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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLittle Ram Oyster Co. 8.2025 Public Comment on Zoning Code - Support for a Thriving Future in Aquaculture August 1, 2025 To the Southold Town Board, Thank you for the opportunity to offer public comment on the proposed Southold Land Use and Zoning Code. Southold has long been defined by its rich maritime heritage — a legacy of fishing, farming, and shellfish cultivation that shaped our economy, identity, and waterfronts. As participants in one of the Town's most promising agricultural sectors, we support the current inclusion of aquaculture in the new code and respectfully urge that the zoning language and implementation tools go further to ensure the industry's future. Aquaculture is trending upward in Southold and while still developing, it offers jobs, food security, and environmental benefits. Southold has a chance to become a regional leader — but only with zoning that reflects the realities of shellfish and seaweed farming supported by local policy and infrastructure. This code revision is Southold's opportunity to lead rather than lag, by creating a regulatory environment that: • Encourages innovation and resilience in local food production • Protects our working waterfronts • Recognizes the specialized needs of marine-based agriculture Key Needs to Address for Aquaculture Viability Though aquaculture is listed as a permitted use in Marine I (M-1) and Marine II (M-11), access to slips and on-land facilities is vanishing. Marinas are increasingly prioritizing large recreational vessels due to higher profits and their customers concerns about noise, space, and aesthetics — leaving shellfish growers and other small-scale commercial users without reliable access. Without direct water access, aquaculture cannot operate. 1) Clarify What Aquaculture Includes • Clearly allow aquaculture uses in AE, R-80, and R-40 zones • Define aquaculture to include gear storage, handling, and water access • Prioritize commercial slips in M-1 and M-11 through incentives or easements, including tax benefits or grant facilitation for marina owners who support working waterfront use • Clarify that private commercial docks for aquaculture may be considered accessory uses on eligible parcels that allow aquaculture • Work with the Town Trustees and NYS DEC to explore permitting pathways for new aquaculture-specific docks, particularly on Peconic and Gardiners Bay, the only zones where Suffolk County permits aquaculture leases • Clearly allow within the code a clear pathway for farms that need both land and water access without requiring them to be classified as full-scale marinas • Avoid requiring aquaculture parcels to rezone as marinas to function 2) Boost Land-Based Infrastructure and Sales Diversification The success of an oyster farm depends not only on the water but also on what happens on land -gear storage, processing space, cold storage, direct-to-consumer sales. To support long-term viability, we urge the Town to: • Permit aquaculture processing as of right on all Agricultural parcels where aquaculture is allowed • Allow value-added retail or limited restaurant uses as accessory to active aquaculture production — similar to allowances for farm stands, wine tasting rooms, and breweries 3) Create Aquaculture Priority Corridors We recommend the Town designate and promote Aquaculture Corridors, particularly in, but not limited to: • New Suffolk Waterfront — a historic hub for shellfish farming and education • Peconic Bay/Southold Bay — from Shellfisher Preserve to Brick Cove Marina, where multiple marinas, shellfish hatcheries exist and infrastructure could be coordinated • Orient Harbor—CCE Marine test area and commercial aquaculture lease locations These areas should be: • Targeted for infrastructure investment and interagency coordination • Eligible for expedited permitting • Prioritized for any town-supported economic development grants Action Purpose Clarify dock access as accessory to aquaculture Ensure farms can function Allow aquaculture processing on ag land Support value-added sales Permit limited restaurant/retail uses Enable direct-to-consumer sales Protect slips in M-1 / M-11 Preserve working waterfront access Incentivize marina participation (tax credits, Align economic pressures with public grants) benefit Designate aquaculture corridors Encourage coordinated development Aquaculture is not only farming — it's climate resilience, water quality improvement, economic development, and local food security. If Southold leads on this issue, it can foster a thriving marine economy and shape a regional reputation for stewardship and sustainability. We thank you for including aquaculture in the code and ask that you deepen this commitment by recognizing our industry's unique structure and urgent infrastructure needs. Sincerely, Elizabeth Peeples and Stefanie Bassett Little Ram Oyster Co.