Town Board work session report: Affordable housing and wedding plans

Efforts to establish a system of transferring development rights vital to some affordable housing projects is going to take six months to a year.

Town Attorney Stephen Kiely told Town Board members at Tuesday’s work session that once the system is in place, land purchased by the town for preservation can have its development rights stripped so they can be used elsewhere to enable more dense development than otherwise would be allowed on those sites.

The process he outlined includes an opportunity for a public hearing.

Efforts underway by the Community Housing Board (CHB) will continue while Mr. Siller, Mr. Kiely and Town Engineer Joe Finora work on a request for proposals from potential consultants to create the environmental reports necessary to create a system for transfer of development rights.

Indian wedding traditions

A request for a traditional Indian wedding ceremony to be held at The Ram’s Head Inn on Friday, Aug. 26, raised concerns among neighbors when they learned it would include a parade from 9 to 10:30 a.m. along the causeway involving 50 to 60 people, with the groom on a horse and music and dancing along the route.

Police Chief Jim Read advised the Town Board his department can handle the event by closing half the roadway while directing traffic on the other half. He suggested a payment of $2,000 to cover officers needed for the event, and returning money not spent to the families.

The event would end with the actual wedding ceremony on the beach at The Ram’s Head Inn.

Concerns ranged from safety, noise, parking and staging to whether others might seek to hold similar events at the Inn.

One resident said she had an alternative thought about where the parade could take place; that might be worked out with those planning the event.

Otherwise, Town Board members, who seemed inclined to grant the assembly permit needed for the parade, would have to make a final decision on whether to approve it.

Private businesses at Crescent Beach

Four businesses have operated at Crescent Beach in past years, but expectations that others might apply raises concerns for Board members. They don’t want more than four, and don’t want competing businesses.

They briefly discussed the issue and will accept applications by March 15. Permits will not necessarily go to those who offer to pay more than others. Those who have successfully operated there — a food truck, a massage setup on the beach, a paddle board company and a shuttle company — were popular and might get the go-ahead for this summer.

Whatever the decisions, they will be made in April, giving those with permits time to organize their plans.

Appointments

At a special meeting following the Feb. 8 Town Board work session, members unanimously approved appointments to several committees.

Julia Weisenberg and David Austin were appointed to the Planning Board. The two openings resulted because of the resignation of Michael Shatken and Meg Larsen’s election to the Town Board, necessitating her resignation from the Planning Board.

Elizabeth Hanley was appointed to the Community Housing Board that has been reconstituted in recent months. Ms. Hanley is an accountant who has attending CHB meetings, assisting with financial information vital to that group’s plans to create affordable rental and sale dwellings.

Roxanne DuVivier and Daniel Clark were appointed to the Conservation Advisory Council that has been without a full complement of members for a while.