Featured Story

Congdons Creek Dock permits get Town Board attention

JOHN CLARE PHOTO Dawn, Congdons Creek.
JOHN CLARE PHOTO Dawn, Congdons Creek Dock.

For the first time in weeks, the words short-term rentals weren’t uttered during a Town Board meeting February 17.

Wayne and Donna King waited patiently while the Town Board addressed a number of routine matters before taking their turn at the podium not to save themselves money, but to help other Island baymen.

At issue is whether it’s necessary to receive a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) shellfish permit for those who are working in relatively shallow waters.

The Kings spent a day visiting with DEC officials last week to determine that their $50 for a state clamming permit isn’t necessary since it only applies to those baymen working in deep waters.

Mr. King has been clamming in the area for 60 years and now knows he doesn’t need the vessel endorsement for his boat in order to renew his slip at Congdons Creek Dock.

The Town Board will act to correct the local law to eliminate that requirement, Supervisor Jim Dougherty and Councilman Jim Colligan promised.

The Town Board also authorized Public Works Commissioner Jay Card Jr. to advertise for bids to rebuild the deteriorating dock.

Zoning clarifications
The Town Board set a public hearing for March 10 on revisions to the zoning code designed to address “minor clarifications” affecting square foot living areas of properties in districts A, AA and C.

The changes don’t represent any new codes, but simply clarify the intent of the existing zoning code, Town Attorney Laury Dowd said.

The proposed changes will be available on the town’s website in advance of the hearing and currently appear on the agenda of the February 17 Town Board meeting, already listed on the town’s website.

Applications
The Town Board approved an application from Thilo and Angelica Semmelbauer of 125 Ram Island Drive to remove an existing aluminum stairway to the beach, a seating area with benches and a gate along with an existing 133-foot bulkhead. Plans call for replacing the bulkhead with a new 133-foot bulkhead and reinstalling the aluminum stairway, seating and gate.

Moorings were approved for Donald Becker of 62 Ram Island Drive in Coecles Harbor; Okan Azmak of 1 Simpson Avenue in West Neck Cove; Chad Pike/Luther Garage LLC in Shelter Island Sound; and Robert Kohn of 46 South Ram Island Drive and 40 Tuthill Drive in Coecles Harbor.

In other actions, the Town Board:
• Reappointed William Anderson Jr., Peter Grand and John Lopez to the Water Advisory Committee. Terms for all three would run through April 2, 2019.