Dock issue on hold pending settlement talks: Court asked to delay further action until August

There is apparently an effort afoot to resolve the dispute over a dock near the Ram’s Head Inn.

It was expected paperwork would be filed with the court on July 7, but instead, attorney Timothy Hill, who identified himself as writing on behalf of himself and Alex Kriegsman, representing Inn owner Aandrea Carter, filed a letter with the court asking for a delay until Aug. 4 “as the parties are attempting to resolve the matter.”

At issue is a dock long used by former Inn owners James and Linda Eklund and then by Ms. Carter after she purchased the property in 2021. For years, there have been disputes about whether the dock is on Ram’s Head Inn or Town land with varying decisions. The last decision was the dock touched on land owned by the Town and the dock had to go.

Various designs for a replacement dock were filed and changed and refiled by Jack Costello of Costello Marine, but there were questions from the Waterways Management Advisory Council about how the new dock might be used and without a resolution to that question, no action was taken.

In May, Public Works Department workers not only fenced off access to the dock, but under orders from the Town Board, removed planks from the dock.

That sent Ms. Carter’s attorney to court to gain a restraining order issued by Suffolk Country Supreme Court Justice Joseph Santorelli on behalf of the Inn owner enjoining the Town or anyone acting on its behalf from taking any further action to damage, restrict or otherwise block Ms. Carter or her invitees or patrons from accessing or using the remaining existing dock.

Within a week, the Town issued a statement saying it would fight the temporary restraining order, citing the long dispute, now settled, that the dock touches Town land. That began the latest action that has largely been an exchange of paperwork filed with the court.