This Week in History: Town served summons in suit over Dering Harbor moorings

15 Years Ago

Town served summons in suit over Dering Harbor moorings

The Village of Dering Harbor sued the town over jurisdictional rights in the waters of Dering Harbor. The village was asking the court for sole jurisdiction, arguing that the town had no legal jurisdiction over the waters within 1,500 feet of the village.

The village maintained that the town was violating state law by improperly imposing its authority over activities in the harbor. The village also argued that town code related to use of personal watercraft, speeds of vessels and mooring rights belonged to the village and that Dering Harbor, not Shelter Island is entitled to mooring fees.

The town filed a countersuit against Dering Harbor.

 Postscript: Today, you would have to file an application with the Shelter Island Town Clerk for a mooring in Dering Harbor.

10 Years Ago

Panel suggests closing spigot on water usage

The Water Advisory Board agreed that Shelter Island was in the midst of anwater crisis that would be exacerbated by allowing residents to irrigate their lawns, wash cars and boats or fill their pools.

Shelter Island has a small and isolated aquifer, and in 2002 plans were afoot to ask the Town Board to ban the use of in-ground irrigation systems and soaker hoses and limit the use of hand-held hoses to 30 minutes per day for any purpose, including keeping swimming pools filled or washing cars or boats.

Filling new swimming pools already required use of off-island water.

Postscript: As of September 2013, there will be a ban on use of irrigation systems on the Island unless property owners have cisterns to collect and recycle the water.

30 Years Ago

Town Board bans building on coastal barriers

The town amended its zoning code to prohibit new construction on areas defined as coastal barriers by the U.S. Department of the Interior, barring building on the causeways of Ram Island and Section 9 of Hay Beach.

Under the federal designation, flood plain insurance would be unavailable to anyone owning property on any of the barriers.

Then-supervisor Mel Nevel had asked the Interior Department to designate Reel Point, Shell Beach and Crab Creek as coastal barriers, but ultimately, they weren’t included on the list.

Postscript: In December 2011, after a lengthy moratorium, the Town Board adopted rules limiting development on the Ram Island causeways. The rules set a minimum lot size of five acres, restrict house size to a maximum of 1,800 square feet depending on lot size, tightly limit clearing and bar tennis courts, swimming pools or any other accessory structures.

40 Years Ago

School budget gets PTA attention

The Board of Education and then-principal Michael Chiaramonte outlined the budgeting process for taxpayers, while explaining that the district had control of only about 75 percent of spending. The rest was either state or federally mandated or the result of contractual obligations.

There were concerns that per-student costs were high on the Island, but Mr. Chiaramonte suggested that taxpayers look at similar costs in other East End districts and said they would find Shelter Island’s spending in line.

Postscript: The annual budget process is underway now, but for the first time, school districts, like all taxing districts in New York, are under a state mandate not to raise the tax levy more than 2 percent.