Town Board talks regulations on irrigation, house size
At its work session Tuesday, the Town Board hashed out ideas for finalizing an irrigation law and an agenda item called “large home regulation.”
Both issues have consumed the board’s time over the last several months. The town’s Irrigation Committee has drafted new regulations on water use and the board is hoping to pass a law by the end of the year or by the latest, February 2015.
Regulating the size of new houses and permits for exceptions to build them has come out of a long process begun by Brad Tolkin’s request to build a large house on Charlie’s Lane, which drew spirited protests from neighbors.
A subcommittee of Councilmen Peter Reich and Paul Shepherd and Town Attorney Laury Dowd has been refining the draft irrigation law, focusing on small print details such as confirming the competence of contractors who would certify irrigation systems, putting gallon limits on cisterns, watering times for various zones on the Island and exemptions to the law.
The issue goes back more than 10 years, when a local law, passed in September 2003 when the town was in a water emergency, banned the installation of all inground sprinkler systems to protect the quantity of water in Shelter Island’s aquifer. But the law allowed those already in use to remain for 10 years. That sunset provision was coming due September 1, 2013 when the existing systems would be seriously restricted on water use. The board has passed a moratorium until January 1 of this year, and is set to re-up that moratorium for more time to discuss new legislation.
Building Permit Coordinator Mary Wilson said the building department is getting “more frequent reports of incidences of people with salted wells.”
There is an increasing problem on the Island of people with no potable water, Ms. Wilson said “and we’re going to see more of this. Quite frankly it frightens me. I’m inclined to say to hell with watering tress and flowers and lawns because the water is more important to the community … it seems to becoming a trend and I’m very apprehensive about it.”
Mr. Shepherd said he shared Ms. Wilson’s concerns. “And if I can’t get [the law] where I want it, then I won’t support it until I can sleep at night,” he said.
Supervisor Jim Dougherty concluded that “we have a ways to go here. It seems to raise more questions than answers as we go along.”
Speaking about the length of time the process has taken, Mr. Shepherd, who has been the most knowledgeable board member on the issue, said, “I could go back to a default position of the original law with a couple of changes we’ve made and punt.”
On regulating the size of houses that can be built, Councilwoman Chris Lewis said it seemed obvious that it had to be addressed in the town’s zoning code. She suggested forming a subcommittee that could look at other municipalities’ solutions.
“It’s going to take some time,” Ms. Lewis said. “We have to recognize we have some failures in our code that have to be changed.”
Ms. Wilson said she had been to a meeting at the Suffolk County Board of Review in Yaphank October 16 and was asked what Shelter Island was doing “proactively to limit house size and ‘bedroom count’ on our many, many substandard parcels. They’re concerned. I’m concerned.”
Ms. Wilson, referring to Mr. Tolkin’s request for special permits because he had a large family and liked to entertain, said “maybe you have to rent rooms … Some things can only support so much, and there can’t be exceptions every time.”
In other business, Highway Superintendent Jay Card Jr. asked the board to approve a request to trade equipment such as snowplows and storage tanks with the East Hampton Highway Department. The total value of the equipment to be swapped is $7,500 for each department.
