HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-08/23/2022 WS 1
COUNTY OF SUFFOLK : STATE OF NEW YORK
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
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TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
TOWN BOARD WORK SESSION MEETING
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Southold, New York
August 23 , 2022
9 : 00 A. M .
B E F 0 R E :
SCOTT A . RUSSELL, SUPERVISOR
LOUISA P . EVANS , JUSTICE
JILL DOHERTY, COUNCILWOMAN
BRIAN 0 . MEALY, COUNCILMAN
GREG DOROSKI , COUNCILMAN
SARAH E . NAPPA, COUNCILWOMAN
August 23, 2022 Work Session 2
CEA DIDRIKSEN
SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Okay . I
am going to invite anybody that would
like to address the Town Board, please
feel free?
MR . KEITH NEILSON : Thank you . I
am Keith Neilson from Docko Incorporated
representing, Mr . Didriksen the poster
that I have prepared here is a copy of
the site plan that we prepared for the
Tidal Wetlands Permit . It ' s a duplicate
of the application documents . These are
the drawings that we prepared and
submitted to Robert Corwin Engineers and
Department of State of Environmental
Conservation . Mr . Didriksen owns this
parcel of land, and what is included in
your photographs of the holding dock .
And as near as we can tell from this
dock, from the characteristics , this has
to be the approximate location of the
old ( inaudible ) . This depression or
carved out area in the stone is not a
natural feature . The stone looks more
of a uniform feature from here . This
August 23, 2022 Work Session 3
indicates more of the historic
shoreline . So much erosion has occurred
in the area . And it ' s really the only
place on the site that we could put in a
dock for recreational boating . We will
match the tidal wetlands vegetation in
the area . We match the field grass in
this area . Extensive boulders . And
there is no grass over here . Boulders
here . Property line is over here . So
what we have done is put together a dock
profile that gets out to navigable
water . We are not in the navigation
way . No one is going to be boating in
here . And we have put this here . And
the only area that could fit . And in
order to get piles driven in such a way
that they can stand in seasonal sea
conditions , is to drive them in 20 feet .
And this dock meets all of the standards
of Corwin Engineers and the Department
of State, as well as , regulations ,
except for the 200 feet of the
removable . The amount of effort that
would be required to install these piles
August 23, 2022 Work Session 4
and to put them out manually, would so
badly disrupt the bottom sediments , that
it would be completely unnecessary out
of that degradation to do all of that
work . Better approach -- and
eventually, it would leave the soils and
sediments unstable to a point where they
cannot really hold the dock in
significant weather conditions . So our
approach is to take the last two piles ,
drive them down 20 feet . That gives
them a 20 ton varying capacity . If any
of you have seen any of the docks that
we have designed over the years in
Fishers Island, you know how tough it
will be . It meets the width
requirements of the State . Full
approval of the Trustees . There is no
boating over on this side because of the
proximity of the eel grass . That ' s it,
in 25 words or less . The pile here
shows how high we are keeping the dock .
On Page 4 of our application narrative,
the balances that we have struck in
preparing this design . And most of the
August 23, 2022 Work Session 5
conditions I have already raised are
summarized in those two paragraphs . It
seems that when the regulations were
written, it required 200 feet be
removable . Just because of the way it
was written in the regulations . It
seems to reference some of the poor
moderate sea condition exposures . That
the regulation may not have foreseen the
conditions on Fishers Island . And we
design these docks so that they ' re high
enough to be above almost all normal sea
states and low enough, in high energy
conditions . The wave energy will be
predominantly over the structure . That
is why we dropped down to this
elevation . Most of the wave energy will
be above this structure . So the bulk of
the resistance will be below the waves .
So this dock is designed to survive here
for a long time . And I believe that I
have demonstrated a history through the
map . On Page 5 , Paragraph C . There are
two paragraphs on the bottom. I have
indicated again why we have -- how we
August 23, 2022 Work Session 6
have balanced the resource impacts and
considerations , and establishing for
reasonable boating and access . And the
most important thing is , in trying to
make this dock removable according to
the regulations , we would do more damage
to the environment . And make this
viability of a dock less . I would be
happy to answer any questions .
SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : At the
meeting of the Trustees , did anybody
speak in opposition?
MR . KEITH NEILSON : I don ' t recall
anyone speaking in opposition . There
were two comments about ( inaudible ) that
is on the south side here . And in the
motion ( inaudible ) . There are no
objections . And we have designed it to
meet all of their requirements . There
is no floating dock . It ' s high . It has
the free flow decking . We have
physically avoided all of the eel grass
we found out there . Most of it . This
property goes about 300 feet that way .
Most of the eel grass is in front of the
August 23, 2022 Work Session 7
beach .
COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Has it
received DEC approval yet?
MR . KEITH NEILSON : It has not
received DEC approval yet . We have
Department of State . Corwin Engineers
is on the verge of issuing their permit .
We are working with the DEC . And also in
our discussions , they have not voiced
any objections .
COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Is that
typical we will approve something before
the DEC?
COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Yes .
DEC is a matter of -- like, we pay
attention to what the DEC wants , but
it ' s not -- it ' s not -- we don ' t have to
get the DEC . It ' s very rare for the
Trustees to say we have to get DEC .
Sometimes it happens .
SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Can I
just ask, the old deck, is that
ultimately from age it disappeared or
was that from an event?
MR . KEITH NEILSON : Not really
August 23, 2022 Work Session 8
sure . When we went out with a surveyor,
we were looking for ( inaudible ) and we
didn ' t see it . Sometimes we can see
pile stones . We didn ' t . From the
photographs , the piling and equipment
back in the day was no where near
adequate . It was probably washed away .
COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : I don ' t
have any questions . You answered them
all .
COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA:
Actually, this other photograph of this
parcel to the west , what is the
significance?
MR . KEITH NEILSON : To the west ,
it ' s about 35 feet longer than this .
And there have been instances where we
have designed longer decks on Fishers
Island . But notably we are pretty good
with keeping it close to shore and
minimizing . This one really -- there is
not really a lot to do to minimize this .
If you get any closer, you won ' t be able
to put in a boat . So we are 35 feet
shorter than the one to the west .
August 23, 2022 Work Session 9
COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Motion
to close the hearing .
COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Second .
SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : All in
favor?
COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Aye .
COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye .
COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Aye .
COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye .
JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Aye .
SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Aye .
(Whereupon, the, Public Hearing
concluded at this time . )
August 23, 2022 Work Session 10
C E R T I F I C A T I O N
I , JESSICA DILALLO, a Court Reporter
and Notary Public, for and within the State
of New York, do hereby certify :
THAT the above and foregoing contains a
true and correct transcription of the
Meeting held on August 23 , 2022 , via
videoconference , and were transcribed by me .
I further certify that I am not
related to any of the parties to this
action by blood or by marriage and that I
am in no way interested in the outcome of
this matter .
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have
hereunto set my hand this 10th day of
September, 2022 .
Jessica DiLallo