South Ferry to start on new support building

Earlier this month the Zoning Board of Appeals held a public hearing on South Ferry’s proposal for a new support building on its property, replacing a decades-old structure.

The ZBA passed a resolution enabling work to get underway on the project after receiving a raft of letters from neighbors, all endorsing the application.

The ZBA hearing was necessitated because of a 15-foot side yard variance.

A second public hearing on an application from new owners of the Chequit drew support from the Heights Property Owners Corporation with General Manager Stella Lagudis confirming, “We don’t have any objections.”

There are a couple of considerations ZBA members will discuss at their Dec. 8 work session, but there appear to be no significant stumbling blocks to approval.

Ms. Lagudis said she has spoken with the new Chequit owners and operators and the relationship is positive.

The Chequit was purchased for $3 million at auction in 2020 by Stefan Soloviev, who owns Crossroads Agriculture, one the nation’s largest agriculture companies. It’s to be operated by his ex-wife, Stacey Soloviev, who is also managing Peconic Bay Winery in Cutchogue Santa’s Christmas Tree Farm in Cutchogue, another property acquired at auction in 2019.

Plans at the Chequit call for reconstruction of the porch, expanding a new foundation with a full basement, and construction of a new recessed patio.

A front variance is needed for the new foundation, which will include the recessed patio and a stairway to the lower basement.

The project will also require a special permit for the expansion of the pre-existing nonconforming building.

“It needs some love on the outside,” Ms. Soloviev said of the Inn during a walk through shortly after the acquisition.

“I fell in love with the place. It’s amazing,” she said at that time.