline years ago that
property was filled.
MR. MANGUS: I think so, yes.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: So when you stick out like that you kind of
accelerate erosion also and the wave action.
MR. MANGUS: Right.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: So it would be the suggestion of the
Board to take that top plank off.
MR. MANGUS: Okay. I might have an engineer take a look at
that and maybe get some other, you know, I mean, I'm sure
you guys, you know a lot more about it than I do, but
certainly I could take a close look at that and I'm going to
try to maintain that. It's been eroded a lot since we have
been there. We had a breach a couple times and got back and
repaired that. It seemed to be after that that it really
seemed to go out.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Did you get more plans to us with the
septic because we didn't see any?
MR. MANGUS: I did not. I'm not sure, I stopped at the Health Board to see
what the regulations on it. We have to get a variance on
the project, and I wanted to make sure we were able to do it
and go forward with it before I went too much further with
the detailing on it, but I did take a look to see where the
100 foot mark was from the wetland and I scanned the site
plan with a radius from the wetland to see where that was
going to go in. I have it. I can show it to you at some
point. It's going to be very tricky to get the septic work
in given the width of the site and everything. So I'm going
to have to get that engineering worked out.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: We wouldn't approve this without the
septic plan.
MR. MANGUS: The site's 35 foot wide and with the ten foot
setback from the building puts the garage almost 18 feet in
and five foot back from the other side isn't much room. So
I've got to take a look at that. I may have to shift that
garage back and get the septic between the garage and the
house. But I'm going to have to look at that.
TRUSTEE KING: We need to see that on the survey.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Yeah. You have to put that on the
survey. It could or couldn't be in our jurisdiction, it's
very close. Like we said the garage --
7
Board of Trustees 8 January 21, 2004
MR. MANGUS: Your jurisdiction's 100 feet.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: 100 feet.
MR. MANGUS: I have to show you, you said at some
point. It's -- I have to show you -- yeah, the 100 foot line is
just about the center of the garage. I scanned in the survey of the site next to ours
that had the environmental hold on it. This was Jones that
just presented recently. I took the closest point of the
wetlands and did it within 100 feet so you could see where
it's coming in. My plan was originally to put the septic up
here. But I may have a tight fit. I might have to bring
the garage up, keep it at least 35 feet in and do the septic
in here. There turns out to be another tree here. This is
a big tree and I was trying not to take the trees out, but
maybe the only place I can get the septic to work is in
here, in which case it's just going to be at the edge. So
those are the 100 foot markers the nearest point of the
wetlands.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Is there any permit at all for the bulkhead; do
you have anything?
MR. MANGUS: I don't think so. It was there when we got
there, our neighbors couldn't remember when it was put
in. It's been in a long time. There were some remnants of
things, some old 54 that are just in front of it something.
TRUSTEE KING: It might be permitted.
MR. MANGUS: Yeah. The woman that did it is still alive, I'm
not sure, she's in her 90s. I can try and contact Madeline.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: It should be in our files. We'll check on
that.
MR. MANGUS: But this should be fairly accurate. I had this
survey and I brought it up to scale to meet and all these
met.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: And you're aware there is a letter in your file
from your neighbor?
MR. MANGUS: No. Probably Jones or--
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Peggy, could you read the letter?
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: I'm sorry. November 12,
2004 -- January 12, 2004. Received January 15th. Dear
Board Members: We are in receipt of notice to adjacent
property owner for application to perform addition,
extensions and improvements to below-referenced
property. We notice below-referenced property, the noticed
addition is insufficient to thoroughly understand the
impacts of the applicant's proposed work to our
property. We will recommend that the Board of Trustees
require the applicant to submit the following information
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Board of Trustees 9 January 21, 2004
for further evaluation prior to reviewing the referenced
application. (1) proposed two-story garage is located
within three feet of the property line and is proposed
approximately 20 feet in front of Jones' property bedroom
window. Please request that the applicant submit a visual
impact analysis clearly illustrating the impact of the
proposed additions including sunlight, shading, shading
simulations on the Jones' property, porches are proposed to
be put from property line.
The proposed addition to the second story of the
house is located within eight feet of the Jones' property
and to the southeast in the direction of morning sunlight.
Further, addition of the second story and porches appears to
require the removal of existing trees and branches, we
request that the applicant submit a visual impact analysis
clearly illustrating the impacts of the proposed additions
including sunlight, shading and simulations on the Jones'
property. (3) The proposed addition of the existing house
appears to be located in conflict with existing overhead
utility tables. Please request that the applicant submit
the proposed method utility cables (inaudible) perform the
work including (inaudible)to have existing overhead utility
cables will be protected or relocated. The applicant should
also describe if the work will result in a temporary loss of
power or communications to adjacent properties.
(4) The properties in the area are primarily
summer vacation homes. The residents in the area occupy
these properties exclusively in warmer weather from May
until October. Please request the applicants supply
construction schedule and methods to mitigate construction
noise and air quality impacts during May through October use
period.
(5) The applicants materials references and
improvements to existing bulkhead. Please request that the
applicant submit all necessary New York State DEC permits in
clear detail and describe on the proposed site plan the
proposed improvements to the existing bulkhead. We further
request that if, during review of the referenced
applications to be submitted supplemented with the
additional request information, that the Board of Trustees
determines the result of the proposed work adversely impacts
the Jones' property that the applicants commit proposed
remedial alternatives to mitigate those impacts.
We are grateful to the distinguished Board of
Trustees of this Town of Southold to afford us the
9
Board of Trustees 10 January 21, 2004
opportunity to comment on the applicant's proposed work and
look forward to comment on the applicant's proposed work and
look forward to working with the Board of this Town of
Southold to afford us this opportunity to comment on the
applicant's proposed work and look forward to working with
the Board to review the additional application materials
that we await. We can be reached at the following address
and phone number.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. I think -- the CAC comment.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: The CAC recommends approval of the
application with the following stipulations: The ten foot
non-turf buffer is installed landward of the bulkhead, no
pressure treated wood is used in the bulkhead and dry wells
are installed to contain the roof runoff.
MR. MANGUS: Do you want me to address any of her concerns?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Her concerns are not really part of our
review.
MR. MANGUS: Right. But I'll address that prior to that hearing or
for--
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I don't think most of her concerns are
about side yard setbacks and whatnot.
MR. MANGUS: It's already eight foot. I'm going to continue
the eight foot that's already--
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's a different review process. Our
concerns are how the project will impact the creek. We're
more concerned with any activity on the creek side. As the
CAC recommended, we're going to condition dry wells and
gutters for roof runoff. We're happy with the septic system
upgrade and anything that would affect the environment, as I
said before, the garage is not jurisdictional for us
anyway.
MR. MANGUS: Okay. Given the constraints on the septic, I
may have to shift that garage up just to get it in
there. But it would be further from the water than the
existing septic is. I can show you where that is located
now, if you want.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No, we need to see the proposed --
MR. MANGUS: That's fine. I'll get you a survey of what is
there and the proposed. I submit that to?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: To Lauren.
MR. MANGUS: That's fine.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Okay, I'll make a motion to table this
applicant until we get updated surveys and septic upgrades
on the surveys.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: And what we'll do is we'll put it on for
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Board of Trustees 11 January 21, 2004
field inspection next month and have a further look at that
bulkhead.
MR. MANGUS: Yeah, and I'll try to talk to some of our
engineers that deal with that just to see if I can add
information that will help in making that decision.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Okay.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Do I have a second?
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Second.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: All in favor? ALL AYES.
2. ANTHONY MACALUSO, requests a Wetland Permit to construct
a deck onto the existing dwelling. Located: 1900 Reydon
Drive, Southold. SCTM 80-3-12.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Anyone who would like to comment on this application?
MR. MACALUSO: I'm Anthony Macaluso. The only comments I'd
like to make is that I am currently under permit to do
renovations at my home, and I just wanted to seek permission
to extend the application to include my deck. I have
notified all my neighbors, I have proof of the advertisement
and also the affidavit of posting. Would you like to see
it?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Please, bring one up.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Thank you. Is there anybody else who would like
to comment on this application? If not, as far as the
Board, I looked at this, found it to be very minimal with
any impact on the creek. It begins 109 feet off the
bulkhead and ends 97 feet off the bulkhead, and it's just a
basic deck overall. I don't have any objections to
this. And if there's no other public comments, I'll make a
motion to close the public hearing.
TRUSTEE KING: Second.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: All in favor? ALL AYES.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: I'll make a motion to approve this
application.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Second.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: All in favor? ALL AYES.
3. Richard Larsen on behalf of JOHN DICARLO requests a
Wetland Permit to replace the existing bulkhead in the same
location with C-lock vinyl sheathing. Located: 1150 Terry
Lane, Southold. SCTM 64-3-13.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Is there anyone who would like to comment on this?
MR. LARSEN: Yeah, I'd like to get a permit in less than a
couple years.
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Board of Trustees 12 January 21, 2004
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: For the record, what's your name?
MR. LARSEN: For the record, Richard Larsen.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Okay. Again, is there any other public
comments? I've looked at this, I found it straightforward.
You have an existing bulkhead. It's all existing. The only
stipulations I'd like to see put in place is that it remains
in kind and in place with the C-Loc and a ten foot non-turf
buffer behind.
MR. LARSEN: That can be gravel?
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Gravel, sand, natural plantings, decking.
MR. LARSEN: Good.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Is there any other Board comments? I looked at it, found it
straightforward. With that, I'll make a motion to close the public hearing.
Do I have a second?
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Second.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: All in favor? ALL AYES.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: And I'll make a motion to approve the
application.
TRUSTEE KING: Second.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: All in favor? ALL AYES.
4. Amy Martin of Fairweather-Brown Design Associates, Inc.,
on behalf of ELENA KARACOSTAS AND ANDREAS KARACOSTAS,
requests a Wetlands Permit to renovate and add to the
existing residence on first and second floors and an
addition of a deck and pool in the side yard. Located:
21275 Soundview Avenue, Southold. SCTM 135-1-2.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Good evening.
AMY MARTIN: Amy Martin for Elena and Andreas Karacostas.
Excuse my voice, I'm trying to get rid of a cold so I'm sort
of going to refer to my notes. Basically the owner's
request to demolish and remove the western exposure sun room
to replace it with a deck and a swimming pool. The deck
would be recessed three feet from the bluff than the
existing sun room extends. The deck as proposed will be an
irregular shape but maintains a 15 foot setback on the right
side of the property. The existing water side of the home
is 20 feet 11 inches from the bulkhead and approximately 14
feet to the coastal erosion hazard line at its nearest
point. The room to be demolished is approximately 16 feet
to the coastal hazard line and the proposed deck would then
be 19 feet from the proposed hazard line. The pool
pump -- and proposed deck. The proposed pump and dry wells
are proposed to be located well landward of the proposed
deck. The project also will consist of repairing and
12
Board of Trustees 13 January 21, 2004
replacing window on the water side and the siding from vinyl
to cedar, There are two proposed two story additions to the
residence. The larger of these is located on the southwest
corner of the home and the smaller is located on the
southeast corner of the home, both of which are on landward
side of the home thereby squaring off the building. There's
a proposed landward entry side covered porch. The garage is
to be demolished and removed at this time, which will help
the lot coverage restraints. Perhaps a smaller garage will
be asked for later to be put in place, but at this point in
time it will be removed and we're awaiting a topographical
survey that the DEC requested for a letter of
nonjurisdiction. Appropriate gutters and french drains will
be directed to add runoff to the landward dry well, and an
upgrade of the existing septic system to meet required
standards of the Health Department have been applied for as
this will be a six bedroom house. The current lot coverage of buildings is 12.8
percent. The proposed lot coverage after the demolition of
the part of the building and the demolition of the garage is
15 percent. Neither of these figures include all of the
black top that's there, which is a large amount, which is
13.1 percent. I'm sure that they would, with the demolition
of the garage the driveway will be reduced in size and
perhaps we could convince them to put in porous surface on,
not the slope part, but the upper part because it's at a
steep incline from the road. Any questions?
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Yeah, my one question is not a question
but a request, that you put the dry wells on the survey.
MS. MARTIN: Okay. Actually, I have a revised survey to
give you that shows the proposed upgrade to the septic
system.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's on there. You mentioned french
drains and dry wells?
MS. MARTIN: They're not there, okay, I am showing those.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: As well, during construction retain a hay bail
line to catch any sediment?
MS. MARTIN: Right.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Other than that I don't have any
opposition and as I went through the file I see CAC doesn't
have any reason to disapprove also.
MS. MARTIN: Okay.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Is there anybody else who would like to
comment on this application?
NEIGHBOR: Yes, I'm the lucky neighbor who's getting
the pool. Naturally I'm not thrilled with that more I'm
13
Board of Trustees 14 January 21, 2004
concerned with the possible problems with the bluff. We
have a place there for a long time. I've seen a lot of
erosion. We have pictures from before the hurricane of
'38. There was a lot more land there. There's been a lot
less land in the last six or seven years. A pool I don't
know how big aside from the fact that it's going to be
within ten or 12 feet of my property line, affords the huge
potential for problems going right into the Sound. As they
say in Connecticut, what goes in the ground goes into the
Sound. I can't really see the need for this kind of a pool
that close to the Sound. No one has been out to examine the
property. There was a gentleman that came out; the door was
locked; he couldn't get in. As far as I know there's been
no one out there with a camera to take some visual shots of
how this may potentially impact on Long Island Sound, far
more important than my house. Will we have somebody out to
examine in a little more detail?
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: I believe the whole Board has been out
there numerous times because they recently had a bulkhead
placed in there. We're very familiar with the site. As far
as having a pool placed so close to the Sound and your
property line, that's a decision we'll end up making as far
as being a negative impact to the Sound, I don't see --
NEIGHBOR : Or the bluff. I don't want to be here
like Amato and Company three years, I believe that was what
we heard earlier requested to stabilize and restore eroded
bluff face.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: The structures are proposed behind the coastal
erosion hazard. This doesn't show coastal erosion. This
one shows the pool. It doesn't show the coastal erosion. This survey showed it,
this one didn't. You have to use the mike, I'm sorry.
MS. MARTIN: Just as a point of information, the pool is 698
square feet. It's really quite small. It's sort of
odd-shaped. It just fits into the deck and the deck is 15
feet from the property line, as allowed by zoning law.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Once again, we are an environmental
board and it is going to be located behind the coastal
erosion.
NEIGHBOR: I thought that was 100 feet.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: No coastal erosion line varies.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Our jurisdiction under Chapter 97
wetland is 100 feet. In this case it would be behind water
in the Sound, which would be water in the bulkhead so I
scaled it out. It's roughly 80 feet from high water.
NEIGHBOR: Not 100?
14
Board of Trustees 15 January 21, 2004
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No. That's why it's in
jurisdiction. If it was 100 or more it would be
non-jurisdiction, we wouldn't even be here. One of our big
concerns is destabilization of the Sound bluff.
NEIGHBOR: Once it's gone it's not coming back, pool or no
pool.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Well, we've seen some pretty massive
restorations.
NEIGHBOR: I've seen some pretty massive erosion.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No, I'll speak for myself. There was
nothing here. We are familiar, as Ken said, we are very
familiar with the property having been there a number of
times over the years just as recently I think as the spring.
The bluff goes back toward the road. I didn't see anything
in the application that would lead to destabilization of the
bluff that I saw. I don't know if any other board members
could see that.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I'm relatively sure that that whole
bluff pitches --that whole property pitches back toward the
road. I don't see any contra lines on here. The only times
we have been out there, if I remember correctly.
MS. MARTIN: We are in the process of having a topographical
survey done.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: We can look at it if you want us to.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: We can Table it once the
topographical survey comes in and finalize it, make our
decision next month.
NEIGHBOR: Any idea when that might be?
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Are we going to re-inspect once we get the
topographical survey?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I'll go look at it. It's my
recollection that that entire piece of property pitches from
the bluff back towards the road, in which case a pool set
that far back wouldn't create an erosion problem on the
bluff. Any over spillage or backwash or anything would have
to be on the landward side, which wouldn't create a hazard
for erosion on the bluff. Might be a little tricky
excavating to get it in there, but it could be done.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: February 20th.
NEIGHBOR: February 20tn.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: That's our inspection date.
NEIGHBOR: That's your inspection date, thank you.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Any other public comments? I'll make a
motion to table.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Seconded. ALL AYES
15
Board of Trustees 16 January 21, 2004
5. Amy Martin of Fair-Weather Brown Design Associates, Inc.
on behalf of MEG REED & MICHAEL SCHUBERT requests a Wetland
Permit to construct additions and renovations to the
existing residence landward of the existing deck. Located:
815 Fire Road, East Marion. SCTM 21-1-1.3
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Is there anyone who would like to speak to this
application?
MS. MARTIN: Amy Martin, again, for the homeowners. This is
a request for a permit to construct a 15 X 26 second story
master bedroom suite as an addition to the east end of a one
story residence. This is within and above the existing
footprint of their home. Also being requested are two deck
additions. The first is a small deck addition landward of
the existing deck at a minimum of 38 feet from the coastal
erosion hazard line. The existing deck is about 31 feet
from the coastal hazard line. Second is a larger proposed
deck is an addition is six foot by 25 feet with an east
corner to reduce the impact on the bluff and would be
stepped back from the existing deck by one foot at
approximately 33 feet from the coastal hazard line at its
nearest normal plain. French drains would be made around
all the decking and lead to a landward dry well, which
again, is not shown on the plan, and again, which I will
have shown on the plan, and that will be used to catch the
proposed second story addition runoff with the proposed
gutter system or French drain. On January 5th we received a
letter of nonjurisdiction from the DEC dated December 31 st.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Thank you. Is there anyone else who
would like to speak?
MS. MARTIN: Did you find it?
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: What?
MS. MARTIN: Fire Road 3.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: It was cold. I don't think
anybody on the Board had any problems with this. If there
are no further comments from -- the only thing was the
second floor were hay bails because it's so close or not,
no?If the guys fall over the edge as they
work?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: There's briars that will catch them.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Oh, okay. (LAUGHTER.) Make a motion to
close the hearing.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Second.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: All in favor? ALL AYES.
I'll make a motion to approve the application for
16
Board of Trustees 17 January 21, 2004
Meg Reed and Michael Schubert for a Wetland Permit to
construct additions and renovations to the existing
residence with gutters and dry wells, second?
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Seconded. ALL AYES
6. Patricia Moore on behalf of MATT-A-MAR MARINA, LLC
requests a Wetland Permit to expand the existing boat
storage building, relocate the existing office, and replace
the sanitary system. Located: Wickham Avenue,
Mattituck. SCTM: 114-3-1.
TRUSTEE KING: Anyone here wish to speak on
this property?
MS. MOORE: Yes. Good evening. Hello again. It's what has
been described. This is an expansion of an existing boat
storage building. We are relocating some of the
pre-existing nonconforming buildings. They're some older
buildings. We're consolidating those and incorporating the
uses into the expanded storage buildings so you can see that
the office is being relocated and the boat building, storage
building is being enlarged. We are proceeding to the site
review process, and we'll go through all the agencies that
require approval and review. So if you have any questions,
I have Mrs. Raynor here and I have Henry, Henry Raynor as
well. This is Monica Raynor.
TRUSTEE KING: Are there any other comments on this
project? Anybody else would care to comment?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Is there a big grade change there
because when they create a dry bed on the other side of the
barn (inaudible).
MS. MOORE: You're more familiar with the property than I
am. Come on up.
MR. RAYNOR: On the southwest corner of the proposed
addition, there's a drop-off there of about four and a half,
five feet.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Are you going to keep that?
MR. RAYNOR: The idea would be below the office to leave
that open so that you could either use it for storage or
supplies, actually utilize the drop in the elevation.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: You'll excavate into that?
MR. RAYNOR: Right.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Just like with the other building?
MS. MOORE: Yeah. Like the lower level is -- yeah,
right. Right.
TRUSTEE KING: Any Board comments?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: We looked at it a few days ago on
17
Board of Trustees 18 January 21, 2004
field inspection.
TRUSTEE KING: You're going to put in a new pool because there's
quite a bit more runoff, right?
MS. MOORE: Yeah, we're going to have to put in drainage
additions issues for the site plan process so that's one of
the things that Jamie Richter looks at making sure all
roof runoff is contained in dry wells.
TRUSTEE KING: I didn't have a big problem with
anything. I know we talked about this before, but we'd like
to see an increase in pump-out facilities too.
MS. MOORE: I'm sorry, I couldn't hear.
TRUSTEE KING: We have been looking at trying to expand
some of the pump out facilities. It's an issue we have to
look at, and I know it's a tough issue.
MS. MOORE: It's funny, because all the agencies always ask
wouldn't you be interested in a pump out station. If you
convince the DEC and the Health Department to make life
easier for operators who pump out stations, I think you'd
get more of an interest. But the regulations are so severe
that it really is not cost effective, that the cost of
infrastructure, the cost of regulations far exceeds anything
that the pump out return, even though it's necessary
-- everybody represents that it's necessary.
TRUSTEE KING: The cost of the water quality.
MS. MOORE: Well, there are pump out stations that are
available; it's just difficult for new ones to be
constructed. So to the extent that you can assist existing
pump out stations realistically to expand, I think that's in
everybody's best interest. I think that's an easier process
to start new.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: What is the status of the current pump
out system?
MS. MOORE: I'm sorry?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: What is the status of the current pump
out system?
MS. MOORE: You don't have a pump out system, no, it's --
TRUSTEE KING: There was one before.
MONICA RAYNOR: There was a portable pump out system, it
was very unreliable. So now --
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: So now there's none.
MONICA RAYNOR: We don't have a pump out system.
MS. MOORE: You know you have a failure of those portables
and that's serious problems, so.
TRUSTEE KING: It's an issue we're going to have to
address down the road, that's for sure.
18
Board of Trustees 19 January 21, 2004
MS. MOORE: Maybe you should consider just as an idea trying
to get the state grants or-- or programs that will make it
available for marinas to consider.
TRUSTEE KING: We have been wrestling with this whole
problem. It has to be very inexpensive and Number 1,
it has to be convenient or people aren't going to use it.
MS. MOORE: Absolutely.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: There are grandfathered, you need
to purchase the facility.
MS. MOORE: It's the purchasing and it's the
maintenance, and then it becomes the DEC regulations.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: You mentioned the purchasing.
MS. MOORE: Go ahead, Monica, you should put on the record the
difficulty.
MONICA RAYNOR: We've looked into the grants and unfortunately they're
very cost prohibitive for us because to accept the grant, we
then have to offer severe discounts in our fuel prices, our
dockage prices, and I don't think that's fair for us. We're
very, very competitive right now. We don't want to lower
our prices as such or be subject to such severe discounts
that we have to offer if we accept those grants.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: I teach in a local school district and I just
had fifth graders survey your marina, and they found out you
had one and they also found out that your marina was being
used quite frequently because you had the pump out and sort
of just -- it's a surprise to me that now that's not
available.
MONICA RAYNOR: There was a portable pump out system that the previous
owners didn't operate.
TRUSTEE DICKRESON: I can understand that.
MONICA RAYNOR: So that's why we decided not to use that.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Interesting that now it's without any at all?
MONICA RAYNOR: But I know there are a lot of services that
come with boats that will pump out for people, and I know
some people have called that --
MS. MOORE: The Honey Pumpers, if you had something that,
would work for portable, where it became kind of a, you
know, they could go from one marina to another that would be
a great business to set up that type of business. It's
having them onsite that's difficult.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Well, that's falls under the same premise as
the onsite as far as the other agencies.
MS. MOORE: Yeah, DEC watches it.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: It's tough enough to have one on land, believe
me I know. To have one put on water it was pursued, and it
19
Board of Trustees 20 January 21, 2004
just got cost prohibitive. Southampton has five of them and
that was all generated through federal and state grant
money.
MS. MOORE: Did the Town operate that one?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Yes, Southampton Town.
MS. MOORE: At least you have the insurance. In a sense you
have it underwritten by all the tax payers. Insurance is
just getting -- insurance for those type of facilities, so,
unfortunately that may be a --
TRUSTEE KING: We have to look at it that way.
MS. MOORE: Just like you deal with drainage issues
throughout the town I think it's an important issue that you
should take up and consider. I just think that private
industry, if it was cost effective, believe me, someone
would have done it, but that's not the case, so, it might be
that government has to run that type of operation. Town dock, having
it at the town dock.
MONICA RAYNOR: That's something somebody has spoken a lot about is
having it at that Town ramp. It's something I'm sure a lot
of marinas would be willing to help. Not something that
could be some sort of joint effort.
MS. MOORE: That would be something you should consider if
you had all the money, all the marinas participate in some
sort of a -- kind of like a joint agreement or if you did an
inter-municipal agreement where, the term that you use if you
have two towns collaborating with each other, it's almost an
inter-municipal agreement between private industry and
public. So that's another option.
MR. RAYNOR : It would also be exempt.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That doesn't seem fair.
MS. MOORE: Any time you give money somebody's going to take
it away someplace.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Money should go for improvement not to tie in
with the fee structure.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Get our environmental man.
MS. MOORE: That will be his pet project. Thank you.
TRUSTEE KING: Any other questions? Any other public
comments? Being none, I make a motion to close the hearing.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Seconded. ALL AYES
TRUSTEE KING: I'll make a motion to Approve the application as presented.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Seconded. ALL AYES
7. En-Consultants on behalf of CAROL &ANTHONY MITAROTONDO
requests a Wetland Permit to remove and replace (in-place)
approximately 94 linear feet of existing timber bulkhead
20
Board of Trustees 21 January 21, 2004
with vinyl bulkheading and backfill with approximately 25
cubic yards of clean sand fill to be trucked in from an
approved upland source. Temporarily remove existing dock
during construction and replace in same location and
configuration. Located: 950 Little Peconic Bay Road,
Cutchogue. SCTM 111-14-15.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Is there anyone here who would like to
speak to this application?
MR. HERRMANN: Rob Hermann from En-Consultants here on behalf
of the applicants Anthony and Carol Mitarotondo. Pretty
straightforward application. It's the in-place replacement
of the existing bulkhead structure. The only change is that
the treated timber will be replaced with vinyl. If the
Board has any questions, I can answer them.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: I looked at this. I didn't have any
problem with it, very straightforward, and it was very icy
down there.
MR. HERRMANN: Yeah.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Besides that I didn't see any problem,
besides a 10 foot non-turf buffer.
MR. HERRMANN: Yes.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Put in a dry well for the pool while
we're in there.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Okay, say that again.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Dry well for the pool. We did notice a
little over pumping for the pool when we did our field
inspection, and since they have got a machine there digging,
it might be an appropriate time to put in a small backwash
valve for the pool instead of pumping that chlorine
overboard?
MR. HERRMANN: Okay.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Is there anybody else who would like to
speak to this application? No, I'll make a motion to close
this application.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Second.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: All in favor? ALL AYES.
I'll make a motion to approve Carol and Anthony
Mitarotondo ask for a Wetland Permit to remove and replace
timber bulkhead with vinyl bulkheading temporarily remove
the existing dock during construction and to stipulate that
there be a 10 foot non-turf buffer with backwash dry well
for the swimming pool.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Second.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: All in favor? ALL AYES.
MR. HERRMANN: You issued a permit for that pool a couple of
21
Board of Trustees 22 January 21, 2004
years ago. Was that not a resolution, doesn't look like it
was stipulated at that time. That's probably why it's -- if
it's lacking, that may be why it's lacking, assuming
everybody does exactly what their permits say.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No, it's not in their file, thank you.
MR. HERRMANN: I have a copy of it, but it doesn't say, but
I'll pass it on regardless.
8. En-Consultants on behalf of ELLEN RIEGER requests a
Wetlands Permit to remove and replace in-place approximately
50 linear feet of existing timber bulkhead with vinyl
bulkhead and backfill with approximately 20 cubic yards of
clean sand fill to be trucked in from an approved upland
source. Located 4235 Camp Mineola Road in Mattituck. SCTM
123-5-25. Anyone who wishes to comment on this application?
MR. HERRMANN: Again, Rob Hermann of En-Consultants on behalf
of Ellen Rieger, similar project in great Peconic Bay. It's
in-kind -- I'm sorry, in-place replacement of the existing
bulkhead, but again, the timber bulkhead would be replaced
with a vinyl structure, non-turf buffer exists there now
that will continue to be maintained undisturbed in
disturbance area underneath the deck.
TRUSTEE KING: Anybody else wish to comment on this
project? I looked at it. It's kind of a
no-brainer, very straightforward. Like Rob said, there is
an existing buffer there already. If there are
no other comments, I'll make a motion to close the hearing.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Second.
TRUSTEE KING: All in.favor? ALL AYES.
TRUSTEE KING: I'll make a motion to approve the application.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Second.
TRUSTEE KING: All in favor? ALL AYES.
MR. HERMANN: Thank you.
9. Catherine Mesiano, Inc., on behalf of WILLIAM LOIS AND BINA COMES
requests a Wetland Permit and Coastal Erosion
Permit for the installation of approximately 330 linear feet
rock revetment along the bank of two contiguous
lots. Approximately 300 cubic yards of material will be
excavated from the site and used to backfill the top of
slope behind the revetment. The back-filled area will be
revegetated as required with native vegetation and a ten
foot non-turf buffer will be maintained. Clean-up and
removal of dangerous debris within 100 feet of HWM and
performed manually. Located: 58105 North Road, Greenport,
22
Board of Trustees 23 January 21, 2004
SCTM #44-2-8 and 9.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Is there anyone who would like to speak on
behalf of the application?
MS. MESIANO: Catherine Mesiano. We have been before you a
number of times on this project, and I believe as our last
discussion ended in your requesting my bringing to you a
plan for the revetment, which I have submitted. So if you
have any questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you, before we answer any
questions, is there any other comments for this application?
Does the Board have any comment or questions?
MS. MESIANO: Specifications of the rock I believe are shown
in the cross-section.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Right, we're going to postpone this. Just
thought we'd open the hearing anyways, I don't know if
Lauren told you, we're going to postpone.this because of
complete snow and ice cover. According to my recollection,
as part of declaring the violation on this property for
clearing, we required a 35 foot non-turf buffer, and that's
what was destroyed, and that was the violation.
MS. MESIANO: We had resolved that months ago.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Right. But this application here is for a
ten foot non-turf buffer, and it says for only a ten foot
non-turf buffer which would be, it shows here pavers set in
sand, which would not be the --
MS. MESIANO: The area that was disturbed under that old
violation has been left to re-vegetate. There's been nothing
else done there. We don't propose to go back as far as that
area that you're talking about.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: What do you mean go back?
MS. MESIANO: We don't intend to excavate as far back into
that area that you are speaking of. The area that was
disturbed earlier was left to re-vegetate. I believe -- I
don't know if Pat Moore is still here, she had represented
Dr. Lois on the violation. But that had been resolved, I
believe, the last time I was before you on that,
that was last May.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: But it was resolved but we would wait
for a re-vegetation plan until the work was done, which makes
sense because you weren't going to re-vegetate and then dig
it all up and put the revetment. We said we'll wait until
the revetment is put in and at that time that buffer
area would be re-vegetated.
MS. MESIANO: Yes, but the buffer area that you're speaking
of that had been disturbed was cut not dug and excavated,
23
Board of Trustees 24 January 21, 2004
and the area that you're speaking of was left to re-vegetate
and over the course of the summer, it did that; it just
re-grew. There was no further disturbance to that particular
area that you're speaking of. So for
me -- I don't mean to be difficult -- but I can't give you a
plan to re-vegetate something that has naturally re-vegetated,
and we have no plan of disturbing it further.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's why we wanted to table this
because we were unable to see if it had, in fact,
re-vegetated because it was covered with snow and ice. It
was impossible to inspect.
MS. MESIANO: The vegetation at this point without snow and
ice would be minimal because of all that dies out in the
winter time.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Well, no, what was originally there
certainly would have been there, despite the snow and ice.
And I guess we'll look through the minutes. I'm going to
make a motion to table it anyway because we couldn't inspect
it because of the snow and ice. But I'm going to look
through the minutes of the previous meetings, that's what I
recollect. We wanted that area replanted and re-vegetated,
the area that had been disturbed.
MS. MESIANO: Yeah, that was not my recollection how it was
left. It was my understanding you were looking to the area
that would be landward of the proposed revetment and that
was what was represented to me in my earlier conversations
with Charlotte. It was what was relayed to me was the area
landward of the revetment.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's what was disturbed and that' what has to be
re-vegetated, correct, landward of the
revetment.
