Town Board okays St. Gabe’s project wetlands permit
Pandion owner Richard Hogan shows one of the early versions of his plans for the development on the former St. Gabriel’s site.
The Town Board moved the St. Gabriel’s development application another step forward Tuesday, briefly going from a work session into an official meeting, to vote to unanimously approve a wetlands permit for the project.
The permit will allow Richard Hogan, who purchased the land on which St. Gabriel’s Retreat once sat, to demolish four buildings, a swimming pool and other accessory structures on the site, provided that mitigating steps are taken.
Among them are requirements for the work to be done as outlined in a plan submitted by the applicant. Large machinery used in the demolition is to be kept away from the bulkhead along Coecles Harbor and construction debris while on site must be covered to ensure it doesn’t land in the water.
The area is to be re-vegetated after demolition with irrigation allowed during the process. As little soil as possible is to be disturbed on the site during the demolition and reconstruction.
Mr. Hogan must provide a certificate of insurance and the wetlands permit has a two-year lifespan from the date of its passage.
The Zoning Board of Appeals has approved construction of two community buildings — a boathouse and a clubhouse on the site. The Waterways Management Advisory Committee could act as soon as Monday night on the application to build a community dock and, perhaps one to two other docks at the site.
That would send the project back to the Planning Board to work out lot lines and roadways within the new residential community.
There was general agreement among members of the boards that they were in favor of the project and had positive feelings about Mr. Hogan and his team to carry it out responsibly.
But without established lot lines and roads, each had difficulty making decisions dependent on actions of the others.
The ZBA became the first to break the logjam in August.
