Waterways Management: Tidal turbine proposal still spinning in neutral
Before Shelter Island’s Waterways Management Advisory Committee takes another step on a proposed tidal turbine system, members decided on Monday night they want to know what their neighbors in East Hampton and Southampton are thinking about it.
The proposed system inventor E.K. “Ken” von der Heyden brought his plan to the WMAC in March. Called MoonCurrent, it is designed to generate electric power by using the tide to spin an anchored turbine. He believes a turbine in the South Ferry Channel would save Shelter Island money on its electric bills and potentially even yield some revenue.
Mr. von der Heyden has made similar presentations to the two South Fork communities, neither of which has taken any action.
WMAC member Marc Wein at Monday night’s meeting told his colleagues he wanted to know what officials in the Hamptons are thinking before Shelter Island gives further consideration to being the “guinea pig” to test the technology.
“Can’t he try elsewhere and if it’s successful, then bring it back to Shelter Island?” Mr. Wein asked. “Why do we feel obligated to be his test site?”
“It’s a tough concept to make happen,” WMAC Chairman John Needham said. Other members thought that before Shelter Island gave the go-ahead to put a pontoon platform housing a turbine engine in the water near South Ferry, there should be more engineering evidence that the system might work.
That Mr. von der Heyden hadn’t spoken to South Ferry President Cliff Clark about his idea bothered WMAC member Alfred Loreto.
Only James Eklund defended the proposal. “Every piece of progress comes with some price,” he said. He suggested allowing a test to take place during the off-season. Mr. Needham said he would want the town to have the right to pull the plug on any testing.
Mr. von der Heyden said in March that to gain financial support for his testing, he would need to guarantee sponsors that the testing would continue long enough to prove the efficacy or failure of the system.
Councilman Ed Brown, a liaison to the WMAC, said he was concerned that the pontoon would be in a high traffic area and an area where there is a lot of fishing. He also expressed concerns about the visual impact of the pontoon.
The committee reached no conclusions about how or whether to proceed with the proposal.
In other WMAC actions, the committee:
• Recommended that the Town Board approve an application from Sheron Potashner of 32 Peconic Avenue to construct approximately 201 feet of vinyl bulkheading in place of an existing storm-damaged timber bulkhead; construct a new 16-foot vinyl easterly return; backfill using approximately 75 cubic yards of clean sand to be trucked in from upland sources; and reconstruct a stairway and platforms to the beach. The committee asked that the stairway be turned so it’s parallel to the bulkhead.
• Recommended that the Town Board approve an application from the Reverend Paul Wancura of 3 Oak Tree Lane to remove and then replace 60 feet of new seaward bulkhead and 34 feet of existing east return.
• Recommended that the Town Board approve an application from Beverly Mintzer of 82 Gardiners Bay Drive to construct 165 feet of new low profile rock revetment; fill and grade an area landward of new revetment to an elevation of about six feet with approximately 20 cubic yards of clean trucked-in soil; reinstall existing post and rail wire fence in a new location and re-vegetate the area to match existing vegetation. Ms. Mintzer’s request to construct a new upper retaining wall and stairway is a wetlands code issue that the Town Board must consider, Councilman Peter Reich told the committee.
