April 9, 2025: Shelter Island has a new dock code

The fourth time was the charm for the Town Board to finally unanimously approve a new dock code at the April 7 meeting.

After all the vitriol at three previous public hearings, the fourth public hearing finally ended in moments of praise, thanks and smiles throughout the room.

The meeting started with Town Clerk Amber Wilson reading a number of letters into the record praising the latest draft and encouraging a unanimous vote on the document. The vote was 4-0 with Councilman Albert Dickson absent.

A smiling Waterways Management Advisory Council Chairman Bill Geraghty strode to the podium to say the majority of issues raised at previous public hearings dealt with 5 to 10% of changes his committee had recommended.

What emerged in the approved code “retains the spirit of what we set out to do,” Mr. Geraghty said. He thanked the Town Board for the time and energy its members spent to get to a positive conclusion.

Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams thanked the WMAC members for the “arduous process” they spent reviewing the original lengthy code in search of ways to strength safety measures.

If the list of specific sites the WMAC had recommended where docks should not be allowed was eliminated from the new code, the WMAC retained the right to judge applications and recommend against approval where they believe people might be hurt or where wave action seems likely to result in property damage.

The original redraft also sought a code specific enough to reduce the number of applications that would need variances to be allowed.

The full new code is available on the Town website.

OTHER NEWS FROM TOWN HALL

The Town Board is considering methods of an expansion of the West Neck Water District, initially to three property owners who asked to be served by the district managed by the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA). The issue was discussed at Tuesday’s Town Board work session.

SCWA is not a government entity but an independent, nonprofit, public-benefit corporation operating under the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York.

When acting Town Attorney Stephen Leventhal and Town Engineer Joe Finora spoke with SCWA for guidance, they learned there are two ways to handle the situation. In the first case, those interested in being served by the Water District could submit a petition to the Town Board that could either simply approve that addition to open the door to other potential customers — particularly those who are immediately across the street from current customers so they could tap into the water main. There’s no doubt the Water District has the capacity to handle the three customers who have expressed a desire to join the system.

As for opening the door to more potential customers, capacity would determine how many property owners could join.

The second possibility would be a referendum of those who seek to join the Water District. But there’s a question about whether such a referendum must also include current customers. That’s an issue that still has to be researched. But a referendum could only be held if a significant number of property owners requested it, Mr. Leventhal said.

As to capacity, Mr. Finora said he would have to investigate how many potential new customers the system could handle, but guessed an additional 25 would be the maximum number who could be accommodated.

IN OTHER NEWS FROM TOWN HALL

The Town Board is considering methods of an expansion of the West Neck Water District, initially to three property owners who asked to be served by the district managed by the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA). The issue was discussed at Tuesday’s Town Board work session.

SCWA is not a government entity but an independent, nonprofit, public-benefit corporation operating under the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York.

When acting Town Attorney Stephen Leventhal and Town Engineer Joe Finora spoke with SCWA for guidance, they learned there are two ways to handle the situation. In the first case, those interested in being served by the Water District could submit a petition to the Town Board that could either simply approve that addition to open the door to other potential customers — particularly those who are immediately across the street from current customers so they could tap into the water main.

There’s no doubt the Water District has the capacity to handle the three customers who have expressed a desire to join the system.

As for opening the door to more potential customers, capacity would determine how many property owners could join.

The second possibility would be a referendum of those who seek to join the Water District. But there’s a question about whether such a referendum must also include current customers. That’s an issue that still has to be researched. But a referendum could only be held if a significant number of property owners requested it, Mr. Leventhal said.

As to capacity, Mr. Finora said he would have to investigate how many potential new customers the system could handle, but guessed an additional 25 would be the maximum number who could be accommodated.