MS. MESIANO: Landward of the revetment. Resulting further
installation of the revetment. It was not relayed to me
that you were talking about the old violation, which I had
understood had been resolved last May or June, the last time
I came before you on this.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: It was resolved, but I remember--
MS. MESIANO: I'm not going to argue with you because I
don't have the minutes before me either. I'll come into the
office and go over the transcripts of the old hearings.and
see what it is that you want.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I believe what we're looking for is the
reinstallation of the vegetated buffer, and I believe it was
-- I'm thinking 35 feet, and that you did not have to have
that planted because before the work was done on the
24
Board of Trustees 25 January 21, 2004
revetment, which we said made sense because then you would
disturb it at that time when the work was done. So I'll
make a motion -- if there's no other comment I'll make a
motion to table the application until the next field
inspection is February 20th.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Second.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: At which time we will re-inspect.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: All in favor? ALL AYES.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: In fact, I do have this. The plans are
not finalized and we do not want to come in with a separate
re-vegetation plan and then have to re-vegetate the
re-vegetation for the shoreline stabilization is done. We're
still holding this to finalize the plan. These minutes --
MS. MESIANO: I guess we're caught in kind of a circle here
because there's no intention during the course of the
revetment to disturb back that far and other area that would
be disturbed because it's revetment and not bulkheading,
we're not going to be digging substantially landward of the
line of the revetment. I assumed it would be, but we don't
intend to create as great a disturbance and the area that
would be disturbed behind the line of the revetment, we
would maintain that buffer with a porous material with some
pavers set in there.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Our concern isn't aesthetics here, it's
for the pedigree of the bay, and pavers would probably not
accomplish this. What you're going to have to do is
probably in the minutes is to re-vegetate that original
non-disturbance area on the property, and then when the
vegetation and the revetment you can stabilize the
property.
MS. MESIANO: There won't be a bank as such to erode at that
point because the face of it will be the rock armor, so as
we speak, we're losing substantial feet there. Over the
course of the last month, there's been a loss of at least
another three feet.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: This wasn't applied for
until -- we talked about this for years. The revetment, it
wasn't applied for--
MS. MESIANO: The loss that I'm talking about has occurred
over the last month.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: It's been occurring since the glacial
dropped sand there.
MS. MESIANO: I understand, I understand. I'm talking about
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Yes. But this wasn't applied for until
25
Board of Trustees 26 January 21, 2004
February 27th, until recently, so I mean we had talked
about, sand eroding on these banks so it's really not a
surprise. We'll table the application.
MS. MESIANO: I'll be into your office to review the
minutes.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you.
10. Suffolk Environmental Consulting, Inc., on behalf of
JOHN NICKLES c/o BEIXEDON ESTATE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION
requests a wetlands permit to replace inkind/inplace
approximately 1,154 linear feet of existing timber
bulkheading and 775 linear feet of proposed fiberglass
bulkheading installed inkind/inplace to the existing
bulkheading, located along the properties both north and
south sides of Petty's Pond. Located Arshamomague Avenue
and Petty's Pond, Southold. SCTM 66-3-14 and 15.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Is there anyone here who would like to
speak in favor of the application?
MR. ANDERSON: Bruce Anderson for Suffolk Environment
Consulting on behalf of the applicant.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Camping tonight?
MR. ANDERSON: Pardon?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Camping here?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Movie slide presentation?
MR. ANDERSON: Good evening, I'm Bruce Anderson of Suffolk
Environmental for the applicant, John Nickles, Beixedon
Estate Property Owners Association, also known as the Canal
Owners Association. I want to go over this project description because I
know that the description we provided in the application is
quite complicated. Basically what we're seeking to do is
secure regulatory approvals for inkind/inplace construction
of existing functional timber bulkhead located along both
the north and south side of Petty's Pond. The northern
timber bulkhead approximately 1,660 feet would be
replaced. This proposal included a number of 848 of
bulkheading and the reason for that is our initial plans
envisioned redoing on the eastern side the boxed jetty
system, and it was originally built as a solid fill
system. Through the process that we have had with DEC, the
applicants offered to give up the box dial jetty in favor of
a single jetty system, so the actual number of linear feet
of bulkheading reduces along the eastern or northern timber
bulkhead from the 848 feet to the 616 feet. The actual
placement of those would be on the western face of that
eastern bulkhead. That bulkheading we've also requested
26
Board of Trustees 27 January 21, 2004
that it go through the mouth in Petty's Pond, and also
replace all the bulkheading that's deteriorating inside.
Along the southern jetty timber bulkhead
again through the regulatory process we've already been
through we would be replacing approximately 159 feet of
linear bulkheading again, in-kind/in-place.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Can you show us that as you go through
that?
MR. ANDERSON: Yeah. That's why I brought this. What we
have here, the first drawing shows the initial proposal and
what you will notice is we had this box type solid fill
jetty appear off the northern side.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'm sorry, when was that built?
MR. ANDERSON: That was originally built in the late '20s.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'm sorry, anyone is welcome to come up
and take a look at this.
MR. ANDERSON: What we have done is voluntarily given up
there, and, in fact, the earlier bulkheading built in the
late '20s, early '30s centered about 108 feet from where it
is today. You can still see the remnants of it, you can
still see the similar portions of it. The second thing that occurred was the existing
bulkheading that you see today on the southern carries on
this shape here, and what we have done in the process is
also to give up this portion of the jetty as well as the
double walls here, resulting in what we're proposing today,
would be the single pile, single line bulkhead with
approximately 78 in this section here. So that is where we
have been and where we're --
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Go back there, Bruce, I'm sorry, can you go
back? You're giving up the yellow portion on the east side?
MR. ANDERSON: That's correct.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: And that will be now, when we saw it
there was ice in it. So we couldn't see, we didn't know
what was in there.
MR. ANDERSON: Basically (inaudible) 215 feet here was.
removed.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Is there any sand inside or would that
be removed also?
MR. ANDERSON: No, the sand will stay. In addition to this
portion of the bulkhead will be removed.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: What about that little dog leg to the
east?
MR. ANDERSON: Here the outer wall will be removed. Okay.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Okay, thank you. Just want to make sure
that everyone's clear on exactly what's proposed.
27
Board of Trustees 28 January 21, 2004
MR. ANDERSON: Going to take you back in time. Our client,
particularly John Nickles and his family are the previous
owners of all the Beixedon Association and all of the area
on the east side of Petty's Pond about 68 acres here, I'm
guessing 35, 45 acres on this side, it's about a thousand
feet of beach, and the map before you today right here is a
map drawn by Otto Van Tuyl on October 31, 1932. This shows
how the original jetties came to be. This is the
double-walled (inaudible) solid bulkhead here and here was
the original, we'll call it the southern or western bulkhead
here. The outer base here and in the early '30s a bridge
was constructed right at the mouth of Petty's Pond and that
was the original construction. Into the '40s the basin was redeveloped in a
couple of very significant ways. Again, the northern, if
you will, box-type jetty has maintained the same
configuration that was originally built in the 1930s, but
the western more southern portion of the jetties this
section here was rebuilt and expanded. The bridge was
removed as well. What you had in those days was the outer
basin, the mooring area/ramp, and an inner basin here. And
this is reflected conditions 1946, this happened to be a
copy of the map approved by the Health Department also
approved in 1946.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Are there any dredge records for those
years?
MR. ANDERSON: No, I don't think so. We don't have the
1930s and '40s, but it does reflect the accurate facts
around that time. Now, of course what's happened is these
jetties were built in a 20 or 25 year cycle. The last time
they were done was 1977, and there are records they were
done under emergency circumstances and (inaudible) at that
time. So I tell you that for two reasons, the first reason
that I explain that is that through the course of the last
50, 60, 70 years, what you've seen in this situation is a
reduction in the amount of hard structures and the reduction
is quite significant. So what we're talking about today is
a total of approximately 775 linear feet proposed fiberglass
bulkheading which results in about a third reduction over
what was historically what Mr. Nickles had a right to
maintain. He gave up voluntarily in response to
applications before the DEC, and the reasons for maintaining
this bulkhead are two-fold reason. One is -- three-fold.
One because he has a right to and that's the most important;
and second is to maintain navigability into and out of
Petty's Pond; third, also is to protect land holdings,
28
Board of Trustees 29 January 21, 2004
substantial land holdings that the Nickles have to the east
of the northern jetty, and, again, it's important to note,
we're talking about maintaining this line here, that already
exists and already functions. That jetty, there is no
doubt, is a functional jetty. And the permits that we have
already received reflect that fact. And in addition to
that, we had a survey drawn of the jetties which included
soundings both within the basin and on either side that
being this area, that area, and sounding survey shows that
the water in that area is substantially deeper than the
water encountered here and the water encountered there. The
jetties even in their present condition do indeed -- we have
a littoral drift that goes from east to west, and that's
also important to note because that factors into the
decision-making of other agencies. The Town, the applicant
and his project benefits from a DEC permit already obtained,
and also an Army Corps of Engineers, that permit that
likewise was obtained and that's important to note because
we had two agencies with specific expertise, both in terms
of erosion and wetland issues that have signed-off on this
project. And again, I point out that the applicants have
been flexible revising their applications resulting in
substantially less bulkheading than what was there
historically, and what arguably he could maintain today. This is a replacement.
It's not subject to the moratorium as we understand. We agree we've
done many such applications, and it is our contention that the proposal as
presented complies with the standards set forth in Chapter
97 of the Town Code. We argue that to replace it will not adversely
affect wetlands in the Town. The project will maintain the
present quality of wetland because this is an application to
replace that which already exists. The replacements of
jetties and bulkheads will not cause damage to turbidity or
siltation because the structures are fundamentally
functional. So it is a status quo application. Obviously,
they bear no relation to issues of saltwater intrusion. The
replacement of the jetties will not affect fish, shellfish
or other marine organisms. It is a very nonintensive
application compared to what arguably Mr. Nickles has a
right to do. And that these jetties will actually decrease
the dangers of flood and storm-type damage because it will
stabilize the mouth of this inlet. They will obviously
preserve navigation, which is critical in this area because
you have the inner harbor, Petty's Pond is developed
substantially for recreational docks, and those property
owners that are located within the Petty's Pond have an
29
Board of Trustees 30 January 21, 2004
obvious and definite right to navigate into and out of
Petty's Pond. This has a history of prior dredging. The
last dredging occurring in 2003, and the securing of these
structures in the way proposed will protect that inlet
because if otherwise, it is our opinion that the frequency
of dredging would increase as a result of littoral drift and
the filling of the mouth at Petty's Pond. So it really
seeks to maintain the course of existing channels and the
natural movement of water. It will not undermine the
lateral support of other lands. The property merely
maintains the existing condition of the inlet of Petty's
Pond and therefore, there is no impact to the health, safety
and general welfare of the people of the town.
The local community is very much aware of what's
going on here. We have noticed them twice. We have offered
to answer any questions they have. We have received thus
far six letters of support. I know there are others here to
support the applications. The first letter is one from Gus
Clavis dated February 25th, which indicates unanimous
support among those property owners that rely on the mouth
of Petty's Pond remaining open and navigable. You have
correspondence from William J. Balas and Pauline Balas to
the Trustees also in support dated January 11, 2004. You
have correspondence from Bruce and Harriet Woodruff dated
January 10th to your Board also voicing their strong support
for the application. You have correspondence from Barbara
Granias to the Board dated January 15th expressing their
support. We have correspondence from Craig Essinger dated
January 17th voicing their support. We have correspondence
from Donald J. Raffis to John Nickles dated January 17, 2004
also supporting this application. What that leaves us with is a project that has
received agency support, by virtue of the issuance of a
permit from New York State DEC and also the Army Corps of
Engineers, and also we have a project that demonstrates
substantial community support as many of the people that
live in this area rely on those shoreline structures,
however diminished voluntarily on our behalf, to get into
and out of there. They're also concerned about beaches and
our proposal is one that will protect. I am aware we also have a strong
objectant by a fellow by the name of Ball. And Mr. Ball filed an Article
78 against the DEC arguing that the permit should not have
been issued. We don't believe that that Article 78 has any
merit. I expect him to object. I expect he may explain
about wetland issues and things within the four corners of
the code. I want you to be aware of Mr. Ball lives in a
30
Board of Trustees 31 January 21, 2004
bulkheaded property which is located adjacent to the
southern or western jetty here. That bulkhead was built, as
was his house, in approximately 1987 during that regulatory
process -- during your regulatory process for Mr. Ball you
required a 50 foot buffer zone to be maintained on the
property. I will hand up his complete file or recent photo
showing the buffer which has not been maintained. My point
in showing you that is you will discover that he will come
to you with unclean hands, and it is my opinion that he
can't legitimately speak about wetland concerns, which is
what we're here for tonight.l conclude by saying that this project is
reasonable, and it is necessary. It should be granted
because we're talking about a mere replacement of jetties
and bulkheads. We're talking about a substantial reduction
in bulkheads that exist today. This will provide for safe
navigation into and out of Petty's Pond, reduce the amount
of-- reduce the need for frequently dredging, of future
dredging in the mouth of Petty's Pond, and will maintain
the existing environmental conditions in the immediate and
adjacent areas. My presentation tonight is summarized in a letter I
will hand up with the exhibits that are before you. It's a
brief letter, but I think it
touches all of the points that I've made tonight. Our
attorney is here. Mr. Nickles is here, and we're all
prepared to answer any questions you may have. Thank you
very much.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. Would anyone like to speak
on behalf of the application?
MR. NICKLES: Hi, I'm the applicant John Nickles. I'm
living in Southold. Just a little historical perspective,
back in the '20s the areas called Beixedon Estates and the
adjacent area to the east was a summer resort area
consisting of 28 cottages and a hotel called the
Arshamomaque Inn and that became my family's business back
in the '30s and they operated that business right up through sometime
in World War II. At one point the inn burned down and after
the war my mother created that subdivision, that you see
before you, and had an auction and sold off many of the
houses. I think 20 of the houses that existed in there, and
it was all she could do to hang on through the war, can you imagine,
right through the Depression. At that point she
consolidated the business on the east side of the canal, and
today we still continue that same family business there on
the roughly 30 acres of Southold bay front with eight summer
cottages, a dock that the tenants use for their boats, which
31
Board of Trustees 32 January 21, 2004
is part of their attractions. Obviously, there's two attractions, one to be in
Southold and the other is to be on the bay; and three, to
have a convenient place to have a boat for recreational
purposes. So it does, in my point of view as a local
businessman running this family business, it's integral that
we have the ability to get boats into and out of that canal.
I, along with my neighbors, own almost 52 pieces of property
in Beixedon Estates not counting the property on the east
side, so my speaking here, I'm speaking for a substantial
number of parcels in the Beixedon Estates Association. On
the waterfront on the east side there's close to a thousand
feet of bay front and on the west side of the seven parcels,
indeed I own I think four of those seven parcels on the bay.
So when you talk about the waterfront, this is a piece of
property I'm well familiar with for 65 years. I either
lived on one side of the canal or the other side, and I can
tell you one thing for sure, I'm sure of death and taxes,
and I'm sure if you own waterfront property, you have a
erosion, and you have accretion, and it comes and goes. And
as Trustees I'm sure you're well aware of it, and you see
your applications even tonight of people trying to control
their erosion. We're trying to protect our harbor, for the people
that live on that harbor, and I'm trying to project my
interest on either side. And those people who have a
problem should probably make an application before you to
try to do something to protect their interests, and that's
about all I have to say on that. And we ask that you
approve this application. We have given up a substantial amount of the
existing bulkhead out there to try to make the DEC happy and
the Corps of Engineers I would have preferred to maintain
that box and have it filled in because it makes a much more
substantial jetty, but we decided to give that up, not only
for matter of principal but also because dollars are
limited, you know, you just can't pay for everything. If we
could pay for everything, there would still probably be a
full marina there, which I neglected to mention. During the
course of the Arshamomaque Inn, that marina was a busy place
for open fishing boats, charter boats all going out of that
marina and in the inner basin that was all part of that
operation of the hotel and so forth. Thank you so much for
your time.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: John, when was that bulkhead built, the
west side where the little marina is?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Can you come up and take,a look at this?
32
Board of Trustees 33 January 21, 2004
We want to be clear.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I have a little doubt about what I'm
looking at here.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: We're trying to get some resolution on the
shoreline, and the shoreline changes. This was built in the
'30s. This was all marina. There was an ice house in here.
There's a road, this is a road that came all the way around
like this. These houses are not accessible from Route 25.
MR. ANDERSON: This section here came somewhere in 1932.
MR. NICKLES: This has never been touched since it was
built, and every 25 years they did something here. Last
time I remember in the '50s, part of this in here, but not
this part, it was not touched.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: When was this picture taken?
MR. ANDERSON: '53.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Was this filled with sand in here?
MR. NICKLES: This was all the sand in here.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: From the spoils from the dredging?
MR. NICKLES: I wasn't here. I was born in 1938. This was
done before I was born. When I was a small child, this was
all sand.
.TRUSTEE FOSTER: But the bulkhead was in?
MR. NICKLES: The bulkhead was in. All this was in 1938.
When this was intact there was no erosion, you'll have
letters testifying that.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I wanted to clarify that.
MR. NICKLES: There's significant erosion on this side but
you don't really see it because there's no bulkheading there
so there's no scouring effect. I manage properties and I'm
very familiar with this. This is the story house, the
chimney house and right now we have about two feet of
fragmite, all this gone. This shoreline looks something
like this now.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: We were there Monday.
