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Shelter Island backup dredging plan proposed

 

JULIE LANE PHOTO Property owner Peter Levenson (left) and Jack Costello of Costello Marine made a case to the Waterways Management Advisory Council Monday night for changes to a pre-existing non-conforming dock in Dering Harbor. The Town Board will have the final say.
JULIE LANE PHOTO
Property owner Peter Levenson (left) and Jack Costello of Costello Marine made a case to the Waterways Management Advisory Council Monday night for changes to a pre-existing non-conforming dock in Dering Harbor. The Town Board will have the final say.

While the South Ferry channel is set to be dredged this year and all expectations are that the work will go forward without a hitch in November, the Waterways Management Advisory Council will recommend that a second project be listed at Menantic Creek — just in case something goes wrong with the South Ferry dredge.

That’s because the chance of the county dredging more than one site this year is nil, according to council member Alfred Lareto. So if something went wrong with one project and there wasn’t a second one lined up, the equipment would be moved out of the area to another town.

The members are also concerned about dredging that took place two years ago at Reel Point where water movement has largely resettled materials at the opening. Public Works Commissioner Jay Card Jr. is exploring what efforts his department may be able to make to address the problem.

In other actionsa t the WMAC meeeting Monday:
• In a split vote, four of seven members agreed to recommend that the Town Board allow changes to a pre-existing, non-conforming dock in Dering Harbor belonging to Peter Levenson of 23 Winthrop Road.

Two others on the council would have voted in favor, they said, if there were changes to the plan and a third, Mike Anglin, recused himself.

“I think what I’m giving up is substantial,” Mr. Levenson said about cutbacks to the existing dock in exchange for permission to alter the layout.

“It seems like it’s being simplified and aesthetically better,” said council member Marc Wein after Jack Costello of Costello Marine outlined a revised plan he described as “giving a lot and asking for very little.”

A lower section of the dock seemed “redundant” to member William Geraghty, who said if that were scrapped, he would have voted in favor of other changes. And George Zinger wasn’t enamored with davits that enable a boat to be lifted from the water to be drained or boarded and then lowered back to the water.

But Mr. Levenson said he has used davits since he was a youth and didn’t want to give that up.

The issue with boat lifts, member James Eklund said, has been lifting and then maintaining boats swinging from the lifts, potentially blocking views for others. But the davit would lift a boat, drain it and then set it back in the water, he said.

While the council generally tries not to allow more changes to an already non-conforming situation, in this case, members agreed with Mr. Eklund who called the plan “an overall improvement from what’s there.”

• The council voted 7-0 to recommend that Brad Goldfarb of 21A Shore Road in Dering Harbor be allowed to have a dock, but Councilman Peter Reich, liaison to the WMAC from the Town Board, noted that while the Village of Dering Harbor wants to control its own dock and mooring applications, “They haven’t been able to get their act together.”

By default, the town must continue to deal with applications from village residents.

“It’s not a grandiose thing” Mr. Goldfarb is seeking, Mr. Eklund said.

• Sent Tim and Sean Heaney of Heaney Marine back to get an updated survey for dock Heaney Marine would build off property owned by Hirsch & Co. LLC 26 Hilo Drive. The plans the men presented Monday night failed to include measurements the council needs to evaluate the application.

• Agreed that if William Derrough of 56 Ram Island Drive rebuilds a dock that capsized, it would be acceptable.

But if Mr. Derrough wants to give a new dock a different orientation from the perpendicular one the old dock had, the new dock could be 6 feet wide by 30 feet in length.

• Recommended that Kathryn Costello of 4 Clinton Avenue be allowed to have a Riparian mooring in Dering Harbor.

• Recommended that Joseph Tyree of 47 M South Ferry Road be allowed a Riparian mooring in Coecles Harbor.

• Recommended a private mooring for Benjamin Dyett of 19 Burns Road in Coecles Harbor.