Town Board: Causeways may become separate zone

The Town Board is preparing to establish a separate zone for the causeways to Ram Island and address other coastal development concerns by strengthening existing parts of the town code.

Town officials decided Tuesday to begin work on a law to establish an overlay zone or special zoning district for the causeways. The plan is to air the proposed law at a public hearing and adopt it before a moratorium on coastal construction expires on March 31.

This approach is a shift from the effort to amend the existing Undeveloped Coastal Barrier District law, a district drawn by the federal government as part of the national flood insurance program, and one with no specific construction limitations. A December 3 public hearing on a stricter Coastal Barrier District law — one that would limit house size, height, lot clearing and more — drew criticism from owners of developed property in the zone. If the real development threat is on the causeways, the town’s focus should be there, several audience members said.

After the hearing, the Town Board asked the Planning Board and its attorney Tony Pasca to review the law. Mr. Pasca wrote an eight-page memo that included this statement: “The causeways are undoubtedly unique in their characteristics so as to justify special district classification,” either as a new zoning district or an overlay district atop the existing AA zone.

“Do you want to proceed with the outstanding suggestion to create a causeway as a separate overlay zone,” Councilwoman Chris Lewis began the discussion, adding that reducing the legislation to its simplest form would allow the board to move forward and later “tighten some things in our wetlands code” that would apply to other properties. Many environmental issues unique to coastal areas that are not currently addressed in the town code were raised during a task force review of the Undeveloped Coastal Barrier law.

“If we create this zone, we have to have good reasons to do it and I think these are good reasons,” Glenn Waddington said, referring to Mr. Pasca’s list of unique features that distinguish the causeways from nearby coastal areas, such as a flood threat from two sides, limited uplands for development without the need for fill, and the fact that they are generally undeveloped now, among others.

The exact boundaries and other details, including how to address lots that are only partly in the zone, have to be worked out but “this is a good starting point,” Town Supervisor Jim Dougherty said.

Planning Board member Emory Breiner raised several concerns and questioned why the board members wanted to bolster coastal construction rules in other parts of the code. “You’re really taking a piecemeal approach to this,” he said.

After some give and take, Ms. Lewis said, “For the moment, we’re just going to focus on the causeways.”

WEST NECK, OTHER TOPICS

During the January 11 work session, the board also discussed:

• Expansion of nonconforming properties in the residential zone. The issue arose when West Neck Road neighbors asked the board to enforce zoning laws that regulate the Olde Country Inn. A driveway was recently cut on a West Neck Road parcel that was merged with the inn property. The Zoning Board will decide whether that sort of activity is an expansion of a nonconforming commercial use at its January 26th meeting. Meanwhile, the Town Board is reviewing code changes to clearly define expansions for future applications of the law, section 133-23(C).

• The town’s Deferred Compensation Plan. The Town Board expressed support for a committee recommendation to switch carriers, from the Hartford to a state-run plan.

• The town’s Purchasing Policy and Procedures. Board members reviewed the plan to see if the thresholds for purchases that require bids should be raised.

• A plan for a municipal health care consortium. Southampton Village Mayor Mark Epley and insurance consultant Scott Bradley of Melville-based Cook, Hall & Hyde pitched a proposal for Shelter Island to join into an East End Cooperative Health Plan. Recent changes to state law allow municipalities to group together to increase numbers of participants and decrease costs. The plan involves a coordinated effort with East End hospitals to better treat and decrease the costs of chronic diseases, Mr. Bradley said. The town was asked to contribute $8,750 for a feasibility study but made no decision Tuesday.