MR. NICKLES: You can see there was a gazebo here, that
gazebo is gone. I don't know if you remember. That was way
back in the --
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: If we stop everything again, we want to
make sure everybody knows what's going on, including the
Board but not limited to the Board, right. All right, is
there anybody else who would like to speak in favor of the
application?
MR. CICHANOWICZ: Dave CICHANOWICZ, resident at Beixedon. I'm, quote,
one of the canal people, as we have been named. Of course
I'm in favor of having this taken care of. And I also
33
Board of Trustees 34 January 21, 2004
served on a committee along with different fellow community
residents for a couple of years. We tried to attack the
issue of what the objections are going to be about the
erosion along the westerly side of this inlet. We've
contacted several different consultants, got different
opinions from a wide array of people. I don't know if
you're familiar with the Woodhull Group from Rhode
Island. They're a very, quote, specialized environmental
group, and they came down to survey it, gave us some off the
record opinions, but the long and short of it was that
there's no one that's going to tell you specifically what
would be the outcome if the jetty was to stay as-is or to be
shortened. It seems to be logical when you look at maps
from the era from whatever has happened over the years,
erosion is a common occurrence in years it happens wherever
it's not protected and will continue to happen. So I don't know if there
is an answer to this and how to make everywhere happy, I wish there was, but I'm
just showing my support for this as-is, and I wish that we could
also come up with a way of also connecting the beach at the
same time, thank you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. Anybody else like to speak
in favor of the application?
MR. ZACK: Tom Zack, I'm a resident of Beixedon as well.
I'm one of the people inside and I'm just here to show my
support for this project. I want to be able to get my boat
in and out and be able to do that without having to worry,
whether we can get the dredging done in time for the
seasonal deadlines. Thank you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you, anybody else?
MS. NESLINGER: Yes. I'm Jean Neslinger, and I'm also a
resident of Beixedon, and I certainly approve of this. We
need it because years ago when the bulkhead was there we had
no problem with the beaches, thank you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. Anybody else?
MR. KLAVIS: My name's Dean Klavis. I am also a resident of
Southold. I too am in favor of it. I feel that history
shows that when the bulkhead was in its full integrity, it
did provide a certain amount of shelter for the beaches. It
held off a lot of sand out of the beach and also out of the
inlet. It wasn't until late '80s that the bulkhead started
to deteriorate that it actually started to create a faster
rate of erosion. I too hope that you vote in favor of
it. Thank you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. Anybody else?
Before we start, if there's any other comments that are
34
Board of Trustees 35 January 21, 2004
going to object to this application I call for a five minute
recess.
(Whereupon, a short recess was taken.)
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Is there anyone who would like to speak
in opposition or would have any other comments otherwise
about this application?
MR. BRESSLER: Yes, please. My name is Eric
Bressler Wickham, Bressler, Gordon and Geasa. I'm here on
behalf of Dr. and Mrs. Friedman, Mr. and Mrs. Ball, who are
what we'll call adjacent property owners and we would like
to speak in opposition of this this evening.
The first thing we would like to do --
E. Brownell Johnston: Did they submit a letter either of them?
MR. BRESSLER: Did they submit a letter?
E. BROWNELL JOHNSTON: Yes, any correspondence?
MR. BRESSLER: Well, the first thing I'd like to do is it's
my understanding that the Board has received previously a
binder, a white binder.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: With the pictures?
MR. BRESSLER: With the pictures and the surveys, yeah, with
the overlays. I would like that to be formally made a part
of the record. I would like that previously submitted, and
we'll come back to that later.
E. BROWNELL JOHNSTON: So it was only the binder that you
submitted?
MR. BRESSLER: And the surveys that went with it.
E. BROWNELL JOHNSTON: We're trying to make a record, here.
MR. BRESSLER: Yes. Now, by way of opening, I must confess
that upon review of this project, it strikes me as one of
the most ill advised and environmentally unsound projects
ever to come before this Board. As the applicant pointed
out incredibly other agencies have granted permits. The one
that we knew about and caught in time, the DEC, is the
subject of an Article 78 this Board is the last
bastion. You are the last hope to protect the area, subject
area, here subject to what the court may do in the Article
78. Thus, the responsibility rests upon this Board to
protect the environment in Peconic Bays. The one thing that
strikes me here is that while the
applicant said a lot of things, the most significant thing
about the application is what the applicant didn't
say. What the applicant didn't say was anything of a
scientific or quantitative nature that would justify this
particular application. Absolutely nothing. The reasons
that were given for the application are, I have a right to.
35
Board of Trustees 36 January 21, 2004
Well, we certainly disagree with that. You don't have a
right to it. You have a right only to what the regulatory
agencies say you have a right to. It's an aid to
navigation. Well, a thousand foot jetty would be an aid to
navigation in and out of that pond, and so would a 50 foot
jetty; and to say that we need this project for navigation
aids this Board but little in determining whether the scope
of this project is appropriate. I think in that regard the
Board could look at some place like Gull Pond for guidance
as to what's reasonable and necessary as to getting in and
out, nothing of the magnitude of this project. So again,
here are vague generalities to support the fact that we need
it for navigation, but there's no evidence at all to support
this particular project. And finally, I think we come to
the crux of this application, as shown by the photographs,
we need this to protect our property. Well, yes, everybody
knows that's what's going on here, and let's make no bones
about it. There is a huge or there has been a huge jetty
sticking out in the Peconic Bay. It is beyond argument what
happens with respect to the littoral drift and jetties. We
all know it's scientifically established. We know that the
sand accumulates on the up drift side, and it robs
properties, these jetties on the down drift side and they
get scoured out eroded and lost. There is no doubt that
that is what happened here. And as the Nickles' property
benefits from the so obvious build-up of the sand, so the
Ball and Friedman properties are eroded. Because the sand
that's supposed to be going there isn't going
there. We all know this. We all know what happened over on
the south side with that ill-conceived jetty field and what
happens when you stop, and what happens on the downside.
What's the problem here? We all know what it
is, and a 300 foot jetty out in Peconic Bay is not the
answer to the problem here, and there's no support on the
record upon which you could find that a 300 foot jetty is
the answer to anything. What is the answer? The answer is
a much more modest proposal, if anything, such as exists at
the mouth of Gull Pond, that's the first thing that can be
done. The second thing that can be done is the dredging
spoils have to be placed down drift with where they may
naturally go. There may even be a need at this juncture for
replenishment like the photographs establish that so what is
called for here is a unified approach to this particular
location. It needs to be studied. The options need to be
considered and a unified plan that preserves the entire bay
36
Board of Trustees 37 January 21, 2004
front has to be adopted. We should like this, we're told,
the Board should like this because it's less than what was
there before. Well, my clients have been punched in the
face two to three times and now they're being told you're
only going to be punched once and you should like that a
whole lot better. Well, I don't buy into that. There's a
better way to get this done and the applicants have not met
even the slightest amount of their burden to show you why
this is reasonable or necessary.
To show you just how far this application fails to
address the environmental concerns, consider for a moment
the remains out beyond the 300 feet. You guys were out
there, ladies, you were out there, you saw it, it was this
crap out there. That stuffs got to be removed. That's 400
and 500 feet offshore; does that get proposed as part of
this proposal? No. Maybe money's an issue but money's not
the only issue. What has to be done here is the right
thing.
Now, let's address briefly some of the specific
comments that were made. It's in-kind/in-place. I don't
know I've seen that; that doesn't look in-kind/in-place to
me. That thing looks like a broken old, broken up comb.
This is not in-kind/in-place by any stretch of the
imagination, and is it a functional jetty? I don't think
so. Does it serve some function? Of course it does. Even
if you put one pile in one drift, it's going to accumulate
sand, no doubt about that. You all went down and looked at
it. You can draw your own conclusions. This is essentially
a new application. That's what this is, and they want to
put out fully to the extent that's possible, a fully
impervious 300 foot jetty, and the jetty that's there now is
not that, that's what they want. Okay.
The existing conditions are well known to you.
You've been down there. You've seen them. The photographs
are there. It's obvious what has happened to the down drift
properties. The historical changes that have occurred to
the property over time were somewhat passed over by the
applicant. Well, historically this is what happened, but
all you have to do is look at the maps and surveys and see
just how much property has been lost, a huge amount, and my
clients are losing several feet every year. Even with the
jetty in its dilapidated state. To replace this thing and
put 300 feet of brand new impervious jetty, you may as well
just slice off their property and stick it into the bay.
Now, let's talk a bit about the soundings, we
37
Board of Trustees 38 January 21, 2004
took soundings, if you look carefully at the diagrams you'll
see the soundings are several years old and their surveys so
state. They used old numbers that predated the dredging,
that in and of itself is reason for denying this
application. They didn't even show you what the true state
of the bottom was and the depths. Is it reasonably
necessary? I don't think so.
That's basically the bottom line here. There's been
no showing that what these people are showing is reasonably
necessary to protect any body but John Nickles' property
because of the accretion of sand, and when you looked at the
pictures to see that's what has occurred here. For the
witnesses to get up and tell this Board to me is just
incredible that, well, you know, erosion comes and goes and
sometimes it accretes and sometimes it doesn't accrete.
My client's properties are down drift, they don't
accrete. Maybe on a rare, rare odd windy day, but they
don't accrete over time. Everybody knows that. I'm
surprised that that argument has even been advanced to you
people. We have consulted the land use company, and I'm
handing up for the record the credentials of Chuck Bowman
and his findings down there which reflects the fact that in
order to preserve navigation -- and don't get me wrong,
there's a pond there, whatever you want to call it, and
there is a legitimate interest in having navigation, and I
don't come before you saying give them nothing, Chuck Bowman
doesn't recommend give them nothing but what they're asking
for is patently unreasonable. But what I'd like to hand up
now before we get to Mr. Ball is a revised table of
contents, a joint application for permit, a letter from John
Nickles, a printout of a DEC web site, a letter from
Dr. Friedman to Bay Constable Desinkowski, as well as an
updated photograph of low tide taken at low tide January 20,
2004 at 4:30 showing the mess that's out there.
Now, the blow-ups that we have on the poster board
here are all contained in the booklet that was previously
submitted. Mr. Ball is going to work from these boards but
everything that he's talking about has been provided to you,
albeit in smaller form.
Mr. Ball, why don't you start at the beginning here
and tell the Board what comes first in this particular
chronology.
MR. BALL: 46 surveys, we started with the original 46
surveys, which I got from Joan Latham. There's a lot of
pride in our community.
38
Board of Trustees 39 January 21, 2004
MR. BRESSLER: What have you shown?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'm sorry, excuse me.
MR. BALL: You have every survey you need.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I want to make sure that it's easier for
the Board to review it here or review it there.
MR. BALL: Probably there. This is a map of Beixedon
Estates that was 1946.
MR. BRESSLER: Mr. Ball, what have you shown on this map
with your lines?
MR. BALL: Basically the other basins that's been gone for
some time it used to be, as explained, a place for large
boats -- the outer portion here. That was the first jetty off (inaudible).
MR. BRESSLER: What is this dotted line?
MR. BALL: The dotted line is the massive erosion that has
taken place, there's a diagram here, basically that's all
that's left of the bay front beach of the Beixedon community
area.
MR. BRESSLER: That's since?
MR. BALL: That's since '46.
MR. BRESSLER: Does the blue line mark then where the
shoreline is now?
MR. BALL: Correct.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That was plotted by whom and when?
MR. BALL: That was just a rough idea to get an idea. That
was a plot that I did to show, just to get a rough idea,
just to get an overview of what's happened.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Not by a licensed surveyor?
MR. BALL: This is a licensed surveyor of the same
thing. It's easier to see in a gross format first. What you
have is a picture of what little remains of Beixedon Beach.
MR. BRESSLER: Where is that located?
MR. BALL: That's located here.
MR. BRESSLER: And where is it on the survey?
MR. BALL: Right here. That recently, if you see the
permit, see the DEC permit.
MR. BRESSLER: That's the southwestern corner?
MR. BALL: Right. It's in such bad condition, if you see
the DEC permit, they received the DEC permit to put 330
yards of fill base to try to refill, re-nourish that beach
because the community really loves that beach.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: When you mention documents like that,
could you please reference them?
MR. BALL: It's on the table of contents.
E. BROWNELL JOHNSTON: For the record so it will be clear what you're
referencing.
39
Board of Trustees 40 January 21, 2004
MR. BALL: That would be the DEC permit of'01. The DEC
permit of'01 shows that the community received a DEC
permit.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI:. But submitted by Mr. Friedman.
MR. BALL: It was submitted by the Estate of Grace R. Lewis
because they still claim to pay taxes on it although it's a
community beach.
E. BROWNELL JOHNSTON: Mr. Ball, for the record, could you just
state who you are and what your status is here? We're
making a record.
MR. BALL: I'm Thomas Ball, my wife Barbara's right over
here. Basically I'm here on Lot 4 of this subdivision map
and Dr. Friedman is right here, Harry's right here, Lot 6.
E. BROWNELL JOHNSTON: Okay, thank you.
MR. BRESSLER: Now you have an updated picture.
MR. BALL: Basically that was what happened. Well, what
happened is when I first moved there, one of the first
things I did I became president of Beixedon and one of the
things I did was I tried to do something about the road.
There was a tremendous road runoff, and what we did was try
to stabilize the end of the road, and we had a survey done,
that's this one here, and if you look at the bottom of this
map, it's the bottom of this one here. This survey belongs
to 1988 (inaudible). Joe Ingegno did that. He's a
licensed surveyor. What happened is it reflects Joe
Ingegno's own drawings. This is all high water marks. This
is all basically gone at that point, I moved here in
'88. Since then as this indicates the high tide is up
against the bulkhead and has actually cut in behind the
bulkhead and starting to wash that out and goes into the
Nickles' property to the east of my property. That's when
you see the trees are falling down, when you view the
site. That's what's happening. And I just did it again,
not talking about a licensed surveyor. When we had a
Beixedon Beach committee formed back in '01, we had an
annual meeting and we had a real concern about the Beixedon
Beach community beach. So we formed a committee and one of
the things we did was we tried to find out what could be
done about the erosion, and one of the fundamental things we
came up with -- and this was one of the big arguments --
costly was to do a comprehensive survey, the whole survey.
You had to do that if they really wanted to make everybody
happy. Obviously we were aware of the jetty problems to
begin with. We studied that, but the Nickleses had
objections, the Nickleses had objections to it. So we
40
Board of Trustees 41 January 21, 2004
figured, fine, let's try to find out, get some solid core
information on that, but that was costly, and it never
happened.
MR. BRESSLER: As far as these photographs on this board
here and the first board to the right of the old Beixedon
what is that to?
MR. BALL: This is an aerial photograph that shows the old
jetty, you have it in that book. The 160 feet of submerged,
and then you have what remains here. The boards stick out
of the water, basically, the super structure is gone and I
kind of show in those pictures because we had wrote to
various agencies, which is a big issue, one of the agencies
we wrote to was the Town Bay Constable because these large 8
X 8 X 16 beams were constantly floating in. I have them
picked up so we don't hit them. My brother had stitches one
time because he stepped on a board with a large nail
sticking out of it. This jetty has been falling apart for
years.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'm sorry, you're referencing a photo
that isn't otherwise dated or marked; that was a photo done
in jurisdiction one, I can get the exact information on
that.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Appreciate that.
MR. BRESSLER: That is the photograph '01 is the
photograph. That is the photograph, and your property is --
MR. BALL: Is located if you look at the Photograph A to the
left.
MR. BRESSLER: To the left?
MR. BALL: Right. And the jetty is --
MR. BRESSLER: And the jetty is to the right?
MR. BALL: Correct.
MR. BRESSLER: And the picture below it dated 3/11/02 is a
picture of the jetty?
MR. BALL: Yes, the remains of that western jetty that they
were talking about. This is the three bulkheads that go
across, and we have (inaudible) in '88 that's what we were
showing the high water mark is here. If you do a scale and
measure it out, it's not official. If you take a scale you
can actually calculate. We moved here in '88 that's what it
was showing was actually the high water mark is here. If
you get a scale and measure it out, it's not official, but
if you take a scale, the scales on here you can actually
calculate yourself, although it should be done by a licensed
surveyor. I came up with a rough, as it is now, 40 feet,
plus.
41
Board of Trustees 42 January 21, 2004
MR. BRESSLER: How long have you been here?
MR. BALL: Since '88.
MR. BRESSLER: So you're losing two to three feet a year?
MR. BALL: Right. About two feet a year.
MR. BRESSLER: Moving onto this photo over here, what's
shown on this?
