Moratorium effort begins for coastal barrier zone

Construction in the Undeveloped Coastal Barrier District (in orange on this Town Hall map) would be temporarily banned by the proposed moratorium.

A moratorium on developing the Island’s causeways and othercoastal barrier lands will go to a public hearing on March 19.

The Town Board met in special session Tuesday after the weeklywork session to put the moratorium wheels in motion. They voted toopen a public hearing on an amendment to the zoning codeestablishing a six-month period during which no applications for”land division approval or permits of any kind shall be accepted,processed or issued for properties within the Undeveloped CoastalBarrier District. If adopted, the moratorium would go into effectupon filing with the Secretary of State.

That district includes both causeways to the Ram Islands, lowlying peninsulas (Shell Beach), points (Hay Beach Point, ReelPoint, Mashomack Point, Taylor’s Island) and beaches and coves(Crab Creek, Wades Beach, Majors Harbor); see adjacent map. Much ofthe land in the district has been preserved by the town, SuffolkCounty or the Nature Conservancy, but it also includes severalundeveloped building lots.

The moratorium is needed, Councilwoman Chris Lewis said duringthe work session, “not as an effort to keep people who own theseproperties from building on them but to establish criteria fordeveloping land with flood hazards, limited potable water andseptic capacity and environmentally sensitive wetlands and beachhabitats. During the moratorium, rules would be considered foramending Chapter §133-11 of town code, which regulatesthe Undeveloped Coastal Barrier District.

“Recent development in this area has highlighted both thesethreats and the inadequacy of the current code to address them,according to the language of the board’s proposed law, “so that atemporary moratorium must be placed on development in this districtwhile the law is reviewed and revised to better protect ShelterIsland.

The Zagoreos property, for which a new house is proposedrequiring a wetlands permit from the Town Board and a specialpermit from the Zoning Board of Appeals, would not be subject tothe moratorium. If adopted, however, the law would empower the TownBoard to grant variances from the moratorium in the case of”extraordinary hardship.

During the February 23 work session, board members alsodiscussed the following topics:

Applications heard at Friday’s public hearings (see story, page3).

Reports on the Association of Towns meeting in Manhattan lastweek by Councilwoman Chris Lewis, Town Attorney Laury Dowd andHighway Superintendent Mark Ketcham. Mr. Ketcham reported thatupstate towns are “disgruntled over the new state ban on openburning and want the law to be rewritten.

Revisions of the temporary sign law. Councilman Peter Reich saidhe’d heard comments from people that a 1-square-foot sign would betoo small. Councilman Glenn Waddington asked about allowing signsfor selling home produce (like eggs and lemonade); an exemption forsigns advertising community and non-profit events has already beenincluded in the draft law. Paul Shepherd objected to exemptions asunnecessary. “Why don’t we make [the law] about what it is reallyabout … temporary commercial signs … I can’t believe we can’tcome up with something that doesn’t spank everybody.

Future work sessions including East End transportation issues,enforcement of the town’s pesticide rules in wetlands, andmanagement plans for the town’s open space acquisitions.