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HomeMy WebLinkAboutF I Community Board Correspondence Norklun, Stacey From:Neville, Elizabeth Sent:Friday, October 02, 2020 9:15 AM To:Norklun, Stacey; Burke, John; Dinizio, James; Doherty, Jill; Doroski, Bonnie; Duffy, Bill; Ghosio, Bob; Hagan, Damon; Standish, Lauren; Louisa Evans; Nappa, Sarah; Neville, Elizabeth; Noncarrow, Denis; Rudder, Lynda; Russell, Scott; Silleck, Mary; Tomaszewski, Michelle Subject:FW: Follow up letter regarding Walsh Park Zoning Application Attachments:Letter 2 to Town Board - 10-2-2020.docx FYI Elizabeth A. Neville Southold Town Clerk, Registrar of Vital Statistics Records Management Officer; FOIL Officer Marriage Officer PO Box 1179 Southold, NY 11971 Tel. 631 765-1800, Ext. 228 Fax 631 765-6145 Cell 631 466-6064 -----Original Message----- From: Willard B Soper II \[mailto:wbsoper@comcast.net\] Sent: Friday, October 02, 2020 7:26 AM To: Neville, Elizabeth; Russell, Scott Cc: Nathaniel Malinowski; Rev. Candace Whitman; Dicky Riegel; Meg Atkin; George de Menil Subject: Follow up letter regarding Walsh Park Zoning Application Dear Ms Neville As mentioned in my email of September 29th, attached is the follow up letter from the elected representatives of the Fishers Island Community Board all of whom are copied on this email . Respectfully Willard Soper ATTENTION: This email came from an external source. Do not open attachments or click on links from unknown senders or unexpected emails. 1 Fishers Island Community Board Elected Representatives Southold Town Board October 1, 2020 Elizabeth Neville, Town Clerk Southold Town Hall PO Box 1179 Southold, New York 11971 RE: Change of Zoning Hearing for Fishers Island School Property Members of the Town Board, Subsequent to the letter submitted by me on behalf of the elected representatives of the Fishers Island Community Board to the Town Board dated September 27, 2020, many positive things have happened that cause us to provide this follow-up letter. On September 28, half of the ICB elected representatives, including its President, Vice President and Treasurer met via Zoom conference with leadership counterparts from Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation (Walsh Park), the proposing party in the potential zoning change, and the intended prospective purchaser of the property. Then, on September 29, two of those ICB representatives corresponded and spoke with one of the heads of the Fort Wright Neighborhood to discuss the opportunities ahead. From those productive thth conversations on the 28 and 29, and from reports after that evening’s meeting among members of the Fort Wright Neighborhood Association, Walsh Park, and architectural design representatives, the ICB feels confident that the parties will be able to achieve common ground toward a solution for the property. Walsh Park has reiterated its commitment to meet with any concerned citizens to address and allay their concerns. Likewise, the neighbors seem willing to pursue a compromise solution. Further, a working relationship has been established between the President of Walsh Park and the President of the Fort Wright Neighborhood Association. All of these are positive recent developments. The first step in the process to move forward, as clarified to us in our September 28 discussion with Walsh Park, is the approval of the proposed zoning change. The ICB fully respects the Town’s authority and established zoning process. We now request that the October 6, 2020 Zoning Hearing should proceed according to its original schedule. We have confidence, knowing that there are several subsequent steps that allow the Island community to participate in the ultimate approval process, including a subdivision application, working with Planning & Zoning, the formal property sale Referendum, as well as continued work to hone and present final architectural renderings, that Walsh Park will work towards a thoughtful approach that ultimately balances the Island's and the neighbors' needs. The ICB wishes to continue to work closely with both Walsh Park and the Fort Wright Neighborhood Association. We recommend that both parties utilize the established and successful Island Community Board forum to further educate the Fishers Island public about all phases of the project. The ICB is ready to help provide clarity on the project to our broader community with any eye toward achieving consensus. Thank you for your additional consideration. Willard B. Soper President, on behalf of the Elected Representatives of the Island Community Board Fishers Island, NY 1 Neville, Elizabeth From: Willard B. Soper II <wbsoper@comcast net> Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 7.14 AM To: Neville, Elizabeth Cc: Russell, Scott Subject: Walsh Park Zoning Hearing- Fishers Island Dear Ms, Neville and Mr. Russell Subsequently to the letter that the elected members of the Fishers Island Community Board emailed you yesterday,we have had some very productive discussions with the parties involved and believe that by tomorrow the elected members of the "ICB"will be able to submit a new letter that supports the current process being followed by the town relative to the application for a zoning change. Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions in the meantime I can be reached at 561-704-3726 Regards Willard Soper Elected a President of the Fishers Island Community Board Sent from my iPad ATTENTION:This email came from an external source. Do not open attachments or click on links from unknown senders or unexpected emails. Neville, Elizabeth From: Willard B Soper II <wbsoper@comcast.net> Sent: Monday, September 28, 2020 2:48 PM To: Neville, Elizabeth Cc: Russell, Scott; Louisa Evans Subject: Re: Hearing on Walsh Park application for a Zoning change on Fishers Island Dear Ms Neville Please replace this updated draft of the letter sent to you yesterday with the Ole attached here. This draft of the letter clarifies that it is the elected members of the ICB that are sending this letter and requesting a short postponement as opposed to the entire board which includes appointed representatives from various island organizations Thank Willard Soper On Sep 27, 2020, at 6:44 PM, Willard B Soper II <wbsoper cr,comcast.net> wrote: Dear Ms Neville