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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLL Big Houses OFFICE LOCATION: � r MAILING ADDRESS: Town Hall Annex P.O. Box 1179 Southold NY 11971 54375 State Route 25 �„OTN5 w ";, , (cor. Main Rd. &Youngs Ave.) � Southold, NY Telephone: 631 765-1938 www.s outholdtownny.gov �4, PLANNING BOARD OFFICE TOWN OF SOUTHOLD MEMORANDUM To: Scott Russell, Town Supervisor Members of the Town Board Denis Noncarrow, Town Clerk CC. John Burke, Acting Town Attorney From: Donald J. Wilcenski, Chairman Members of the Planning Board Date: April 12, 2022 Re: "A Local Law in relation to an Amendment to Chapter 280,article XXII"Supplemental Regulations The Planning Board has reviewed the proposed Local Law in relation to an Amendment to Chapter 280, Article XXII "Supplemental Regulations that regulate gross floor area of a single-family dwelling and height restrictions in the A-C, R-40, R-80, R-120, R-200, and R-400 residential zoning districts". The proposed local law implements the goals and objectives of the Southold Town Comprehensive Plan (Plan). Chapter 3 Land Use and Zoning includes a specific goal that recommends that the Town Review and Update Zoning Town-Wide to Ensure that the existing zoning is appropriately located, uses are of the appropriate scale and intensity for the location, and all are consistent with the other goals of this plan. This goal interrelates with many other goals and objectives in the Plan and recognizes the need to protect community character and town resources by creating a reasonable path forward in regulating home size. Objective 2.2 Size of Future Homes recommends that the town revisit the lot coverage in the bulk schedule for residential districts, especially as it relates to larger lot sizes and Planning Board Comments House Size Page 12 April 25, 2022 those located within Special Flood Hazard Areas. This proposed local law implements the objective by revising the lot coverage percentage keyed to a sliding scale and lot size. The Plan also recommends that the Town revisit the setbacks and maximum building height, especially on non-conforming lots,to ensure that neighboring homes are not adversely affected by new houses. Setbacks protect property rights of adjacent property owners and relate to community aesthetics, sufficient air flow and solar rights. Setbacks and building height restrictions prevent structures that could block sunlight to a neighboring home or be out of proportion and character with the rest of the neighborhood. Similarly, setbacks protect community character and aesthetics of areas that are important to the community by preventing unsightly structures capable of obstructing, impairing or hindering scenic qualities of roadways and other areas. The proposed local law achieves this objective by instituting the sky plane requirement. Chapter 5 Community Character includes goals and objectives that support the preservation of the quality of life of residents and visitors. Goal 3: Preserve Quality of Life in Residential Neighborhoods Objective 3.4. Preserve the community character of residential neighborhoods. Evaluate and amend Town Code sections on lot coverage and setbacks to prevent structures too large in scale from occurring in neighborhoods. This goal and objective seek to protect the quality of life of residents and visitors as well as community character. The chapter includes self-evident goals that support one of the most important aspects of the Town: scenic resources. As indicated above, oversized residential structures have the ability to block, impair or even hinder scenic views that are important to the community. As you are aware New York State Route 25 and Suffolk County Route 48 are designated scenic byways. Goal 1: Protect Scenic Resources and Objective 1.2 Manage important scenic resources recommends the review of the Town of Southold Town Code to determine the appropriateness of structures and landscaping (fences, hedges) capable of hindering scenic views. Large homes that are out of scale in visible locations along the Town's scenic byways are discordant with community character and conflict with this objective. Chapter 6 Natural Resources and Environment recognizes the finite natural resources of the Town and the need to manage them. There is a connection between larger, out-of- context homes and the consumption of water and land resources. Reasonable limitations on house size support and help implement the following goals in the Water Resources section: Goal 1 Conserve Water Quantity, Goal 2 Protect Groundwater Quality Goal 3 Protect Surface Water Quality, and in the Land Resources Section: Goal 2 Protect Upland Habitats and Trees, Goal 6 Take Action Against Climate Change by Reducing Energy Consumption, Goal 9 Continue to Manage Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste, and Goal 10 Reduce Light Pollution. Planning Board Comments House Size Page 13 April 25, 2022 Larger homes have the potential to consume a greater level of resources. It is expected that a 7-bedroom home with 4 bathroorns and a pool would use 111orc water than a 3- bedroom home with 2 bathrooms and a pool (if the pool were the same size) constructed on the same size parcel with the same size irrigated lawn area. Larger homes used as shared housing in the summer months coupled with irrigation also contribute to a seasonal surge in water use. This consumption of water resources is problematic due to the projected water needs of the Town. As the population of the Town continues to grow, increased demand on the water supply system will occur, forcing an expansion of the public water supply system, Expansion is expensive and difficult due to areas of groundwater contamination and salt-water intrusion. Fater supply projections indicate that Southold will need additional water sources by 2130 according to the Suffolk County Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan. Larger homes are also expected to use more energy than smaller homes. Larger areas of conditioned space require more heating and air-conditioning than smaller areas which consume more fuel or electricity. This combined with the use of indoor and outdoor lighting is expected to use more energy than a smaller home. This legislation also supports the goals of the Housing Chapter and the Economic Development Chapter of the Comprehensive Plan by limiting over-sized homes. The economic impacts .from an increasing inventory of over-sized homes include"`pricing out" many buyers. Larger homes cost more to purchase or rent than smaller homes which contributes to the difficulty of first home buyers or the workforce finding a reasonable priced home to purchase or rent. It is recommended that an illustration of the sky plane be made available in the code, if feasible. Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments.