‘Fragile or ‘proportional?’ Town Board discusses a new building zone
At the February 17 Town Board work session, the board discussed a proposal making the rounds of the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Water Advisory Committee to establish what was originally termed a “fragile zone,” or one where future development could be restricted.
Town Board members agreed earlier in the month that they haven’t had the time to fully examine all the information they’ve received from the various boards, but agreed that the word “fragile” probably needs to be dropped.
What the Town Board is trying to accomplish, according to Councilman Paul Shepherd, is to establish some restrictions on how much development is “reasonable” on a given lot size.
At the same time, Councilman Jim Colligan noted that the board “needs to be careful” about creating a formula on the amount of allowable square footage devoted to living space as it relates to lot size.
An in-depth conversation was anticipated at the February 23 work session, after Town Board members had a chance to absorb the reports from the various other boards.
Grants
Mr. Colligan noted there are occasions when Shelter Island has been awarded grants for projects that would provide 100 percent of the cost with the proviso that the town must first spend the money and await reimbursement.
But without money in the budget to bear that cost and a reluctance to borrow, some grants are left on the table and needed project don’t get done, Mr. Colligan said. That policy makes it more difficult to win future grants in an increasingly competitive world, he added
Planning ahead for maintenance and equipment that has a limited life span is an ongoing concern, Councilwoman Chris Lewis said. Taxpayers would prefer to see small increases in their tax bills to prepare for necessary expenses that come up, she added, rather than one large spike in taxes when extensive and costly work must be done or equipment needs to be purchased.
Two years ago, Public Works Commissioner Jay Card Jr. and Town Engineer John Cronin made the case for establishing maintenance plans for town-owned properties and equipment, proposing a fund to meet such expenses.
But the Town Board stayed with its “just in time” funding. It did move a bit from that stance in the final budgeting sessions last year when the board increased money for road maintenance to $130,000, as opposed to the original supervisor’s proposal that called for $50,000 to be allocated.
WebEx
The town’s experiment with video conferencing to accommodate members unable to attend meetings, particularly in winter months when many are away for extended periods, continues.
WebEx, the system in use in the past month by the Waterways Management Advisory Council, wasn’t without some flaws, but generally worked effectively.
Still, Town Board members see it as a stop-gap since materials that might be brought into the room can’t be examined by members at remote sites.
Jeanette Flynn, who is secretary to various boards, was to ask WebEx for an extension of its trial period with the system before making a decision about whether or not to purchase it.
