Town Board: Changes are in the works for causeway legislation

Some major revisions may be in store for the Town Board’s proposed legislation to limit building on the Ram Island causeways.

An upzoning to a five-acre minimum lot size and a fixed new zoning district instead of a “floating zone” that would overlie the existing residential zoning on the causeways were among the ideas Town Board members talked about at their Tuesday work session.

The board members reaffirmed an earlier informal agreement to vote this Friday, at the board’s next formal meeting, to extend the current moratorium on causeway construction to December 31. Otherwise it would expire at the end of the month. A new causeway proposal would be drafted during the extension.

Resident Richard Kelly urged the board to hire a certified wetlands “delineator” he had contacted at a fee of $2,000 to determine what part of the causeway fell under the jurisdiction of what he called the 1979 federal wetlands act. Mr. Kelly said that property officially designated as federally protected wetlands may be protected from development by federal law with no need for the town to adopt local regulations or buy property to preserve it as open space.

Supervisor James Dougherty commented late in the discussion that he seriously doubted federal wetlands rules would provide “a silver bullet” that would bar development.

Town Board candidate Will Anderson said he had read most of the federal wetlands code and, even though he was “just a stupid plumber,” he could find “loopholes you could drive a truck through.”

Also at Tuesday’s work session, the board heard Ann Dunbar, chair of the West Neck Water District Board of Directors, report on the board’s plans for continuing the replacement of old mains in small increments costing no more than $20,000 year. She said about one-third of the system was replaced a few years ago and the rest is aging and needs replacement. The work would take place in November and December, when there are fewer customers in residence and before the ground freezes.

The board heard Chamber of Commerce President Sean McLean report that all permits and preparations were set for the fireworks show this Saturday, July 9 from a barge off Crescent Beach ( see separate story).

Also, board members expressed skepticism about a parking ticket amnesty program suggested recently by Councilman Peter Reich after Town Justice Helen Rosenblum, who was in the audience Tuesday with Town Justice Mary-Faith Westervelt, told the board she believed it would be illegal. The program would let first-time parking offenders off the hook for parking tickets under certain conditions, including submitting a receipt showing they had spent at least $100 at a local business during the time of the parking violation. Supervisor Dougherty commented the “game might not be worth the candle.”

The board informally agreed to let La Maison Blanche inn and restaurant on Stearns Point Road waive a state requirement for a 30-day local public notice before the Liquor Authority acts on the inn’s application for a liquor license.

Also on Tuesday, the board:

• Heard Councilwoman Chris Lewis and the supervisor report that the town’s Senior Citizen Foundation will meet to decide whether a majority of directors would support providing funds to bring up to country health codes that kitchen in the town’s Senior Center. They said there appeared to be some support for helping out, despite what Ms. Lewis had described as Foundation Chairman Sy Weissman’s flat rejection of the idea at an earlier meeting. It’s also possible the Lions Club may provide funding.

• Heard the supervisor report that the county Budget Review Office had recommended that North Ferry’s request for a rate hike be approved.

• Criticized the state’s newly approved 2-percent cap on annual tax increases, which can be overridden by the same 3-2 vote needed to pass an annual budget. Councilman Glenn Waddington said he would never pledge to limit tax increases to 2 percent because “you never know what’s going to happen.” Councilman Ed Brown called the cap a major concern — its implications were “real spooky,” he said — because it was unclear what it covered and what it exempted. Noting that the Town Board in recent years has been tapping into a fund balance to limit annual tax increases, he asked if the cap covered the use of fund balances. If it did, he said, “We’re looking at double figures” for future tax increases. “We really have to raise some hell to make sure we’re not handcuffed” during the budgeting process, he said.

• Heard Supervisor Dougherty report that three concerts have been slated at the Bridge Street Park at 7:30 p.m. on  Tuesday, July 19, when Lisa Shaw, Tom Hashagen and friends will perform; Thursday, August 4, when John and Penny Kerr and friends will perform; and Thursday, August 25 when Bennett and Eve Konesni will perform.