Islanders propose views for a future Shelter Island: Multiple suggestions under discussion

“We need to manage the change rather than let the change manage us.”

The speaker was Petra Schmidt, a member of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee and a leader of one of the discussion groups at last Thursday’s second community workshop. About 100 people participated in the session held virtually using Zoom and telephone connections.

Jo-Ann Robotti, an Advisory Committee member and a leader of another discussion session, summed up several views expressed by those in her group who said the Shelter Island of tomorrow should embrace:

• Ethnic and economic diversity

• Improvements in water and septic systems

• Provisions for affordable housing

• Limited house sizes

• Enforcement of the town’s noise ordinance and other regulations

• Cultural activities

• Revitalization of Route 114 to eliminate what some called “an eyesore”

How all that can happen should be led by a professional town manager and/or town planner, others said. Many saw that as necessary to meeting future needs.

It wasn’t a swipe at current office holders, but a realization that the Town Board needs to set policy.

The government does a good job of handling essential services, but not in handling long-term planning, one resident said. There was also a call for digitizing town records to make them more accessible and convenient.

“I want a really mixed town to live in — multi generational people sharing ideas and space,” one resident said. It was a concept expressed by people in the discussion groups that afforded everyone a chance to be heard with their individual visions of the town they hope will exist in 2030 and beyond.

Concern for both affordable housing and job creation were on the minds of many.

The aim of this second Comprehensive Plan workshop was to elicit public input. The Plan Advisory Committee encouraged participants not to consider practical issues such as how to pay for needs they might identify. But there were suggestions from many to seek grant money.

Ideas will have to be prioritized in terms of costs, Project Manager Edward Hindin said. But raising taxes isn’t the only means of paying for some efforts. There can be public-private partnerships, grant opportunities and bonding, he said.

What especially pleased Mr. Hindin was participants gave the time to attend and were engaged in the conversations. He noted there was much agreement on many of the issues especially for ongoing action to protect the environment.

There will be outreach for comments from an even wider group of people with at least one more survey, more workshops and contacts with people individually to ensure the final plan reflects the interests of the diverse community, Mr. Hindin said.

At a time without a pandemic, there would be opportunities to meet with people in small groups in their own neighborhoods, he added.

While no one is suggesting a full-time Fire Department or Emergency Medical Service, there are those who suggested a core group of paid firefighters and EMTs to meet needs.

With relatively few jobs on the Island, many of those who might want to volunteer simply aren’t on Island during the work day to be able to respond to certain emergencies.

Another popular issue is a general desire to see two Island institutions continue on the Island. Participants expressed strong support for maintaining the town’s small school district and the Shelter Island Library.

If the COVID-19 pandemic has any silver living, there was recognition that there are many jobs people can do remotely from their homes and some suggested that may point the direction for more Islanders to remain employed in the future without the need for long commutes off-Island.

Watching the brain drain of students educated on the Island leaving for good jobs elsewhere, there were many who suggested creating affordable apartments above existing businesses.

Some called for an end to the “Not In My Backyard” attitude that for years has destroyed affordable housing initiatives. Another suggestion was shared housing for seniors who might leave their family houses in favor of living together in smaller quarters. But past outreach to seniors that they consider sharing their family houses with tenants who could provide income to them and take on chores around the house some might not be able to handle themselves, got no takers when suggested by previous Community Housing Board members.

Water quality and quantity are major concerns. Some want to see restrictions on house sizes above 6,000 square feet of living space curtailed, viewing megahouses as a major contributor to water problems.

Short-term rentals (STRs), which has been a controversial topic, got little attention, although there was a call by one participant for such rentals to be owner-occupied. The speaker explained that he has no objection to owners living elsewhere on the Island, but doesn’t want to see companies developing STRs and leaving the premises to be unmanaged.

There was general support for revitalizing Route 114, particularly that part in the Center where there are unoccupied stores. But there were no suggestions for how to ensure this could happen to privately-owned structures that sit empty. Still, one person suggested the town acquire them by eminent domain.

More than a few agreed the Town Board and committees need to learn to say no to requests for exemptions to codes.