HomeMy WebLinkAboutTami Loeffler_114880731217Southold Zoning Update - Full Responses
Name: Tami Loeffler
Respondent ID: 114880731217
Q1: General Feedback: Do you feel the proposed zoning updates reflect the
needs of your community?
No / I am very concerned that Mattituck is already the Riverhead of Southold. It gets uglier
and more commercial with each passing year, and I do not feel this is adequately addressed.
I want to see the wooded lots preserved, no more new commercial building. What we have
is too much already. All of the business needs are met, if people want more, they should
move to Lake Grove. We must preserve the open space that we have.
Q2: Land Use & Zoning: Do these updates make sense for how you want to see
land used in Southold?
No
Q3: Which zoning rules or land-use changes—if any—don’t work for you?
I want more land preserved and kept from being developed and built upon. Once you allow
for clearing of wooded land, you cannot go back. And with that we lose the charm of
Southold Town, and we won't get it back. People come here to escape the big box stores and
doctors offices and congestion. Why are we allowing for more of it when it is the only thing
that makes us unique? Don't we have an adequate tax base? When is enough enough?
Q4: Housing & Affordability: Do the updates support the kind of housing you
believe Southold needs?
No
Q5: What—if anything—would make housing options better for you and your
neighbors?
Changes in zoning will not address the housing shortage as long as many houses remain
vacant 9 months of the year. Eliminate seasonal rentals entirely. These houses sit vacant 9
months of the year while local people can't find any year round rentals. What is the
difference between a short term Air BnB and a month long rental? Both remove year round
housing for local people. I am not even talking about *affordable* year round housing,
which is of course needed, but even if you had the money - there is nothing to rent year
round. Define "affordability". How will it be defined? Who will define it? Will the public be
able to review the factors that define this? How will the town enforce it when they cannot
enforce already existing restrictions? "Affordable forever"?? How will that be enforced?
What is "affordable forever"?
Q6: Natural Resources & Environmental Protection: Do these updates
adequately protect Southold’s natural resources, such as water, wildlife, and
woodlands?
No
Q7: If not, what else would you like to see in the zoning code for environmental
conservation?
Sewers for all households and the elimination of cesspools. Encourage rain barrels Limit
lawn watering and over irrigation Discourage lawns and encourage native plants OUTLAW
LEAF BLOWERS Stop the indiscriminate cutting down of trees on Love Lane, as well as on
other roads by PSEG.
Q8: Community Character & Historic Preservation: Do these zoning updates
help retain the character of the Southold you know and love?
No
Q9: If not, what do you think could be improved to preserve Southold’s unique
charm?
Preserve farm land on North Road Preserve wooded lots DO NOT LET US LOOK LIKE 58 in
RIVERHEAD - PLEASE Restrict residential house sizes - the 9000 sq foot monstrosity in
New Suffolk should never have been allowed to happen and should never happen again.
Enforce the existing Air BnB code that we already have. People who are short term renters
do not have a vested interest in the community. They do not care for the community the
way a person who lives here year round and full time does.
Q10: Traffic, and Safety. Do the proposed zoning updates adequately address
concerns related to traffic congestion and pedestrian safety?
No
Q11: If not, what changes would you recommend to improve or prevent further
traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety in Southold?
BUS SHELTERS FOR THE PUBLIC BUS. It is shameful that there is no shelter for the
unfortunate souls who rely on the S92 bus. It is bad enough they have to take the bus, and
we can't offer them shelter from the wind and rain and cold is shameful. We should take
care of the less fortunate. More sidewalks. More bike lanes. A blinking pedestrian crossing
in front of Soundview rather than that ridiculous system with the flags. More speed signs
that let drivers know how fast they are going. It has gotten so that many side roads are not
safe to walk on for the amount of speeding drivers.
Q12: Support for Agriculture: Do the zoning updates provide sufficient
protections for Southold’s farming industry and farmland preservation?
No
Q13: If not, what changes would you suggest to further support agriculture and
prevent the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses?
help more farmers stay in business. Encourage diversity in farming - if a pest or disease
comes in and wipes out the mono crop that is grapes - what will the North Fork become? We
need to financially support more young farmers and to make it a sustainable way of life,a dn
also make new transplants to the North Fork understand what agriculture means - which
are smells they may not like and noisy machinery.
Q14: Economic Development: Will the proposed zoning changes foster
sustainable economic development while balancing environmental and
community concerns?
Yes
Q15: If not, how could the zoning updates better support the local economy
and businesses?
I am not a business owner so I cannot really speak to this.
Q16: Additional Comments
Please help to find a way to make housing more affordable for local people. Changes in
zoning will not address the housing shortage as long as many houses remain vacant 9
months of the year. The "Affordable Housing" in Greenport did not address any of the
housing issues in Southold Town. Because State money was accepted, the units were open
to those outside of Southold Town. So all that was achieved was bringing in more people
and further taxing our resources and environment, while providing no tangible benefit to
Southold Town residents. How can we encourage more families to raise kids out here? The
schools are shrinking and that is very concerning to me. It is sad that the schools have to
join together to create an athletic team and that there is serious talk of a regional high
school. A community without children is not much of a community. All this said - THANK
YOU for your hard work and for soliciting the feedback of the community. :) Someone in our
group mentioned that the "split zones" were drawn incorrectly due to faulty GIS.
Q17: Demographic & Contact Info. Click this link to enter your email if you'd like
to receive updates on meetings and future drafts.
Tami Loeffler / tami.loeffler@gmail.com / Mattituck
Q18: Are YOU responding as a:
Resident