Soundfront Buzz
September 13, 2008 by joanna · 2 Comments
Join the forum discussion on this post - (1) Posts
Sunset over Long Island Sound
Our own Town Trustees are aware of this, and may be willing to agree a full revetment* as the best solution, but this has proved to be at odds with the DEC position. Owners have been told that their house needs to be in danger of falling into the Sound before they would approve a full revetment, which course of inaction on their part can result in extensive loss of valuable property for the owner, as much as an acre in one case.
Owners have been told to simply plant, only to watch $30,000 of beach grass and $50,000 of staircase down the bluff subsequently wash away. Only the DEC appears convinced that a small row of rocks at the base of the bluff is sufficient to withstand nor’easters and other storms that eat away at the base of the bluff. Owners themselves seeking to protect their property and other experts completely disagree.
We sense the DEC’s role is to assist the State in taking private property for the benefit of the State, and that they are using every means available (including inaction) to do so. SoutholdVOICE said as
much last year in the “LWRP for Dummies” article published here.
Without organizations like SoutholdVOICE, individual homeowners feel powerless to protect their property and work in a balanced way with DEC to do so. Expensive lobbying in Albany to get DEC to approve something reasonable is an option, but not for every individual who is impacted, it’s too expensive. So, while bay front dock issues are pressing, Southold VOICE is mindful that Coastal Erosion issues are no less pressing for our Soundfront members, and equally deserving of our attention.
Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the issues facing Soundfront property owners. Click “play” below to hear local attorney Pat Moore talk about permitting problems owners face in the Coastal Erosion zone, and the negative impact of recent changes in the zoning code on home values in Southold Town. Then add your 2 cents by leaving a comment below.
| Add Pat Moore’s talk about permitting issues for waterfront property owners on Long Island Sound to your page |
(Tech tip: If you experience buffering problems during this 7 minute video, try closing other browser windows and programs you may have running in the background.)
The issues that Mrs. Moore raise are very valid concerns however, it is important to what code is “new” and what is not. She speaks of “recent” changes to the code but there have been only two since I have been on the Board. The first was the minor changes to ch.275 which the Southoldvoice organization was at the table for and covered on this website, and second, the definition of buildable area of single and seperate lots. This reduced the amount of land a waterfront owner could use to determine how much he could build on the property by requiring the removal of any “non-buildable” portions prior to applications. This law passed the Board 5-1 a few years ago with me being the only member of the board to vote against it. I voted against it because of the limiting effects it would have on the owner and the real possibility of loss of value to the lot. All other issues she discusses are not new at all but have been around for years. The 100 foot setback, coastal errosion law, etc. have been around for years and administered by the Trustees, ZBA etc.. For a waterfront owner who has questions about a project, you can ask the Trustees for a pre-application conference to discuss your plans with them and they will give you a good sense of what would be permissible. There is no mystery in that. The additional jurisdiction of the DEC is not governed by Town code and dealing with that agency is as frustrating for the Town as it is for a property owner. The Trustees have a good working knowledge of the DEC decision-making and would assist you in that regard as a part of a pre-application conference. Remember, there have been NO NEW changes other then the two I outlined and the Trustees are running that office the way it has been for years and your meeting with them for questions would be very beneficial to you as a property owner. They have no authority over the DEC but letting their combined knowledge work for you could eliminate the need for an attorney. Regards, Scott
(Scott Russell is the Supervisor of Southold Town)
This is not a comment but a question. I recently acquired a soundfront property high on a bluff. I keep reading about the need to use “proper” plantings to maintain the bluff, but no one ever seems to say what is “proper.” Right now, there is mostly poison ivy along the edge, that must go. What should it be replaced with?