Shelter Island Reporter Editorial: Time to review

Planning Board member Emory Breiner reminisced at a recent Town Board work session about picking up then-Congressman Felix Grucci years ago at North Ferry and driving him to some Island function.

“Why did you let this happen to Route 114?” Mr. Grucci asked his driver, looking out at what sits along North Ferry Road.

Why indeed?

Call it carelessness; call it Islanders allergic to any government regulation; or elected officials unwilling to work with each other to come up with solutions. But whatever you call it, the result is something visitors see immediately upon arriving — and we see daily — something Supervisor Jim Dougherty has rightly dubbed “an eyesore.”

But now action is being taken by the Town Board, which must be applauded. Site plan review legislation — a process requiring all commercial property owners to formally submit plans for development — has been drafted, discussed and now will be the subject of a public hearing before a vote is taken to make it law.

The push for site plan review was triggered by two Route 114 properties, which were the living examples of Mr. Dougherty’s opinion, since they were like pokes in the eye every time you passed them.

One is the Marcello Masonry site near Duvall Avenue that first came to the town’s attention more than a year ago because of its unsightly appearance and noise. Making matters worse, the board heard neighbors earlier this year voicing complaints about a concrete grinding machine on the premises

Promises were made a year ago to clean it up, but it’s only within the last few weeks that landscaping to screen the place has been planted and construction started for a proper driveway and curb cut.

The other property just down the road is a storage facility being built by John Sieni. Building Department confusion reigned on this one, when approvals were given before a stop work order was issued. The project has been the subject of a Zoning Board of Appeals hearing on May 26 (see story, page 13) where the ZBA got an earful from neighbors on the project.

No one wants over-regulation. But no reasonable person wants cowboys who don’t care for their community putting up whatever they want.

Site plan review is long overdue and a welcome addition to the town code.