As president of the Fishers Island Community Board (ICB), I am sending you the attached letter from the ICB so that it can be distributed to the Town Council Members in advance of the October 8 th hearing on this topic Thank you Willard Soper <ICB letter to Southold Town Board-REVDRAFT - WBS 9-27-20-1.pdf> i Neville, Elizabeth From: Willard B Soper II <wbsoper@comcast.net> Sent: Sunday, September 27, 2020 6:45 PM To: Neville, Elizabeth Cc: Russell, Scott; Louisa Evans Subject: Hearing on Walsh Park application for a Zoning change on Fishers Island Attachments: ICB letter to Southold Town Board-REVDRAFT - WBS 9-27-20-1.pdf Dear Ms Neville As president of the Fishers Island Community Board (ICB), I am sending you the attached letter from the ICB so that it can be distributed to the Town Council Members in advance of the October 8 th hearing on this topic Thank you Willard Soper ATTENTION:This email came from an external source. Do not open attachments or click on links from unknown senders or unexpected emails. 1 Y t , Island Community Board Fishers Island, NY Re: Change of Zoning Bearing for Fishers Island School Property September 25, 2020 Members of the Town Board, In its role as the central forum for Fishers Island, the Island Community Board (ICB) is tasked with speaking for the Island in matters before the Town. Over the last year, ICB has been attempting to understand the implications of the proposed zoning change to the property that is owned by the Fishers Island School and located between Winthrop Drive and Whistler Avenue. Our focus on the issue has been intermittent as we've been working primarily over the last six-months in support of our Island Health Project's effort to protect the island from the spread of COVID-19, Nonetheless, the ICB has invited Walsh Park to speak via the ICB forum regarding its development plans for the site and has continued to be available to listen to and understand the opportunity and issues this project presents. As the Change of Zoning Hearing approaches, the ICB has recently been contacted by Walsh Park to write a letter in support of their position. However, we feel that neither the ICB nor the community as a whole has to date received sufficient information to properly evaluate the proposed project. What is a reasonable estimate of the excess demand for either rental or owner-occupied year-round housing? Specifically, in this case, how many units does Walsh Park propose to build? What will these units and the neighborhood look like? We acknowledge the wonderful contribution that Walsh Park has made over the past 30 years in ensuring that the island has affordable rental and owned housing for year-round residents. We are also aware of a number of letters that have been written in support of the re- zoning. We are equally aware of the concerns voiced by the Fort Wright Neighborhood Association and from other concerned individuals. Perhaps some of these concerns might be allayed by a more specific visual presentation. There is little doubt that affordable year-round housing -- both rental and owned -- is an island priority. We understand both the potential and drawbacks of the site in question. There is little doubt that the community has not been given sufficient concrete information to reach a considered judgement as to whether this project is or is not in the general interest of the Island. We believe that more specificity would rebuild trust and contribute to reaching common ground. We are pleased to have learned that Walsh Park has recently scheduled an informational meeting for the "Neighbors"this Tuesday at 5 PM. This is certainly a positive step. We therefore request that the Town Board postpone any decision about rezoning until more information has been provided regarding the nature, character and appearance of the project. As a first step, the ICB will request that both parties, Walsh Park and the Fort Wright Neighborhood Association, articulate in a one-page summary their intentions and concerns. Based on those documents and visual architectural renderings of the proposed project, the ICB would convene a community forum. We would expect to be in that position by year's end. We understand that a letter of intention regarding the transfer of the site has been executed by Walsh Park and the Fishers Island School, and that it is scheduled to expire soon. We also suggest that the School and Walsh Park extend the time frame of this letter to allow the community time to gather more information on the project and weigh its merits. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, Willard Soper President, Island Community Board Fishers Island, NY Norklun, Stacey From:Neville, Elizabeth Sent:Tuesday, September 29, 2020 11:25 AM To:Norklun, Stacey; Burke, John; Dinizio, James; Doherty, Jill; Doroski, Bonnie; Duffy, Bill; Ghosio, Bob; Hagan, Damon; Standish, Lauren; Louisa Evans; Nappa, Sarah; Neville, Elizabeth; Noncarrow, Denis; Rudder, Lynda; Russell, Scott; Silleck, Mary; Tomaszewski, Michelle Subject:FW: Walsh Park Zoning Hearing- Fishers Island FYI Elizabeth A. Neville Southold Town Clerk, Registrar of Vital Statistics Records Management Officer; FOIL Officer Marriage Officer PO Box 1179 Southold, NY 11971 Tel. 631 765-1800, Ext. 228 Fax 631 765-6145 Cell 631 466-6064 -----Original Message----- From: Willard B. Soper II \[mailto:wbsoper@comcast.net\] Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 7:14 AM To: Neville, Elizabeth Cc: Russell, Scott Subject: Walsh Park Zoning Hearing- Fishers Island Dear Ms, Neville and Mr. Russell Subsequently to the letter that the elected members of the Fishers Island Community Board emailed you yesterday, we have had some very productive discussions with the parties involved and believe that by tomorrow the elected members of the “ICB” will be able to submit a new letter that supports the current process being followed by the town relative to the application for a zoning change. Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions in the meantime I can be reached at 561-704-3726 Regards Willard Soper Elected a President of the Fishers Island Community Board Sent from my iPad ATTENTION: This email came from an external source. Do not open attachments or click on links from unknown senders or unexpected emails. 1