Town Attorney helps move SIHS project forward
With the help of Town Attorney Laury Dowd, a seemingly Catch-22 situation for the Shelter Island Historical Society building project is on its way to getting untangled.The Historical Society needs a special permit from the town and a permit from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services before it can start construction on its vault, classroom and display space additions. Before the Health Department can act, it needs a State Environmetnal Quality Review Act (SEQRA) study of the project that involves a long form environmental impact review.
At Tuesday’s Town Board work session, Ms. Dowd provided guidance on filling that part of the SEQRA form the applicant must file so the town can then complete the remainder of the form.
The town needs more information on issues involving parking, sewage and other issues germane to the project. Builder Chris Fokine said he has met with Town Engineer John Cronin on plans and will be able to provide information the Building Department needs to certify the project.
Until all the permits are in place, the Historical Society can’t set a date or time table for the $1.7 million project.
Complaints
Both Shelter Island Police and Councilwoman Chris Lewis have been alerted to neighbors’ complaints about construction equipment on site at Marcello Masonry they say could be used to grind cement. Their concerns are with noise and dust, Ms. Lewis said at Tuesday’s work session.
“This is an industrial operation there,” Ms. Lewis said.
Nothing in the town code permits industrial operations, Building Permits Coordinator Mary Wilson said.
At the same time, Police Chief Jim Read said that he would be powerless to take action on noise complaints because the only ordinance on the books pertaining to noise deals with music.
Ms. Lewis also noted that a promised curb cut that was to have been made in 2015 hasn’t been done.
It’s not the first time the town has had issues with the property owned by Dan Calabro. Building Inspector Chris Tehan issued an order to remedy to Mr. Calabro requiring removal of trucks and material from the site at 13 North Ferry Road at the end of 2014. The property was cleaned up of dismantled automobiles, trucks, tractors and other equipment.
Then in April 2015, Mr. Tehan told Mr. Calabro that to maintain the site as a moving and storage and general trucking operation, he would need to install a curb cut to provide safe egress onto Route 114 and to minimize storm water runoff and road damage.
If the grinding equipment is being parked on the property to be taken to job sites, Mr. Calabro said in a telephone interview, he would have no problem. But he likely would have prohibit grinding operations to take place on the property.
At the same time, he said he wished the Town Board would call him about any problems on his properties because this was the first he was hearing about the issue.
In other Town Board business:
• Islander and South Ferry executive Nick Morehead is expected to get an appointment to the Suffolk County Planning Board after being approached by Commission Director Sara Lansdale in the wake of his nomination by County Executive Steve Bellone.
Supervisor Jim Dougherty announced at the work session this week that a review by the county of Mr. Morehead’s credentials resulted in a recommendation. The Suffolk County Legislature is expected to approve the appointment shortly, the supervisor said.
• Proclamations were presented to Howard Brandenstein, who has resigned after putting in many years on the Shelter Island Library Board of Trustees; to Jeanne and Ken Woods, applauding their selection by the Shelter Island Reporter as People of the Year; and to Edward Springer Sr., who is retiring as Suffolk Country Chief Fire Marshal. The latter proclamation came at the request of Mr. Bellone, who has requested it from each town.
• Changed February Town Board meeting dates so the work session scheduled for February 16 will occur on Wednesday, February 17 at 1 p.m. and the regular meeting scheduled for February 19 will be held Friday, February 26, at 4:30 p.m.
