Shelter Island Reporter Letters to the Editor: Oct. 29, 2024

WATER WORRIES AND WOES

To the Editor:

The Town’s responsibility under the Clean Water Act only demands that USEPA drinking water quality standards are met in the public water systems. Private wells are just that — private. If you think your water is substandard to your personal specifications, then you are responsible for addressing that privately. The concept that our Town government is responsible for the potability of water for all residents is downright false.

Details behind the push for public water systems elsewhere on Shelter Island are hidden in plain sight for all to see. The recommendation in the July draft Comprehensive Plan update states in Goal 5-1a. to, “Consider adding additional uses to the B and B-1 business zones.” All zoning code changes, including change in use, must be approved by the Town Board. If you live in these areas, the growth and density-inducing side effects of public water will surely be felt.

Once public water is available in these zones those vacant lots or nonconforming businesses next to you may be developed at twice the density that is permitted by our current zoning laws. So if you live near Bridge Street, Grand Avenue, West Neck Road/Menantic Road, Hudson Avenue, Congdon Road/Cherry Lane, Manwaring Road/North Ferry Road/St Mary’s Road/South Ferry Road, or South Menantic Road beware.

The build-out analysis described in the July draft Comprehensive Plan is grossly outdated and cannot be relied upon. Vacant lots indicated on the build-out map are no longer vacant and lots with improvements, such as accessory buildings for sleeping or storage, are not indicated. Additional work needs to be done to update this data to reflect the true build-out capacity.

If your drinking water quality is of paramount importance, then public water is not necessarily your solution. Have your water tested and compare the results with the federal standards.

PAM DEMAREST, Shelter Island

WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY

To the Editor:

The last few weeks have included a lot of discussion about Island drinking water and health of bays and harbors. 

Shelter Island Association (SIA) members represent multiple neighborhoods with lengthy shoreline areas; they have a high degree of interest about how their neighborhoods will be affected if development as proposed in the Comprehensive  Plan goes forward.

Currently drafters of the Comprehensive Plan draft (199 pages and growing) have refused many requests by citizens and civic organizations for a General Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) or an independent hydrogeologist analysis of Island water. These are two studies that the SIA asked the Town Board to authorize starting as long ago as 2022. Neither has yet been accomplished.

Islanders made their dissatisfaction clearly known when presented with the ill-considered plan for a wastewater treatment plant in the Center at a projected cost of millions. Indeed, hundreds of thousands spent for the engineering design for that abandoned proposal would have better been spent on the GEIS environmental studies for our Comprehensive Plan; these have been recommended by the Suffolk County Planning Commission and other key environmental groups.

Two Town Board members have also asked for these critical studies and the employment of an independent credentialed hydrogeologist. Such a water expert will scientifically analyze the effect of large water users, whether they be nongovernmental, like Suffolk County Water Authority, or other big commercial entities that want to further develop the Island.

Such studies would consider how Island build-out and development will affect our existing and future water quality and quantity; and critically, how proposed zoning changes and goals stated in the Comp Plan will affect our water. These zoning changes when paired with the Comprehensive Plan’s recommendation for public water authorize changes on the Island that will dramatically alter its community character in the next 10 years.

KIMBERLY NOLAND, President, Shelter Island Association

UNDERSTAND THE ISLAND

To the Editor:

Stephen Jacobs’ borderline libelous letter of Oct. 17, in which he claims that, if elected, Lisa Shaw would have to recuse herself from any Town government interaction with the Soloviev Group, because our daughter-in-law works for them, is a shameless insult to Ms. Shaw and the Island Action Party.

For good (or bad) measure, Mr. Jacobs also takes a pot shot at Town Attorney Stephen Kiely. It proves that Mr. Jacobs doesn’t know my wife very well, if at all. It also shows that Mr. Jacobs does not understand the island where he lives.

We are all connected here. If we eliminated our relatives, spouses and family from those entrusted to keep watch over Shelter Island, we would cease to function, full stop. Smear tactics might have some traction in a state or national election, but not here at home.

This late-in-the-game attack has absolutely no basis in fact, but instead tries to invent a number of possible inappropriate scenarios, none of which Island voters, especially those who know Lisa a lot better than he does, will fall for.

TOM HASHAGEN, Shelter Island

CLARIFICATIONS

To the Editor:

This is a response to statements made in recent letters from Republican Chairman Gary Blados, as well as the Island Action candidate Lisa Shaw.

Mr. Blados asserts that I “advocated for a second town attorney and town planner.”  In fact, I favor a single full-time town attorney, a solution that would significantly reduce the Town’s budget. The current town attorney receives a salary that is substantially higher than that of his predecessor, or of anyone else at Town Hall. The town attorney is often obliged to recuse himself from working on cases due to conflicts of interest, leading to additional and costly expenses for outside law firms.

It is also not accurate to state that I have advocated for a full-time planner, although I do recommend getting professional planning expertise to address the zoning and other issues the Town Board has not been able to resolve on its own.

Mr. Blados says he is “puzzled” by my support of affordable housing, although last year, I ranked affordable housing as a higher priority than my current Republican opponent — or the supervisor. At the recent candidate forum, I was in fact the only candidate to even mention housing in the closing statements.

Finally, Ms. Shaw explains away the idea of hiring experts to objectively assess the need for costly expansion of Suffolk County water, suggesting that the town engineer and USGS inputs should suffice. In my view, we should not be giving the Suffolk County Water Authority control over Island water without outside and independent expertise and review. I want everyone to have good water, wherever they live on the island, and I want solutions that are cost-effective and make sense both for the Town and individual residents.

I hope this letter clarifies my positions on these issues which are of vital importance to the Island’s future.

GORDON GOODING, Democratic candidate for Town Board

GREATNESS

To the Editor:

A few weeks ago, Trixie, our 15-year-old dog, wandered where she should not go and was struck by a car.

The driver of the car called the animal control officer who informed us and volunteered to take Trixie off-Island to the vet. Trixie was in pain and badly injured so we decided she should be put down, an obviously traumatic decision for such a lovable dog.

ACO Jen brought Trixie back from the vet and helped bury her in our back yard. Another example of the greatness we share by living in this community.

ROBERT SPRINGSTEEN, Shelter Island