MR. BALL: What I tried to do is I tried to through an
aerial photograph that we have, and, again, it's approximate
160 feet this 316, this shows the outer basin as it used to
exist, and you can start to see the washout occurring here,
and the creek, okay. And up here I just had some of the
research we did that was the beginning parts of from our
-- he handled our coastal erosion when we studied that, but
basically we had the presentation of a series of--this is
a '79 picture, so to show you the condition of how much land
was there and condition of how much land was there and
basically this is another aerial view. This is a County tax
map. What I found interesting on this was they were
constantly revised. They were constantly revising the
shoreline. And the shoreline to the east basically has not
been revised, but the shoreline west of the jetty has been
revised three times and I drew a blue line there to give my
estimate of approximately where we are now. And you can
walk the beach and pretty much come to that conclusion or
get a survey, but it had been after basically the high tide
mark. The high tide mark is basically where the bulkhead is
now. What I had here after that is a another series of
photographs and surveys. What I tried to do was to show the
survey that was submitted. The survey that was submitted in
'01 is the bottom survey, and that was done, and then I
realized as I looked at the surveys that they didn't
indicate -- this was the survey that was submitted, the high
tide mark is the same and to prove that you can overlap them
by doing clear overlays.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Is the same as what?
MR. BALL: The high tide marks haven't moved. They amended
their surveys before they put in the structures, but they
never did change the high tide mark. They're not reflecting
the new state of erosion. They're not changing the water
depths, they stayed the same. Certainly after 400 cubic
yards have been taken out those depths had to have
changed. You can't use that same survey. The reason why I
say that's so critical to me is the amount of fill that
comes out is very, very important, not only how much comes
out, but how much and when. This is very, very important
42
Board of Trustees 43 January 21, 2004
because it's going to definitely affect us on the west.
MR. BRESSLER: If you look at the survey it says the water
depths are old. It says they used them in 2001. So there
is no secret you can take the overlay and lay them over, but
you really don't need to, they tell you.
Now, if you would briefly go through the book
and identify, in other words, so we have for the record,
what each of these photographs represents.
TRUSTEE : I'm sorry, I think because they're
easily to remove doesn't change them. I think Mr. Ball's
going to have to come into the office and --
MR. BALL: Okay, they're the same as just showed anyway.
MR. BRESSLER: Besides the photographs, which are shown in
there, I notice black and white, what year
is that?
MR. BALL: That's '53.
MR. BRESSLER: Then we come into the applications, and then
as I noted before there's this statement in there of no
impact is anticipated. I think that that clearly is a
misstatement. We all know that there's going to be an
impact, and I think that impact has to be addressed, short
environmental impact assessment. This is a very serious
project and I think it needs to be substantially
studied. You have then the Beixedon Estate Association, an
annual meeting. Made it clear minutes that this beach is
eroding.
Now, we'll go to the letter from Suffolk
Environmental Consultant in 2001. 1 would just address the
Boards's attention --
MR. BALL: It basically says: It is my understanding that
it would be better-- (inaudible) -- and the maintenance of
the inlet includes dredging and restoration of the beach
relates to the long term and persistent erosion of the
wetland. We had a long discussion talking about this
erosion about how he was going to correct it at one of our
beach committee meetings, and I think that the memo is in
there and the memo's --
MR. BRESSLER: I think that the memos in there speak for
themselves. And there's another letter from En-Consultants
which also reflects the fact that there's serious down
drift, and that serious consideration has to be given to the
design of the plans that are going to take place there. If
a study has not been done, rather you have this proposal
before you and a blanket assertion that 300 foot jetty is
necessary -- that 300 people readied is necessary. You have
43
Board of Trustees 44 January 21, 2004
then surveys that are on the board, and you have photographs
that reflect the inside of what appears to be basically a
non-(inaudible)jetty, which you all saw when you went down
there, and finally you have down at the end here a
comparison with respect to Gull Pond, which I mentioned
earlier, which is a much smaller project, sort of serves
essentially the similar function, I think there is matter
that also needs to be clarified here, to the west you have
the Beixedon Estate Association. That is not (inaudible) to
the applicant here, I think there's been some
confusion. The applicant, John Nickles, Beixedon Estate
Owners Association is that (inaudible).
At this juncture we conclude our presentation. We
will come in and number these things so they don't get lost
or mislaid. We'd like to do that, then to amend the Table
of Contents to reflect that. If the Board has questions for
me or Mr. Ball. I know that there are other people here
that want to talk about this application.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Just a word of clarification, it's not
that the Board is disinterested or
fidgety, it's just a matter that has gone back between
different items that were presented. We're trying to
clarify everything in our mind. If there's anybody else
that hasn't spoken.
MR. Wren: Yes, I'm John Wren. I'm a director of the
Beixedon Estate Association. I've been past president,
director and officer through the years. I'm also a resident
of Beixedon Estates.
All the owners of Beixedon Estates purchased
their property-- not the current owner, but people that had
prior titles to the deeds purchased their property from
Mr. Nickles' mother. And when we purchased those
properties, connected to the properties was the right to use
this beach, it is an easement of the Beixedon Estate Beach,
which is the beach to west of the subject canal. When I was
young, younger, when the whole bulkheading was there for the
marina, there was a lot of sand on this beach because it was
constantly dredged out of there and piled up so when it
eroded it eroded downstream or to the west, so that we continued
to have sand, because this bulkheading would have
limited it the same way as it's doing it now. But today,
the amount of spoil that's being taken out is nowhere near
where it used to be to take out of that whole marina. So
that's one of the reasons the beach was maintained over all
those years because of all this sand that was taken out and
44
Board of Trustees 45 January 21, 2004
put up there on the road.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'm sorry to interrupt you, but why do
you figure that is?
MR. WREN: Why was it taken out?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No, why is there substantially there
less amount of sand?
MR. WREN: Because -- because you're not allowed to take the
sand. The amount of permits -- you're given permits to do
certain things at certain times. Back in those days they
just did things, did whatever they wanted to do and -- as
you can see by the bulkhead -- and took tremendous amounts
of sand and put it up on the beach. When we were kids there
were mounds, huge mounds of sand that slowly eroded down the
beach and kept the beach intact, and they would dredge it
some more and put it up there. I think the crux of what I'd
like to say that from all the members of the association,
many of whom are here, from our association, of whom the
canal people are also members of this association, we don't
really want anyone to stop people from using the
canal. That isn't our canal. We'd like them to use the
canal, but our intention is to see if there's a way to see
if you can shorten the length of the replacement so that it
doesn't have such a tremendous impact on the Beixedon
Estates Association Beach. We don't mind, and we think they
should have the canal left open. That is not what we object
to. We object to the length of the jetty, and we believe if
the jetty were shortened, we believe we would have a better
chance of maintaining some of the beach and also the
homeowners not losing that much of their property.
It seems there are really two issues here. One is
that of the erosion by putting this out there; the second is
taking somebody's property, by pleasing one person and
harming other people's property. It seems to me that
there's a way it can be done so that everybody's happy, and
I would ask you to take a look at that because I don't
believe that the length of the jetty requested is needed at
all.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. Anyone else?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Before you start, could you just put
that down, set that board down. Thank you.
MR. BRESSLER: Are you taking objections or support?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Well I didn't see any other hands so --
JOHN NICKLES: I'd be happy to sit down.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Okay, thank you.
MR. FRIEDMAN: My name is Howard Friedman. I'm a full-time,
45
Board of Trustees 46 January 21, 2004
year round resident in the Beixedon Estates. It was pointed
out earlier the lot on which I live, which is about 400 or
500 yards west of the inlet. During that period of time
that we lived here, now 17 years, we have lost 36 feet of
beach, which runs out to about two feet a year, which is
continuing because of the erosion; it was necessary for us
to put up the bulkhead. If you think I like bulkheads,
well, needless to say, I don't like bulkheads, but we had to
do it or else our property would have been eroded
away. It's been my understanding on this study --well, I'm
not going to repeat it. I've studied the article that was
quoted in here about beach erosion. I have the whole
article with me if you'd like to have it. You have the
first page, the one by Dr. Kumar, specifically identified the fact that it is
well-known throughout the world that down drift erosion
results from the presence of jetties and the degree of down
drift erosion is related to the lengths of the jetty that is
sticking out of the land. It varies from place to place,
it's true, but the basic rule is that overall the length of
the jetty does it.
As far as I can see in this and I think it's
been said but you'll forgive me if I say it again, and that
is those of us who lived in Beixedon Estates have always
been aware of the fact that the entrance to Petty's Pond
should be kept navigable. It's right that it be navigable.
It should be navigable. But a compromise solution has been
-- at least we of the Beixedon Estates Association have
tried to work out a compromise that would not only protect
the existing beach of Mr. Nickles' property, which lies to
the west, would aid in reducing or preventing the silting up
of the entrance to Petty's Pond, and would also reduce the
rate of erosion of the land west of the jetty. This is a
type of compromise in a situation like this where there are
different factors involved, but for a community to live,
there has to be a compromise. Thank you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. Anybody else?
E. BROWNELL JOHNSTON: Can we have a copy of that full article 78?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Going to receive a full copy of the
article that you referenced. Thank you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Also could we have a copy of the Article
78 proceedings filed against the DEC?
MR. BRESSLER: Certainly. And one more matter that I
omitted to mention, and I'm sure this Board is intimately
familiar with the CCMP of the Comprehensive plan for the
Peconic Bay. I assume that there is a copy of that in the
46
Board of Trustees 47 January 21, 2004
Trustees office, if there is not, then I would ask for leave
to obtain and submit a complete copy with particular
attention to the provisions contained therein with respect
to shore hardening structures, bulkhead, jetties, groins,
because I'm sure the Board is aware after the CCMP was
promulgated and adopted, there was a general policy against
those sorts of shore hardening structures, and I think that
the Board can take note of that, and I'd be happy to submit
the four or five inch document.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Yes, I have seen that.
MR. BRESSLER: Yes, I thought as much. And there's a map
and the whole thing that goes with it, and I make reference
to that and we will hand that up as it is a public document
and you don't have it. I'd like to make that part of the
record.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you.
MR. BRESSLER: And we will also supply the 78 to you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you.
MR. BRESSLER: Although, Mr. Chairman, I would point out one
thing and that is in conjunction with the Article 78 despite
requests to the DEC for access to their files, they failed
and refused to give access to the files. We are awaiting
still either in the form of a return or FOIL request the
information that we requested to see just exactly what they
based their so-called decision on.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Our files, all of this is available at
any time.
MR. BRESSLER: Duly noted.
MS. BLAKELY: Hi, my name's Fran Blakely, I live in
Beixedon. I am not against a jetty, but my big question
listening today, is I don't think we have been told why it's
necessary to be that long. I know there's been requests,
but there's been no reason.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. I'll have the applicant
answer, yes, sir.
MR. LATHAM: My name is Steve Latham, my wife is here,
Joan. We've lived in Beixedon for about -- well, different
times, but I've been here about
since 1951. 1 happen to have my parents home -- I'm not
familiar with the pictures -- is the home that is just to
the west of Dr. Friedman's on the beach, and we actually
live up on the other end, two houses there. And I can
remember
growing up -- and I've known John for 50 years, maybe a
little bit more than that. And this was a very friendly
47
Board of Trustees 48 January 21, 2004
community. We're summer residents. We live here now for
all year round, and I can remember-- I can't tell you how
many feet it was, I know we've lost a lot of beach -- but I
can remember as a youngster having all this wonderful beach
in front of me and walking down to the -- I think there's a
picture here that shows the outline of the original, the
western side of the original marina, and you could walk to
that corner at high tide, you couldn't get quite to that
corner because the water came in, but you could get to
within ten feet of that corner. The whole beach it was
marvelous. As John Rand mentioned and I couldn't explain
it, I do recall the sand dunes that we had you could go
behind it, hide and get in all kinds of trouble, they're
gone now so the kids can't get any trouble. But they were
there, and we never really appreciated what was happening
because of this continual flow from east to west, but it was
replenishing the beach. Well, over years you run out of
that sand, and now we're paying for it. And there's no
recovery from the east, you know the littoral drift is east
to west unless you interrupt it, well, it's interrupted.
The Balls the LaBasis and the Friedmans, the water is to
their bulkhead now. I am the next house, the water isn't to
our bulkhead except to the edge. Beach in the front of our
house, that beach is the beach that's owned by the Estate of
Grace R. Lewis, and we all have rights to easements over
it. But even there within a relatively short period of time
there will be no beach to go to. I'm thinking of putting
cleats on the bulkhead. It's just an observation, and I had
never-- and I've spoken to John, I've spoken to John,
Junior-- I don't think any of us have ever suggested that
he should not be able to and encouraged him to reconstruct
that which was deteriorating on his side of the -- on the
east side of the canal, because a lot of the sand that is
filling up at the neck, actually he's losing beach, but it's
on that side. It's on the canal side, and it's coming
through where that part of the jetty has broken down, and
it's filled and they have to dredge it out. He should have
the right to protect his property, but not to the
detriment of the rest of us. And the question as John and
Fran and others have mentioned is not whether he should be
able to replace the jetty, but replace it to what
extent. The closer you can get to the beach where we had
some possible chance of getting that littoral drift,
bringing the sand that has accumulated not on his beach, off
the beach, some distance off the beach. If there were some
48
Board of Trustees 49 January 21, 2004
possibility of that coming in the shadow and stabilizing the
beaches of the Balls, the LaBasis and the Friedmans, and I
wouldn't complain either. That's all we're interested
in. Otherwise I support John in the reconstruction of
everything else, but it's just the distance out that we're
very concerned about, and we hope that you consider
that. Thank you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Anybody else like to speak who hasn't
spoken?
MR. NICKLES: John Nickles, Jr. During 2001 when we had
the beach committee meetings I represented my father at the
meetings because he was running the business. My
recollection of
the -- we all wanted to get together and Tom Ball made
mention of this, and even I said, of course we want to see
what we can do to mitigate any erosion that may be going on
on the west side, and when it became apparent that what they
meant was that they wanted our jetty to come down, then it
became -- it's almost like we didn't go anywhere, even
though we tried to suggest that maybe we could work on the
west side and figure out what possible mitigation measures
we could use to hold the sand in place on that side.
As a boy I grew up -- I was born in 1970. 1 spent
my whole life in Beixedon Estates. I moved out of my
father's house when I was 30 years old. So I'm very well
acquainted with the beach and with the property and with my
father's property on the east side. As I recall, when the
first houses were built down there next to Mr. Latham, and
my grandmother had to sell those properties off, I recall
when the bulkhead went up, the first couple big storms that
we had, that's when I really noticed that the beach
acceleration started.
Now, I've been in the real estate business for quite
some time, and as well as it's I guess common knowledge by
now that lengths of jetties have certain effects on
shorelines on the down side of the littoral drift, it's also
common knowledge that when you put up a bulkhead, you make a
choice about whether or not you're going to protect what's
above your bulkhead or below it. And when your bulkhead
goes up, it's been my experience looking at properties since
I've been in the real estate business, since 1995 on many
waterfront properties, not as many as the Trustees have I'm
quite sure of that, but the properties that have the
bulkheads typically experience the most erosion because when
you get that surge, the tide comes up, the wave energy has
49
Board of Trustees 50 January 21, 2004
nowhere to go, it hits that bulkhead and it scours it
out. Now, we've had erosion on the east side of the jetty,
we have no bulkheading over there and there has been an
incredible loss of property over there they talk about 36 to
40 feet of property since I guess the '80s, since the
bulkhead went up. But there's been a significant amount of
erosion on my grandmother's piece, which is now my father's
real estate, on the east side, and that is due to the storm
surge. Even though we have that jetty there to protect us,
we're still losing real estate and if we had a bulkhead
there, I'm sure we'd be losing more real estate. So that's
the other side of the story that wasn't told. Thank you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. Anybody else who hasn't
spoken?
MR. BLAKELY: My name is John Blakely, I also am a homeowner
in Beixedon. I'd like to address John about his bulkhead
question. If that were so, why is it when those bulkheads —
when those jetties going out farther west of us
and they have bulkheads, they still have plenty of beach? I
don't believe it's tidal surge. I do believe it's the length of
that jetty going out, and I for one would be extremely happy
if we could take another look at this whole issue and
possibly come up with a better solution than is on the Board
table at the moment, thank you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. And actually when he's
talking about a hardening structure, generally you do get,
it's varies, either beach loss or beach elevation loss with
a bulkhead, generally.
MR. BLAKELY: If you go down to the beach, you'll see where
the bulkheads, they have sand, but we have been gouged out
and the sand is all going down there.
: Mr. Blakely is referring to the Hoey property
and the Daley property to the west of Hippodrome Pond, and
they have bulkheads and low profile groins as well. So it's
not exactly the same scenario.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Anybody else who hasn't spoken?
