The Town Board discussed a Sunset Beach dock proposal that — assuming it meets permit requirements — would place marine infrastructure for the private use of the hotel and its guests somewhere along public Crescent Beach.
“When the Krauses sold the beach to the Town, one of the conditions was that Sunset Beach would have the option to put a dock in,” Supervisor Gerry Siller told the board at the Wednesday afternoon work session.
“It is deeded into the property,” he said. “So we’ve always known that sooner or later it would happen.”
As Siller described it, the hotel could propose placing a dock not far from the Shore Road crosswalk that connects to the hotel and restaurant near the former edge of the beach. But the Town has long since purchased additional properties, extending the beach, he said. Placing a dock in what’s become the middle of the beach would require the development of a channel through the near-shore no-boating zone, presenting significant safety challenges.
Instead, hotel manager Adrien Angelvy agreed to locate the proposed dock in a manner that would be least intrusive to public beach use, Siller said. The likely location would be at the northern end of the public beach, near the Town’s pavilion and seasonal mobile restrooms, allowing the Town to retain the current near-shore no-boating zone. Buried cables that come ashore in the area limit how far north the dock could be.
However, since the land is considered a public park, there may be an additional requirement — beyond obtaining NYS DEC and Town permits. There is a state legislative committee that reviews issues relating to what’s known as “alienation of parkland.” Siller said he’d spoken with Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr., whose district includes Shelter Island. He said Thiele chairs the committee and “doesn’t see any problem at all.”
“It’s not a pier,” Siller said. “It’s not gonna be like Claudio’s. It’s strictly for boats to drop off and pick up their customers.”
Currently, the Town issues a seasonal permit to a private launch service that ferries boat passengers to and from shore. “Sunset Beach feels they would rather do that on their own rather than be at the whim of somebody else,” Siller said. “They’re entitled to it and they’re willing to work with us.”
Siller said that in the 25 years since it opened, the hotel and restaurant have generously contributed to the Town. For example, when the Town asked Sunset Beach to cover half the cost of operating the seasonal restroom, company managers insisted on covering the entire cost.
Angelvy joined the meeting via Zoom. “We’ll work with you any way we can to make this happen and make it happen in a safe way,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure being a part of the community.”
Even though the Town is contemplating a moratorium on new docks, Town Attorney Stephen F. Kiely said Sunset Beach could start the application process with the DEC, as it will likely take many months. He said the Town’s effort regarding the alienation of parkland may also take months to resolve.
Senior Services shopping assistance program
Siller briefed the board on the Senior Services shopping assistance program. A staff member was to present on the matter, but she could not attend. The formal presentation will be rescheduled.
Through a grant from the New York State Office for the Aging, the Town can compensate drivers willing to pick up off-Island shopping orders for seniors. Working with Senior Services, Island residents ages 60+ may place orders at retail outlets like Walmart; drivers then pick up the orders and deliver them to the seniors.
To learn more, please get in touch with Kelly Brochu or Marissa Fanelli at the Senior Center at 631-749-1059.
ETIPP grant study underway
Councilwoman Meg Larsen said representatives from the Federal Energy Department’s ETIPP grant program visited and toured facilities to begin advising the Town on improving its energy resiliency. (Read more about the ETIPP grant in this post.)
The tour included all the municipal buildings and the two ferry terminals.
“When it comes to how we receive our power, we’re susceptible to two things,” Larsen said. “One is if something happened to the underwater cables that connect to the mainland. And the other would be something happening up-island that cuts off power to the whole East End.”
While municipal buildings have generators, they only work as long as the fuel holds out. To provide a “backup for the backup,” Larsen said the ETIPP team may assist the Town in investigating the development of a microgrid to harness power from sustainable sources, such as solar or wind. The focus would be on vital services, such as the school, which is the Island’s designated disaster shelter.
“The idea is to extend the use of fuel so that you would have a longer period of time where you could take care of everybody.”
The ETIPP grant provides technical support only and will pair the Town with a national laboratory to develop its resiliency. Larsen gave an example of looking for ways to process the enormous quantity of brush collected at the recycling center to provide an alternative fuel. “It has some cool potential,” she said.
Larsen gave a shout-out to Kyle Karen for organizing a Repair Café at the Community Clothing Swap over the holiday weekend. Volunteers with sewing expertise demonstrated how to make basic repairs and embellish garments. Larsen said the next Repair Café would focus on small appliances.
She said the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee continues to work through comments and feedback on the draft report.
Other board member reports
Councilman Jim Colligan reminded everyone that an event will honor retiring Highway Superintendent and Commissioner of Public Works Brian Sherman. All are welcome to join the celebration at the Community Center on Saturday, December 9, at 4 PM.
Colligan, who represents the Town at the Peconic Estuary Partnership (PEP), encouraged Islanders to apply for grants of up to $500 to cover the costs of green infrastructure such as rain barrels, rain gardens, and native plant gardens. Follow this link to learn more. Colligan said PEP offers numerous programs that may be of interest to Islanders.
Deputy Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams said West Neck Water customers should receive a reminder from the Suffolk County Water Authority regarding service lines. SCWA said at a recent West Neck Water board meeting that service lines have always been the customer’s responsibility. However, when SCWA moved meters to the curbside, leaks in service lines that previously went undetected became apparent.
SCWA provided a 30-day grace period after moving the meters so homeowners could repair leaky service lines, but that’s expired. Now, customers will be responsible for costs associated with leaked water, so all customers should check their lines if they see an unexpected spike in water usage.
Brach-Williams said the Town’s website update is on schedule. Beginning in February, staff will get the first looks at new designs.
