2 School Street consensus reached: Town board agrees to use for housing

At its Tuesday, Oct. 27, Town Board work session, members and some residents addressed one of the most significant issues facing the Town since mid-January: What to with 2 School Street?

The small parcel, with an abandoned, dilapidated house directly across from Shelter Island School, was acquired by the Town via a bid of $791,000. According to the Town Assessor’s office, when purchased its assessed value was $1,140,000. Town Records show the house was built in 1950 and has had some minor building replacements, such as a new roof and windows in 2017. 

Several uses have been proposed, including a single-family house, or as a new FIT Center, the gym located in the school, or extra Town offices or as some kind of mixed use. 

At Tuesday’s work session, Town Engineer Joe Finora said that renovating the house back to a single-family dwelling would not be a difficult task. It needs serious interior and exterior work, “But the bones are solid,” Mr. Finora said.

Mr. Finora seemed to lean toward renovating it for housing, since making it part of the school or Town government would be much more complex, run into serious hurdles, including zoning, variances, septic concerns and others. Board members seemed to agree that housing was the solution. Councilman Ben Dyett spoke for a single-family dwelling with the option of having an Alternative Dwelling Unit — spaces in properties where apartments might be created in either a main house or an accessory building.

Councilman Albert Dickson said, “Buy it,” noting that funds will come out of the Community Housing Fund, which is sourced though a 0.5% transfer tax paid by purchasers of real estate. Shelter Island has amassed almost $2.1 million in Community Housing Fund (CHF) money between 2023 and the end of July this year, and CHF is earmarked for the production of community housing for sale or rent and the rehabilitation of existing buildings for community housing.

In addition, to help pay for purchasing and costly renovations, Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams was asked after the work session for possible options for funding. She said, “In the Fund Balance there is $117,979 designated for capital projects that can be used. We have $300,00 again in Fund Balance designated for the reimbursable portion of approximately $55,000.”

Resident Jan Sudol, who has spoken out against the purchase of 2 School Street from the start advised the Board to “sell it. Stop throwing good money after bad.” Resident Pam Demarest agreed, but also brought up one of the ideas aired previously about using the house for an on-Island physician.

The Board will likely have a resolution on the issue to vote on at the next regular meeting on Nov. 9.

Capital Upgrades

The Board discussed applying to Suffolk County‘s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which administers funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, for Island projects, including an elevator for the Legion Hall located in the basement of the Community Center; making parts of Police headquarters American With Disabilities Act compliant; funding for the Presbyterian Church’s free food pantry; and funds for trailers for the CAST outreach on the Island. Ms. Brach-Williams noted that the Lions Club also contribute to projects, which would aid the CDBG contributions.

Mr. Dickson said the Board’s priorities should be funding the Presbyterian Church’s food pantry and the Legion facility. The Board will write a resolution on the grant and vote on it on Nov. 9.

Speaking Freely

How long can you speak and how many times? The Board discussed time limits on comments from residents at the public hearings coming up on the proposed Comprehensive Plan. Also discussed was a resident coming to the podium more than once a session. A consensus was reached that there should not be a time limit, although resident Bill Mastro pointed out that if given a time limit of, say five minutes, speakers will be more focused, more concise and better prepared. 

As for returning to the podium, resident Stephen Jacobs noted that there will be many different issues discussed at the hearings and people should have the right to speak on more than one topic.

Mr. Sudol was in favor of a time limit and that people should be able to return to speak. Mr. Dickson was succinct: “Let the people speak.” And Ms. Demarest said speaking was an important part of the process and “neighbors are coming together for a common vision. I urge people to look at the vision statement and come to the public hearings.”

A proposal was made to install solar panels at the Recycling Center.

Albert is honored

All of Mr. Dickson’s colleagues praised his career of public service and his character at Tuesday’s session, the last public meeting he will attend as an elected official. Mr. Dickson is retiring for reasons of health. He also received praise from Mr. Jacobs and his former Town Board colleague Gordon Gooding. All said he was a man who put the Island and its residents first and never shied away from difficult discussions or let partisan concerns get in the way of his dedication to the place he loved and served.