MR. FRIEDMAN: I hate to address this thing on
personalities, but I must disabuse the Trustees of a remark
that was just made by Mr. Nickles, Junior. We made these
meetings; we had these meetings, and we tried very hard to
approach the idea, just as I said it earlier, of proposing
in a way that would protect the beach to the east of the
bulkhead, help to maintain the opening to this into Petty's
Pond and to reduce the erosion. We went over and over that
and over that and there was an absolute wall of resistance
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Board of Trustees 51 January 21, 2004
to try to make any compromise. Now, if it's necessary, I
have here a letter that I wrote to the Board of Trustees in
2001 in favor of continuing the dredging. I've been accused
by some of the people of even opposing the dredging, but if
you would like, I'd just a soon you have a copy of this
letter.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. We'll add it to the record: That's the
difficulty here is that it's
not only the information that we received yesterday and also
the information that we have received tonight, it's going to
be pretty difficult to make a decision without really
reviewing this information. There's been, as the people
have spoken here, just one moment, as people have spoken
here tonight. The Board has been reviewing this and going
through this and I'd just like to say that coastal erosion
is a really complicated process. It's hard to compare one
structure beach with another. But this Board does have a
tremendous amount of experience and I've heard a lot of
comments mentioned up here tonight that were really
important relating to the different structures that exist,
and the different structures that existed here, and how they
related to erosion, and I think that's important to put the
whole picture together. And it's a good historical, all the
historical reference is really important here, and I think
we'll consider it in that context.
MR. NICKLES: Fran wanted to know why the jetty had to be so
long, I think historically Southold Bay is very shoaled on
the north side of it. When you compare it to Gull Pond,
which is in an abetment with a very large jetty to the
southwest. Anybody that's familiar with the waters over
there you got ten, 15 feet of water going practically into
where you could throw a stone into where the inlet is. I
think a mere check of a nautical chart, you'll see that the
whole north side of Southold Bay is shoal; whereas, if you
go over near where let's say Paradise Point you got six,
seven, eight feet of water going in fairly close to the
beach there, even inside the traps that are over
there. That's why the originators of the original pier went
out an additional 100 feet from what we have still standing,
and the footage that you see there, if you measure it from
the ordinary high water mark it's not that long. If you
measure it from inside the basin where the channel is, of
course, it's 300 feet, but if it's from the east side, it's
not 300 feet, it's quite different and as to the west of my
-- east of my property, the bay or Lange property, that has
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Board of Trustees 52 January 21, 2004
jetties. And to the west of Beixedon Estates west of
Hippodrome Pond there are bulkheads and numerable jetties
going out culminating in the jetty that lies between Newtown
Creek and the Wharf House. So all of those jetties along
there are catching the littoral drift and that's why you
don't see the scouring effect. I can take my experience,
which is almost 40 years of selling waterfront property, if
you go to Mattituck I don't know how long you people have
been entertaining applications on the bay, when I was a
Trustee we didn't do it. We had a much simpler job, you'll
see in Mattituck they had an erosion problem, and
unfortunately they all bulkheaded, and now at high tide, the
water is two, three feet up on the bulkhead. I think if
they had used some other type of means like a jetty rather
than bulkhead, they would still have beaches, but they will
never have beaches with just that bulkhead, and that is
basically a consequence of-- you know, the good thing is
you save your upland, the bad thing is the upland can't
retreat and you lose your beach. And my son was trying to
indicate you make a decision, you want to save the upland,
you want to save the beach, and there are many factors
involved, and basically it's if that jetty I think is
shortened any substantial amount more, I don't think the
people are going to get their boats out into the bay unless
they dredge all the way out into the bay. Right now we're
just dredging in the mouth, and within inside that existing
jetty towards where the old bridge was, and that we're doing
basically on an annual basis now, we have a ten year
permit. When I was a kid, it only used to happen maybe once
every ten years and the guy that used to do it was Duke
Latham. And he was just marvelous. He had a drag line,
which you're not allowed to use, he'd come down on the road
by where Mr. Ball lives and drive that thing out there where
the old bridge abutment was, and he would throw that thing
out there. It was like watching Joe DiMaggio, somebody
work, that was never heard that motor rev up or
anything. He'd slide that up there. He was out there for
maybe a day and it would make a big pile of sand behind him,
and that's true as someone recollected. A pile of sand, the
kids used to love it. They'd run up and down it and sure it
gradually went in the water, but just wind and everything it
blew it downstream. I don't know if that's the cause of
replenishing the beach, but obviously it did do that. Now
we are putting our spoil on the west side, as you well know
because you approve our permits, and that does probably some
52
Board of Trustees 53 January 21, 2004
help but not enough to make everybody happy. But
essentially that's why I think the length of the jetty is
important. It's a difficult question, I realize, but I
think I'll just close with that.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: The dredging, I don't know if you want
to answer it or Mr. Anderson wants to answer it, the
dredging you've got depths surveyed in 2001, the dredging
was done in 2003, maintenance dredging.
MR. ANDERSON: Yes, that's correct.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: In what area?
MR. ANDERSON: Down towards the mouth.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: How far out; how many yards?
MR. ANDERSON: Oh, I would say the maps show it going out 50
feet, 75 feet, something like that.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Okay.
MR. ANDERSON: It's already in the record. I believe they
put it in, and if they haven't I will put it in, but it is
concentrated at the mouth, it was concentrated right in this
area here. The point is, when in -- by the way, I don't
want you mislead, I want you to understand this completely,
this 308 on this side, this is the inlet, about 160 on that
side. Okay, the dredging occurs in here, the map permits I
have in my files, I will furnish them to you, okay. So as
this is cut back, and I would say we have absolute right to
maintain this, I would further say we have no responsibility
-- these people are asking us if we could rebuild our
beaches, that's not part of our application. They could
certainly seek their own remedies to do that. But as this
decreases the frequency of dredging, the amount of dredging
is all going to have to increase. It's going to have to
increase at our expense.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's what -- the lady behind you is
going to speak next, but that's what I'm trying to get
at. One of the things that's been brought up is the length
of the jetty and we have been through it before in a number
of places. You know if you cut the jetty back, is it in
fact the question that we're going to contemplate, if you
cut the jetty back, will it effect Mr. Nickles' property to
the east, and that's one issue, or if you cut the jetty
back, will it in fact benefit the people to the west?
That's something that --
MR. ANDERSON: Shows the high tide mark up to the bulkhead
line, that's what that shows.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Right, currently.
MR. ANDERSON: Currently, under the status quo. So why is
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Board of Trustees 54 January 21, 2004
it that somehow having an existing structure that we've
already cut back, by the way because this jetty went back
substantially, that's what this does not show. This jetty
is bigger than the jetty you see today. This jetty is 108
feet bigger, longer, so we have a jetty that has decreased
508 feet. Here's what we have here. How is it logically
that further reduction is somehow going to build a beach
here? It's not. And the solution here is they have to undertake
their own project, and we're not really here to
subsidize that project. You know, I don't see the great
cooperation among neighbors that sue one another. That's
not cooperation. And the reality is that what we have is
what we have, is what we seek to maintain is what we seek to
maintain. The variances we've already obtained from other
agencies and it is essentially a status quo operation.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: All right, thank you, because of the
time factor, I'm going to ask people -- anybody can
comment.
MR. ANDERSON: Can I make one further comment?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: All right, briefly.
MR. ANDERSON: What I'd like to do is when we get through
this, they're going to do what they're going to do, submit
their comments in writing within a reasonable time so we
don't prolong this.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: The woman in front of you is going to
speak next, she had her hand up.
MR. ANDERSON: But no one will dispute that the depths in
here are deeper than the depths here and here. Do you want
to say they have changed over the 16 months we have been
filing applications, or 18 months, they probably have, they
also changed significantly. But no one can dispute that the
water is deeper within the outer harbor than it is on either
side. And no one has disputed that that means --
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No, I just wanted to know where the dredging
took place
MR. ANDERSON: Okay.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Now, I'm sorry, the woman behind you
wanted to speak.
MR. ANDERSON: It actually shows.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'm sorry, I have a glare there, that's why I
keep getting up.
MS. LATHAM: Mr. Anderson, has been making comments about
people in the community.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's what I wanted to avoid. And
could you identify yourself?
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Board of Trustees 55 January 21, 2004
MS. LATHAM: Joan Latham. And I just wanted to point out
the property between the west side of the bulkhead and
Mr. Ball's property and the property west of Dr. Friedman's
property to the Hippodrome Creek, those two beach properties
belong to John Nickles. He is the owner.
BRUCE ANDERSON: That's true: It goes down to this area, you see
it here. This is beach owned by --
MS. LATHAM: And one on the other side of this canal. There
are two.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you.
MS. LATHAM: He keeps sayings that the people in Beixedon
are complaining they want their beach rebuilt. It's not our
beach. It belongs to Mr. Nickles, and we have deeded rights
to it.
MR. BRESSLER: Just one or two comments. First of all,
think that the photographs and the book and your
examination, this one in particular demonstrate what the
current situation on the bulkhead is down there, and you can
give it what credence you think it deserves, the statement
that we already have a bulkhead there. The thing is porous,
thank God or my clients would have no property left. So
what is being proposed is actually a significant change from
what's there. That's comment one.
Comment two is the word that comes to mind when I
listen to the science that's being foisted on the Board is
"voodoo." I haven't heard any. Well, I think if we cut it
down to 150 feet that wouldn't be so good, and it's shallow
and it's silt, and it would do this and it would do that and
everybody knows that it's this and everybody knows that it's
that, but there's nothing, nothing before the Board to
disabuse the Board or anybody else here of the notion that,
yes, down drift properties get robbed when you put jetties
in the way, and there has been a conspicuous failure of any
sort of proof here or to give you any sort of guidance, and
while we were extremely pleased that the Board will take
under consideration based upon its experience all of these
issues, the applicant hasn't given you much to work
with. Well, I need 300 feet and well, that it's great to
say that and you've heard it again and again and again, but
that doesn't make it so. There's not one shred of proof as
to what will happen if they don't have the 300 feet of
bulkhead that is relatively impervious. They have made no
showing whatsoever except generalized statements to you, and
we ask that you look very closely, and I guess based upon
whatever experience you have because there's certainly not
55
Board of Trustees 56 January 21, 2004
much in the record as to the conditions at this particular
site, and the Board correctly points out that there are
site-specific conditions that have to be considered here and
you're given 33 year old numbers on the soundings, and
you're given no data or information whatsoever as to what
the real effect of this thing is going to be, and we ask you
to consider that very carefully in making any sort of
determination.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you. Mr. Bressler has the floor.
MR. BRESSLER: I think Dr. Friedman wants me to mention
about the numbers. Without belaboring the point, the Board
knows what was there. It can look at the surveys and
compute the lengths and add them up. It's aware of what the
situation is, what the current state of the bulkhead, and we
ask you to consider all of that and apply your best judgment
to this problem. It's not an easy one, and it won't be the
last time you're faced with it.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: In our own defense, I'd like to say that we
are somewhat familiar with these situations. What causes
them, what the remedies if any are, and we really want all
this information in time to go over it so we can make the
right decision.
MR. BRESSLER: Absolutely. And I did not mean to downplay
your experience.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Just for everybody's benefit, we're not all
amateurs.
MR. BRESSLER: I say you have to apply that experience
because you haven't been given a whole lot else to work with
here except claims and allegations and desires. So we ask
you to use that expertise.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Before we close this hearing though, I'd like to
ask the Board --
MR. BRESSLER: Subject of course to the receipt of the
things that you indicated earlier.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Yes, but I just wanted to ask the Board if they
wanted any other additional information so that we could
review what was submitted so far and make a decision?
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: My only thought was both parties
mentioned research and consultants; do we have all of that?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That they referenced?
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Yes.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Yes, they gave us a great deal of information.
There's one from Land Use, and Kumar, and there's --
JOAN LATHAM: I have the minutes from all the canal
committee meetings that we in our community had a couple of
56
Board of Trustees 57 January 21, 2004
years ago, if you want those.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: No. I meant consultants that were
referenced.
JOAN LATHAM: We had consultants speak to our committee.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Personally I think an aerial photo would be
beneficial.
MR. BRESSLER: What are you looking for in particular?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: The latest is in the '50s and the bulkhead
was built back in the '30s; if there are any aerial photos
available that are earlier than the '50s.
MR. BRESSLER: So between what dates are you looking for
because obviously our office has lots of stuff.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: As far back as you can go in succession
because in the '50s and the aerial shot in 2001 is too long
a span. If you had two to two and-a-half feet of beach
erosion since the '50s, well, the water would be all the way
back to 25.
MR. BRESSLER: So you're looking for photos between the '50s
and the present?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: No. As well as prior to.
MR. BRESSLER: So you want any aerials in addition to what
you've got?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: So we can establish a pattern of
erosion.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's very helpful because it goes 1953
to 1979, that's a big lapse. 1979 photo doesn't show the
actual mouth of the inlet, it only shows the Hippodrome.
MR. BRESSLER: You will of course have to take into account
the other factors that were in play at the time, the
dredging.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's why earlier, the dredging, the
fact that there were other structures there. The fact that
there were no bulkheads along the bay at that point, so
there's a lot of complicating little factors that we're
going to take all that into consideration.
MR. BRESSLER: Yeah. Clearly you'll have to take it into
consideration, but weighing most heavily what we got now and
what's happening today.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: There seems to be an acceleration of
erosion.
MR. BRESSLER: Well, we will do that.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: So we're going to make a motion to table
this hearing and we will have this information reviewed.
We'd like any information in as soon as possible. The next
hearing is February 25th.
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Board of Trustees 58 January 21, 2004
MR. BRESSLER: You want it before then?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: We need it really within a week so that
we can review it. We want to review it. We can read it
now, but we really want to see it all. So we can review it
all in context.
MR. BRESSLER: Right. So what submission date are you
looking for.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: As early as possible.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: A week?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: If we don't get it, it's going to take
another month to review it.
MR. BRESSLER: That's why I'm asking what date so we can
work within the parameter?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Well, we're looking for aerials.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I just want to see what the progression
is.
MR. BRESSLER: Well, there's lots of places you can look for
aerials. You can go to the Air Force out in Colorado; you
can go to Lockwood Kessler and Aerographics. You know, I
have another case where that's at issue, so you know,
there's lots of different sources you can go to that take
varying amounts of time, and in the fullness of time, you
can get them all. So tell me what your time parameter is,
and we'll get as many of them as possible.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: This actually I would imagine there's
resources at Town Hall that would be available. There's
quite a few at Town Hall at the planning office.
MR. BRESSLER: Well, we could certainly start there.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: But that might be sufficient.
MR. BRESSLER: Well, I don't know.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Why don't we start with that, and we can
review those, and if we really think that there's a gap or a
lapse that's really critical, then we can add to that.
MR. BRESSLER: Of course when I looked in the office, you
know, Bill had a lot of materials going back to --
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: See what you can find.
MR. BRESSLER: Okay.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you.
MR. BALL: In addition to that they had mentioned they had
said the hardened structures almost as though I did that.
E. BROWNELL JOHNSTON: Can you mention your name?
MR. BALL: My name is Tom Ball again. I'm the adjacent
neighbor. If I didn't put the structure up, I would look
like the property just went to the jetty, that's what I
looked like. Without that that's what I would look like.
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Board of Trustees 59 January 21, 2004
TRUSTEE : That's your opinion, for the record.
MR. BALL: I mean, there's no sand to replace it, and here's
all the trees in the bay right now. That's Nickles
property, and those trees are eventually going to go down
the bay and probably won't take care of them and it's a
ridiculous situation.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Just for the record that's your opinion.
MR. BALL: Okay. And then just for the record what this
side looks like. If you look at the sand, it's right at the
beginning, it's right where it was 46 years ago, at the
beginning of the bulkhead, at the jetty actually. That
hasn't moved one bit.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's why we want the aerials. Because
then we can see that definitively.
MR. BALL: And then referring to the length of the jetty,
this is till I actually went over and measured it these
numbers are real. It is close to 200 feet from the high
water mark. That is real and so you could have a surveyor,
this would be accurate. So we really need a survey so we
get the high water marks shown so you can actually see what
you have. We need to have a survey done. Because without a
survey you're going by my measurements. These things
--this survey that he has does not reflect close to the
high water mark. It's way off. When you walk the beach at
high tide, you will see what I'm talking about, the high
tide is beyond the bulkhead. It's got to be 15 feet off
this high water mark.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: We are not obligated to go out and get
surveys. It's the applicant's obligation to submit the
surveys.
TOM BALL: Is it my obligation to do? There's been a huge
difference in high tide.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: The burden of proof is on the
applicant. It's not (inaudible). Thank you.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'll make a motion to Table the application.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Seconded. ALL AYES
11. Harvey Arnoff, Esq., on behalf of JEFFREY HALLOCK
requests a Wetland Permit to cut into ground of right-of-way
for installation of underground utilities, permission to cut
base of existing dirt roadway to upgrade with stone
materials, and for the proposed driveway landward of the
right-of-way. Located: Diachun road, Laurel. SCTM#127-3-9.1.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Anyone who would like to speak on behalf of the
application?
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Board of Trustees 60 January 21, 2004
MR. ARNOFF: Yes. Harvey Arnoff, 206 Roanoke Avenue,
Riverhead, New York, on behalf of the applicant. Good
evening, my initial presentation was going to be about an
hour and-a-half, I'll see if I can shorten it a bit for
you. I think I should comment that everybody tonight has
talked about it's been 50 years that I've known John
Nickles, and I was a young man when this
happened -- I think I was a young man when this case
started. It's been over a year and I don't know that I'm
any further ahead today than I was when we first came before
this Board.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I would hope that we are.
MR. ARNOFF: I say that tongue-in-cheek. I think the Board
knows me. I'm just somewhat frustrated by the fact, and I
know the effort that this Board has made in coming up with
some type of resolution how complicated some of the issues
are.
You have before you an opinion of the Zoning
Board of Appeals, in fact, a follow-up that was sent to you
by Ms. Oliva indicating an inspection that was done very
recently by Mr. Goehringer in regard to the right of
way. It would appear that his recommendations are somewhat
in line with those recommendations that came within the four
corners of the DEC approval too. What we're asking this
Board to do then is to endorse that. Again, we're not
looking to create Route 58 along Brush's Creek. All we're
really looking to do is to be able to allow my client build
a house, and the last thing in the way of that is this.
I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have,
but I'm merely here to ask you to rely upon the -- I mean,
you have heard enough for me to say you've heard enough is a
major accomplishment, you've heard enough from a lot of
people on this and certainly I'm not going to add any other
great information other than to say I'd like you to rely
upon Mr. Goehringer's recommendation. That's all I have to
say.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you, any other comment?
MR. HEFRON: My name is Jim Hefron, I'm here representing
Barbara Laskin and the Brush Creek owners who have property
on the west side of Brushes Creek. I'm Of Counsel to
Matthew Atkinson. Matthew is the attorney who has been
appearing and generating the record on behalf of Barbara
Laskin and the others, and he's out of the country and
unavailable and I'm standing in for him.
I am not as up to speed on the files as
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Board of Trustees 61 January 21, 2004
Mr. Arnoff or as you, but based on what I know my clients
have several reasons to oppose the application. First of
all, I'd like to say it's my understanding that the proposed
road is going to be sited abutting the creek on the west side of the
property.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: You should also understand that it's an
existing road as we speak.
MR. HEFRON: Well, I'm not trying to make a record about
what the road is. The road is what the road is.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: It's a proposed improvement, not a proposed new
road. The road has been a farm road for many, many years.
So it's an existing road.
MR. HEFRON: I don't want to get into a semantic issue about
is it a road, is it not a road. I guess it's depicted on a
survey and whatever the survey is, that's what it is,
okay. But I've seen three documents in the file by
environmental experts pertaining to the application. Each
one of them says there's no basis to put the proposed road
abutting the wetland. That it should be, if anyplace, on
the east side of the property. I don't think there's -- as
in the previous case you heard, I don't see any scientific
credible objective basis to site the road next to the
wetland, and all you have to do is look at the provision of
the Town Code that you are charged to enforce that says
Section 97-28, "The Trustees may add pt a resolution
directing the issuance of a permit to perform operations
applied for only if it determines that such operations will
not substantially" -- then it has a laundry list of
attributes you're supposed to look for-- "adversely effect
the wetlands of the Town." Now, in the face of a record
where the DEC expert says don't allow it next to the
wetland, the Town environmental expert says don't allow it
next to the wetland, and the third Town environmental person
says don't allow it next to the wetland, I can't see how
there's any basis in the record to approve it there. So
that's the nub of my presentation. I'd like to ask that you
hold the record open for a submission of a written objection
by Matthew Atkinson when he returns and is able to consult
with his clients.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'm going to clarify a few things for
the Board just to bring us up to speed. I think our heads
are still ringing from the last hearing.
MR. ARNOFF: I'm sure they are.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: The DEC received October 24, 2003, the
Department objects to the proposed increase in width of the
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Board of Trustees 62 January 21, 2004
roadway. The Department will not authorize the proposed
widening of the roadway. That's from the DEC. We have a
letter from Mark Terry-- I'm sorry, the letter from Jerry
Goehringer dated 12/29/03. It references the 1/18/01
decision of the ZBA and his inspection, and he believes that
the decision -- 2001 decision of this Board should
stand. Now, both things -- then I'm going to read the
letter-- you want me to read that? Applicant requests a
variance under New York Town Law Section 288 -- Board
resolution resolved by Jerry Goehringer, seconded by Member
Dinizio was resolved granted under New York Town Law 228 for
access over a right-of-way subject to the following
conditions and improvements: The applicant's right-of-way
must remain open and unobstructed for a minimum width of 15
feet for its entire length. Improvements with continuous
maintenance in good condition are at all times --then it
has, areas that it should be widened to 15 feet unobstructed
minimum clearance height 15 feet, straighten it as much as
possible to remove trees. It has, place approximately four
to six inches -- remove -- I'm sorry -- approximately four
to six inches of loam-packed base; replace with four to six
inches of crushed concrete as needed. So some areas we need
six inches in which you then top coat it with two inches of
three-quarter stone blends. So to me this is -- I'm sorry,
I'm going to read Mark Terry's letter, I'm getting out of
myself. Now the ZBA's position has changed because they
don't recommend excavation any longer. They changed it to
delete the excavation, but put a double layer of stones
across the (inaudible) to avoid any excavation.
Okay. This is the February 18, 2003 to the Town Trustees
from Mark Terry, Senior Environmental Planner. Review of
the file was conducted on November 18th to assess feasible
alternatives to the right of way serving Tax Map 127-3-10,
and it is my understanding that the current right-of-way
width of eight feet. Pursuant to A108-15A --the
right-of-way width should be 50 feet based on the future
potential of the right-of-way to serve five or more
lots. On January 18, 2001, the ZBA granted a variance form
as allowing the right-of-way to be constructed to a minimum
width of 15 feet. As July 25, 2003, the New York DEC
conducted a site inspection on October 22, 2003, the New
York DEC sent a letter to the applicant stating the width of
the roadway would not change. In addition, the letter
requires relocating the roadway to the east, away from tidal
wetlands in two locations and clean fill to be placed in low
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Board of Trustees 63 January 21, 2004
areas. Pursuant to 288 of New York State Town Law and
Section 123 -- I'm sorry, 100-235A of the Southold Town
Zoning Code, emergency vehicle access must be 50 feet in
width and any improvements would be in violation of the DEC
ruling. Based upon such, the applicant currently has one
option to abandon the current right-of-way, relocate the
right-of-way landward. Any new proposal must be reviewed and approved by
the DEC. So I would think that would be the two, the DEC
and the ZBA decisions are in conflict with one another.
MR. HEFRON: Mr. Chairman, can I also point out that I have
received by fax a letter to the applicants signed by Matthew
Penski of the DEC, appears to be stamped in by your
office. The letter is dated October 22, 2003 reflecting the
DEC's position in opposition to placement of the road
abutting the wetland.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I referenced that.
MR. HEFRON: There's also a third document, a memo by Scott
Hughes, Senior Environmental Planner dated August 13, 2003
to the Southold Town Trustees and his last paragraph he
says: "My recommendation is to disapprove the proposal
So, that's what I've been advised in the state of the record
regarding the weight of the environmental evidence about
siting the road.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: All right, now I'm going to ask a question: How
relevant is this Board's decision in light of the fact that
you have two other jurisdictional agencies in conflict?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: We're in conflict with them all the time.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: But you're going to be in conflict with
them one way or the other.
E. BROWNELL JOHNSTON: You can use whatever they use to make
your decisions. We can use that to help make our decisions
but we're not bound by their conclusions.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: He does all the inspections for the Board
and they stand by his decisions. Every time I've ever dealt
with them on many, many projects, Jerry's done the
inspections and the Board abides by his inspection and
recommendation.
TRUSTEE KING: I don't agree with (inaudible).
MR. ARNOFF: May I shed some light on something?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Wait just one moment. So, if you make a
decision, in one direction, the applicant, you're putting
the applicant in a box that they're going to be in violation
of either the DEC or the ZBA or both. There's no middle ground
between the two agencies.
MR. ARNOFF: I don't agree.
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Board of Trustees 64 January 21, 2004
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Now go right ahead.
MR. ARNOFF: I don't agree with that conclusion because the
letter to the DEC to which you're referring, okay, came as a
result of us changing the scope of the application to widen
the road. We're not now widening the road. If you read Mr.
Goehringer's determination, we don't need to widen it, so
now we're back to the initial statement of the DEC where
they had no problem with the application. So in reality
Mr. Goehringer's not saying widen the road to 15 feet all
the way down. That's not how I read it. So I don't think
(1) that the ZBA and the DEC are necessarily in conflict.
They're in conflict if you are -- if we're widening that
road to 15 feet all the way, we're not. We're clearing the
five feet of trees. We're clearing the trees and grinding
the stumps, but we're not widening it. You don't see that
in Mr. Goehringer's recommendation. All he's doing is
saying by clearing it -- the 15 feet doesn't have to be the
road bed. It has to be to allow 15 feet of clearance.
We're doing that by cutting the trees on the landward side
of the right-of-way where needed. That's it.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: This Board never thought that was a good idea;
in fact. I'm going to put the word to the DEC's mouth and I
bet you they considered taking all the trees out for five
feet all the way along that right-of-way.
MR. ARNOFF: Only the trees within 15 feet.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: To me that's widening. That's not keeping it
the same; that's widening.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: It's only for emergency vehicles. I would
say if you --
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I mean we didn't look at that. We didn't talk
about that in the field. That's totally different than what
we looked at and talked about.
MR. ARNOFF: No, we would just as soon leave it the way it is.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: There are certain trees that had to come down.
MR. ARNOFF: That's correct.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: They would come down on the landward side
as opposed to the east side on the west side.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: The letter from the ZBA says all the trees
within five feet.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Well, that's to give them the width they
need, but you don't have to do it on either side, you can do
it on either side. You can do it on the east side.
MR. ARNOFF: And we've agreed to do that. To limit any
type of disruption to the landward side and not the creek
side.
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Board of Trustees 65 January 21, 2004
TRUSTEE FOSTER: What is the deeded right-of-way there?
MR. ARNOFF: It's 50 feet.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: So if you can put that road anywhere within
that 50 feet?
MR. ARNOFF: That's where we got into trouble. Because
-- the DEC doesn't want us to do that. You see we
originally came before you and said we'll put that 15 foot
swath, if you will, wherever you want within the 50 foot
right of way. And then what happened was that's when the
DEC said no. So what they wanted to do, they're not
ecstatic with the fact that that right-of-way exists in the
first place, but it's there, just like you said, and it's
been there for a very long time.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: You didn't give me a chance to finish.
MR. ARNOFF: I'm sorry, apologize, bad habit.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: You guys have to do that. But you know,
the right-of-way can be anywhere within the 50 feet. If you
wind within the 50, it can go on one extreme side of the 50,
it doesn't matter. So, if all the trees on the east side of
the right-of-way as opposed to the creek side are taken down
to achieve a little additional width it doesn't really make
any difference. Now, I don't know if in doing so you will
get outside of that line, 50 foot --
MR. ARNOFF: No, we will not.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Then the ZBA does not have a problem or
anybody-- preferably to take the trees down on the east
side as opposed --
MR. ARNOFF: And we would be willing to stipulate that we
would only touch the plant material on the east side.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: And I remember discussing that. But the
other change they made was in reference to excavation that
there really should be none. The trees should be cut, the
stumps should be ground instead of excavation and a double
-- in other words, the road is, yes, it's going to have to
be improved, but you want to do it totally to the landward
side.
MR. ARNOFF: Correct.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: The reason for the 15 feet is for
emergency vehicles.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Emergency vehicles to pass, yes.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: So as opposed to paving it to make it
accessible, you're saying the trees aren't going to be
there.
MR. ARNOFF: Yeah, we're not paving it.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Right. Normally then they require a three
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Board of Trustees 66 January 21, 2004
foot driveable shoulder on either side and on a minor
subdivision they sometimes include that six feet into the
total width. But now what Jerry's saying is improve the
existing right-of-way by putting a double layer of stone
down, cut the trees on either side to achieve additional
width, but it doesn't matter whether you cut it on either or
you cut it to the east side, stay within the 50 foot
right-of-way. You certainly can't put the road up on either
one of the rocks.
MR. ARNOFF: No.
TRUSTEE KING: I would rather see this removed -- I don't want
to say remove all trees within five feet, but it should be
remove necessary trees within five feet of the existing
roadway.
MR. ARNOFF: Absolutely, that's fine.
TRUSTEE KING: But it doesn't say that. It says here, remove
all trees within five feet east side of the right-of-way, or
either side of the right-of-way?
MR. ARNOFF: I don't think he means that we're going to clear-- well, we would
certainly allow and whether or not your attorney said it,
you also have the right to say that's not what we want. We
will direct that where necessary you remove up to five feet.
For example, there's part of the right-of-way which are 15
feet wide. As we sit here right now, we don't have to do
anything. We're certainly not going to make it another five
feet and clear five feet of trees, I think it's clear that's
not what Mr. Goehringer means.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Well, he needs the five feet to achieve the
width, so ...
MR. ARNOFF: In some places, that's correct.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Not to clear every tree, only trees that
you need to clear within five to achieve the additional.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's correct but he doesn't say that.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Well, that's what he means.
TRUSTEE KING: How many people have we come in here and say,
well, we're only going to do a little trimming.
MR. ARNOFF: Mr. King, I certainly would be willing to
stipulate with this Board on behalf of my client that we
limit it as you suggested. That's not what we're looking to
do. I just want to make one comment, and I know that the
Board is aware of this and I also see by the hour that it's
really late, it's disingenuous of Mr. Hefron, and I know
he's new to this file, to think that we can move this
right-of-way. We don't own the land. We can't touch this
right-of-way. If we owned the properties to the east and
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Board of Trustees 67 January 21, 2004
west of us of the Diachun properties, we would be leaping
for joy right now because, one, we wouldn't be here; and
two, this right-of-way would be moved instantly. We can't
do it legally. We can't force it. We are stuck with what
Justice -- I think it was Underwood said in his
decision. We're stuck with the Zoning Board, and this is
what we have. So this is the hand we were dealt, if you
will, and these are the cards we have to play. It would be
nice to do what Mr. Hefron said, it's not possible.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I've got one more question.
MR. ARNOFF: Yes, sir.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: What about water and utilities?
JEFFREY HALLOCK: I already have water.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: For the well?
JEFFREY HALLOCK: For the well, it's already in the file.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: What about for the other properties, I
don't want to get into a situation.
JEFFREY HALLOCK: I don't know anything about the other
properties.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'm not trying to make trouble or hard
feelings or anything, but I just don't want to get into a
situation where we're going to approve something and then
the other properties further out are going to say, no, now
we have to have it a certain width, now we have to trench it
out for water. It's got to be 30 foot. Now the town or
state, and now they have got to trench it into city water.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: My understanding that this existing
right-of-way has to go up to the very edge of the last lot;
is that correct?
MR. ARNOFF: That's correct.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: The Water Authority and the Health Department
says no, you need city water.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Well, you know city water isn't available down
there. So they have to put a well in.
JEFFREY HALLOCK: We have the Board of Health permit for a well.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: You do, but I mean the properties to the north of you.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: If water ever becomes available, which means
that the Water Authority--
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: There's water on Peconic Bay Boulevard,
Right?
JEFFREY HALLOCK: Yeah.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's the first road they brought it into.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Right. But if the Water Authority takes
the initiative to put water down there, he's obligated by
the Health Department to hook up. Let me back up a little
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Board of Trustees 68 January 21, 2004
bit. If there was water down that road, he wouldn't get a
well permit. Being as there's no water down that road and
no intent to put water down that road, he got permission to
put in a well. I went through this a few years ago.
Believe me, so I know the whole story. So, when and if
supposedly now, they put a covenant on your deed or they
probably will put a covenant on your deed that if and when
-- Harvey, I'm sure you're familiar with this -- if and when
they ever put public water down that road, which is probably
very unlikely unless something happens, I mean, then the
Water Authority's got to go through all the water permits to
get it, he's expected to hook up to public water. But they
can't make him and nobody ever polices that. So he's got a
well permit, the next guy will get a well permit. It's only
when public water becomes available, which it probably never
will in that area.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: It's available up to Peconic Bay Boulevard.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: It's not down the road. They gave him a
well permit. If they wanted him to put public water in, or
they may force him to they would not have --
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I wanted to bring that up. I wanted to ask that.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I went through a six month horror show with
the health department with my house, so I know exactly what
you're going through.
MR. ARNOFF: There's one more thing, I would hope that we
could bring some finality to this tonight. Leaving this
open for submissions by Mr. Atkinson, so I submit he
submitted enough to the Board. I think everybody's
submitted enough. I don't know other than a rehash of what
you have before, I don't know what that would
accomplish. I, of course, leave that up to your good
offices.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Well, I think something's got to
give. It's been hanging around long enough. We've got to
bust and move and make a decision.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I know but it's a matter of protecting the Town.
It's not a matter of convenience, I mean, come on.
MR. HEFRON: Can I add one thing, Mr. Chairman?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Sure.
MR. HEFRON: The ZBA takes care of variances and various
matters under its jurisdiction. Your jurisdiction concerns
the wetlands. You can't operate -- you don't have boundless
discretion to make decisions. You have to conform to
standards in the Town Code. This provision of the Town Code
says standards, Section 97-28, and it says that you can
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Board of Trustees 69 January 21, 2004
grant permits only if you determine the following things:
There's no evidence in the codes that you can even get by
hurdle A. Can you say the installation of this road
adjoining a wetlands, I mean it's an absurd invasion of the
wetland that the DEC does not tolerate basically, and they
said it in their papers but (A) says you can only make the
determination to grant the permit if you can find that
granting the permit will not substantially adversely affect
the wetlands of the town. Whatever the ZBA wants to do,
they can do, but you don't have to follow them. You have a
different charge; you have a different public trust than the
ZBA does. I think it would be completely inconsistent with
your mission to grant approval of a road abutting a
sensitive tidal wetland. We have in the record those three
items that I referred to. Every single one of them says do
not put the road next to the wetland, period. Now, I don't
think we need to be concerned with moving the road or not
moving the road. The question is: Is there a basis to put
the road in such a place as to disturb the wetland and cause
associated environmental problems? I don't think that you
can get over that hurdle. Your decision, if you grant this
permit, it's insupportable on the record. There's no basis
to grant it and it just flies in the face of your own
statutory mandate. In addition to which, based on the
record and the comments of the environmental experts who
weighed in, you may very well be required to do an
environmental -- EAF long form because each one of these
three submissions by environmental experts indicates that
you got a sensitive wetland and that this is a significant
disturbance of this. You're having a significant effect on
the environment if you were to approve this action, and I
don't see that the groundwork has been laid in terms of the
environmental analysis to support it.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you.
MR. HALLOCK: May I ask a question?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Sure.
MR. HALLOCK: I'm Jeff Hallock. I'd just like to ask
everybody to remember when we met at that road with the DEC
what the DEC representative Christ Arfsten, I think everybody
was there, we were all present, as well as Ronald Diachun,
and I'd like everyone to remember what he said to us. He
said what are we all doing here? The road is existing. The
damage was done a long time ago. Let the man build his
house; do you remember him saying that to us?
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Absolutely, I remember.
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Board of Trustees 70 January 21, 2004
MR. HALLOCK: That's all I'd like you to think about. What
are we all doing here for a year and a month?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Thank you.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: You know the ZBA granted relief from those
standards and that property for probably the last 30-plus
years or more to the west side of that road. Those wetlands
have suffered from tires, trucks, old tractors, drain oils,
old oil filters, hydraulic filters, hydraulic pistons, leaky
rear ends and everything else, and some of which is still
there on the west side doing far more damage than what this
road is going to do. And I don't have a problem with it. I
really don't. A lot of that's been removed and a lot more
will be removed in the future, and the wetlands are
flourishing in spite of all that and I don't really see a
problem with it. That's my position.
MR. HALLOCK: Thank you.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: You know he's suggesting a CCA
curve or not CCA, whatever railroad tie, curb or whatever
along the west side you're talking a lot of precautions
here. I can't see putting four, five, or six inches of RCA
blend down and driving a vehicle on that as opposed to
driving in and out of the mud holes that's there, how that's
going to hurt anything. It might hurt your feelings to the
people on the other side of the creek cause they didn't get
their way, but I don't think environmentally it's any impact
at all. Regardless of what the environmental experts say. I
mean, they're doing what they're supposed to say.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Ken, Peg, what are your thoughts down there?
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: On the five feet of clearing?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No, on the whole project.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: The whole project? My gut feeling, yeah, it's
environmentally damaging.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Peggy?
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: They have an existing road and they want to put
crushed rocks on it.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: By not giving permission to put that in
there isn't going to stop the activity down there. I mean,
that guy that lives there is still going to drag that stuff
up and down the road. That isn't going to change anything.
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: I personally don't feel bad about him
laying the stone down, but if he has to start clearing five
feet now, then come back and 15 more feet later, then
there's a problem.
MR. ARNOFF: Why not a covenant not to go any further than
the 15 feet?
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Board of Trustees 71 January 21, 2004
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Jim, what do you think?
TRUSTEE KING: That's my feeling.
MR. ARNOFF: I can't speak for the Diachun, but as far as
my client and my client's property we will limit the
right-of-way to the 15 feet, period. We don't want to even
-- look. We would just a soon leave everything as it is
except filling the pot holes. They're not letting us do
that. Write it in the permit, restrict the permit. If they
violate the permit.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Write it in the permit. If they violate
the permit, we can yank it. We can approve it; we can take
it away.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Can I make a suggestion? And I've been looking
through here trying to find a plan, and I can't find one
that reflects what the applicant seems to be proposing.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: It should be in there.
JEFFREY HALLOC: Yes, sir. We drew about six surveys. The last
one is where we got into trouble and we tried to straighten
out those cut holes bend it a little bit further away.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I still want to see those bends
straightened.
MR. ARNOFF: They wouldn't let us straighten them.
JEFFREY HALLOCK: That's what the letter from the DEC is
referenced.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's what the DEC wants, but that's not
what I want. There's two places adjacent to the wetland.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I wasn't aware of that.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I mean those two are basically in the
wetlands. Those two areas have to be straightened out.
MR. HEFRON: I just want to mention, the DEC letter, in the
last sentence it says: If a wider roadway is needed for
this location then you should investigate alternative access
to your property greater than 75 feet from the tidal
wetland.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: That's been done. That was done
initially.
MR. HEFRON: Within 75 feet is an area of great concern to
the DEC because of environmental sensitivity.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: We did investigate that at length.
MR. ARNOFF: I will adopt that language ad nauseam.
MR. HEFRON: But it comes back to your mandate, what
does this Board exist to do? Protect the environment, and
our statute language is in the form of mandatory
language. You must make certain findings and the record
wouldn't support them.
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Board of Trustees 72 January 21, 2004
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's what we're working on. I'm still looking
for that original plan. Which I'm sorry, but you can help
me out by providing me with one?
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Al, can you clarify again what the DEC's
final decision was?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: My concern is do we want to say okay, and
the DEC says no,
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Well, they don't always make the same
decision we do.
E. BROWNELL JOHNSTON: I know they don't, but I want to make sure that
we have our ducks in order as to why we're saying something
different than them.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: (inaudible)
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Well, now, that's what the applicant
wants. They want to not widen it.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: That's what I'm saying.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: But I need to see every little detail. I
need to see, before I can vote on that, I need to see every
little detail of that worked out on a survey including the
two -- that shows the two areas adjacent to the wetlands
moved upland.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: That we asked for?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That we asked for.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Yes.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: That's the survey that I want to see.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: I thought we did.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'm looking for that plan.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes.
MR. ARNOFF: Because I remember you asked for that and we
gave you copies.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I never saw it.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: It was May 25, 2003.
JEFFREY HALLOCK: It's pretty confusing which one is which one is which.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI : Okay, the DEC agreed that the roadway
would be shifted to the east away from the tidal wetland in
two locations.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Right.
JEFFREY HALLOC: But not widened.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: No, just moved away.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: The majority of the work occurring within
the existing road bed.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Right.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Stone and clean fill could be placed -- I
remember they said no concrete -- to be placed in some
locations that are very low on pot holes; this is what was
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Board of Trustees 73 January 21, 2004
agreed by all parties. The only work that can be approved
by the department.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: We still don't have the one that shows
the road moved away from those two areas.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: And that's so they agreed to moving those
two locations also.
JEFFREY HALLOCK: We have a DEC permit for that. After we moved
widen the road according to the map.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: But this doesn't show that. And I think that's what your
proposal tonight was for a road that showed taken out a few
trees roughly doing what Jerry said in the letter. Although
it would be good if he could clarify -- no, doesn't do what
Jerry says in the letter. We don't want to remove all the
trees five feet -- so not doing what Jerry said. Doing what
Jerry meant to say. Doing what we said Jerry meant to say.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I know what he means.
JEFFREY HALLOCK: The letter from the DEC for some reason said 16
feet instead of 15, so the DEC got a letter saying that we
were making roads 16 feet instead of 15 (inaudible). That's
what that letter--widening the road and -- (inaudible).
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Seriously though, I think what the Board's
looking for is a plan that's going to reflect the change of
the road in two locations.
JEFFREY HALLOCK: It's right here. This is where we got in trouble is because he
widened it here.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Who widened it?
JEFFREY HALLOCK: John Ehlers. On this survey.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Well, you have to show us a plan that
doesn't have it widened. I mean, that's
what -- we can't vote on something, you know we can't
vote.
JEFFREY HALLOCK: This is showing 16 feet instead of 15.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: But you can't show a plan that's 15 either. What
this Board was looking at was a plan showing the eight foot
mark Terry referenced it eight foot wide road bed, and it's
got to show the existing road bed. It's got to show a few
removed trees wherever you want to remove the trees, show
them on the survey, and then it's -- am I right so far?
-- It's got to show the two locations where the road is
moved, and you want to see restoration to those two areas,
you want to see it replanted, filled, what do you want to
see so -- see if you move the roadway, that water's still
going to pour down in both directions into the wetlands. So
we want to see some remediation of those two areas, but you
have to show that, and I feel uncomfortable making up that
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Board of Trustees 74 January 21, 2004
JEFFREY HALLOCK: That fine dotted line is what's proposed. The
fine dotted line is the existing roadway.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: We issue the permit and put the terms of
the permit in the permit. Don't they notify you before
construction begins, you go down there, they're violating
the permit, you yank the permit.
(talking)
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: If we're going to approve something, it's
got to be what you say it's going to be and not what Jerry
meant he was going to say. It's got to be exactly on the
survey.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: What the survey is the only thing that's
showing here is it should be saying what is the changed road
than what you're saying is missing is what trees are going
to be removed?
MR. ARNOFF: We're not doing a landscape plan for you; is
that what you want? I mean, I'm not. Do you want a
landscape plan?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No, more of a restoration.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: I'm saying there's not an awful lot of
room.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: It's got to be pinched. It's got to be shown
that the road is not going to be moved-even if you move it east, the old road's still
going to be pinched in there.
MR. HALLOCK: This is what you guys asked for. Every time
you asked for something, I did what you asked me. If we go
back in the minutes, I paid for six surveys now, each one
was at your request. You tell me to do it and I do it, and
I come back and you tell me it's not what you wanted, and I
get frustrated.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: He can't move any further from here or
here because of the right-of-way.
MR. HALLOCK: You want us to cut all those trees down, I'll
do it.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: But we do in those two areas.
areas.
MR. ARNOFF: Which two areas are we talking about?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Well, I guess this one and definitely this
one, but there is room. I mean, we were in the field.
MR. HALLOCK: It's done here.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No, but this is still against the wetland, this
has got to be moved away from the wetlands.
MR. ARNOFF: But the DEC is saying --
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: They said they would allow us the two areas.
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Board of Trustees 75 January 21, 2004
JEFFREY HALLOC: No they would not, not that area.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Well listen, this is all quoted.
Additionally, it was agreed that the roadway could be
shifted to the east, away from the tidal wetlands in two
locations, the majority of work occurring within the
existing road bed.
MR. ARNOFF: Right.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: So those two locations --
JEFFREY HALLOCK: Two locations right here.
MR. ARNOFF: We've already done it on the survey.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I didn't see that.
MR. HALLOCK: First location was where we first came in,
which was over here; and the second location is right
here. These were the two locations.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: No. This is the one here.
MR. HALLOCK: No. These were the two we were concerned
about. These two shifted. This is the one that was
shifted. These are the two that when
we walked the road, this is the first two locations. You
had asked me to straighten out and move.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Then how could this road bed show right up
against the tidal wetland? That's inconsistent.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: I think that might be --
TRUSTEE FOSTER: It was a large amount of large trees.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: There's some other obstacle there I
think, Al. There was some reason why that one couldn't be
moved.
MR. HALLOCK: These were the ones when we walked the field
you asked me to have it moved. You marked it on the survey
when we were there. I marked it on the survey when I had it
there, and I asked the Board is this the -- we were in the
two places, we walked in the road. I showed you, you wanted
to reference where we were on the map because you were
thinking when we made this bend (inaudible) to someplace
else and there were a few big trees as we went up here
too. You know, once again, we'll do whatever you want.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: As opposed to getting a new survey,
would you be terribly upset if we walked it again with that
survey with us? Just to be sure that it's showing because
it's hard --
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: It should show the correct width.
MR. ARNOFF: Okay. If you can redraw it to show 15 feet
that's --
MR. HALLOCK: I'm eight foot.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: We could approve 15 feet all day and the DEC's
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Board of Trustees 76 January 21, 2004
going to say no.
MR. HALLOCK: Well what happened is this Board asked me to have a 15 foot
right-of-way, but for some reason when I got the letter it
said 16 feet. John Ehlers said what should I do, it says
16, and I said, if it says 16 make it 16. So I think it
says under 16.
MR. ARNOFF: You can draw eight on there just as easily as
you can draw 16. 1 mean, you know, it's not going to make a
big difference. He can redo that.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: My concern is because we did ask for
two, and we can't sit here tonight and say are you talking
those two or those two, would it be better to walk this and
be sure?
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Yeah, either way, you can see it in the snow. Sure.
You can see it today.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: I'm just trying to suggest something
that would prevent him from having to go and pay for another
survey if this one is correct and we --
MR. ARNOFF: It is correct other than the -- make it eight
instead of 16, 1 can probably have that to you probably
within a week.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Okay.
TRUSTEE FOSTER: Go out, take a look at it.
MR. ARNOFF: So we're going to close the hearing other
than the submission of the amended survey?
MR. HEFRON: If they're going to submit an amended survey, I
don't see why on behalf of Matthew Atkinson, allow him to
submit based on his file and his contact with his clients.
I mean...
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Let him submit what?
MR. HEFRON: Further comments because with respect to the
application.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Of course. Sure. They have proposed to
cut the roadway_in half.
MR. HEFRON: I understand what you're saying, but I still am
insisting on behalf of these people that your mandate of
this Board is to protect the environment.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Of course.
MR. ARNOFF: Don't tell this Board what its mandate is. I'm
tired of you telling this Board what its mandate is.
This Board has been in existence long enough to know their
mandate.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI Well, we get told a lot of things, but that's alright.
MR. HEFRON: Read the Town Code.
MR. ARNOFF: I have read it. I'm sure the Board is familiar with it.
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Board of Trustees 77 January 21, 2004
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Okay, boys.
MR. ARNOFF: They don't need lectures from Mr. Hefron.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: I'll make a motion to Table this application
and it's going to be on he agenda for the field inspection for February 20th.
MR. ARNOFF: Back on the agenda for what date?
TRUSTEE DICKRESON: 25th of February.
MR. ARNOFF: We'll have a survey for you shortly.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Good, thank you.
TRUSTEE KING: Seconded. ALL AYES
TRUSTEE FOSTER: I want the record to reflect that I may not
be here next month.
TRUSTEE KING: Okay. I'm going to table Number 12? Make a
motion to table Number 12 because we haven't had a chance to
inspect over there.
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: Second.
TRUSTEE KING: All in favor? ALL AYES.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Do I have a motion to go back to the
regular meeting?
TRUSTEE DICKERSON: So moved.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: All in favor? ALL AYES.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: Do I have a motion to adjourn the meeting?
TRUSTEE POLIWODA: Second.
TRUSTEE KRUPSKI: All in favor? ALL AYES.
Meeting adjourned at 11:45 PM.
RECEIVED
APR 2 7 2004
vthold Town C erk
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