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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/08/1994 / .. . tl\e..- Fishers Island Harbor Committee MINUTES Wednesday, JWle 8, 1994 4:30pm at the Utility Offices Next meetin!! set for Thursdav. June 30th at 4:30Dm at the Utilitv Offices Present: Elbert Burr, Tom Doherty, Tom Doyen, Chippy duPont, Louisa Evans, Leslie Goss, Steve Malinowski, Bill Ridgway, Scudder Sinclair and Bill Wall. Absent Frank Bohlen, Cynthia Estabrooks, Cindy Gillan, Harris Parsons, David Patterson, and David Wllmerding. Leslie stated that the objectives of the meeting were to review and report on action items from the May 18th meeting and discuss how to proceed on development of a Harbor Management Plan (lIMP). Louisa reported that the Town had passed the resolution (5 to 1) amending the Town Code to eliminate references to the "Harbor Master" and insert the "Fishers Island Harbor Committee" in place. The committee now has jurisdiction in detennining anchorage and mooring locations for West and Hay harbors. Leslie asked Tom Doherty to report on progress of several action items: Additional Moorinl! Reauests: A request for a mooring was received from Bartels (new owners of property adjacent to harbor) who plan to purchase new boat. Bartels were Wlder the impression that mooring sold with the house. Tom told them otherwise and per committee decision, will forward a pennit application for when Bartels actually have a boat. Bill Wall mentioned that Jack Rivers would prefer have his mooring where he can see it from his property rather than aroWld the peninsula point out of view. Bill said it was not an urgent request, but something to think about for next round of mooring applications and locations. Pirate's Cove Marine has two additional moorings for which they will make application. Applications were sent to all Hay Harbor mooring owners/users. Tom will contact Jack Polo to detennine if Hay Harbor Club has any need of moorings. All island requests have been accommodated. There is still a waiting list for off-island applicants. In response to Louisa's concerns that former Town servants who may not have payed for moorings in the past not be forgotten, Tom reported that Ray Edwards did not apply for a mooring pennit and John Clavin never had a mooring. Revenues from Moorinl!s to date $10,655 for 86 pennits compared to $11,160 for 96 pennits last summer. . Under 18 Operator licensin2: The Town Bay Constable has yet to get back to Tom on this issue. The committee detennined that Bill Wall would ask John Clavin if he had any interest in conducting a lisencing course (John Clavin has since declined). Tom mentioned he would call NYS Parks and Rec. Dept. to see if they could send someone to certify a course administrator. possibly someone at the Yacht Club. In the meantime, all agreed it would be difficult to enforce this rule as there is currently no way to license underage operators. Transient Accommodation: Chippy reported that the channel to Pirate's Cove would have to be adjusted to accommodate five transient moorings out by the rock pile. The committee agreed that the fi ve transient moorings should be grouped together by the rock pile and that the channel should be adjusted, providing the added benefit of easier nighttime navigation. Leslie reported that she had been unable to reach Steve Cook to enquire about a rumored Yacht Club mooring rental program (Since then, Steve Cook says there is no Yacht Club rental mooring program). Visitor Gama!:e: The committee will monitor visitor garbage disposal practises. Scudder reminded the committee that one of our assumptions/goals is that visitors have a positive experience while here. Garbage disposal may become an issue. . West Hamor Re!:ulations hand out for this summer was approved by the committee. Pollution section was moved to beginning of docmnent. anchorage section was clarified, waste section was added to with a request to minimize all overboard discharge, and Hay Harbor regulations will be printed and distributed separately to avoid undue advertising of this harbor which still has water quality problems. Elbe will print 500 copies with red Town seal gratis (Thank You!). The meeting then proceeded with a discussion of how to proceed with developing an HMP. Leslie passed out copies of Plan Assumptions and Implications prepared in May' 92 by the committee and approved by the Civic Association membership. The committee detennined that the assumptions are still valid. Scudder asked if harbor use has increased during the years. Overall sentiment was that although some uses have dramatically fallen off, the use of West Harbor has increased. EIbe suggested that each member of the committee, representing a particular user group, write down what all hislher use concerns might be. Chippy and Bill suggested that the committee use the Old Lyme Harbor Management Ordinance as a guide to begin writing a Fishers Island HMP. The committee decided that at the next meeting. we will focus on Articles I (General Provisions), II (Traffic and Speed) and III (Hamor Use Regulations) of the Old Lyme Ordinance from the perspective of Fishers Island. The assignment is to review these Articles and be prepared . . -q- to discuss all uses (particularly those of the constituency you represent) so we can have them adequately represented in our own HMP. You may want to follow up on Elbe's suggestion of writing down uses and bringing them to the meeting (for instance, as an adjacent property owner you want nice views, no noise, no trash, no wake, no pollution, including dog waste, a place for your boat/mooring within view of your house, a place for your boating visitors to keep their boat, etc....) The meeting adjowned at 6:35pm . \ \. . Norwalk Harbor Management Plan Harbor Management Issues and Policies (exeIJlts of Chapter Three which follows Goals and Objectives) Navigation Issues and Policies: an example is -- Issue: Derelict Vessels and Structures Policies: a) all vessels not moored. anchored. or made fast to the shore. and unattended for a period of greater than 24 hours. or left upon private property without consent from the property owner for a period greater than 24 hours. shall be removed from the harbor by the last owner of record. or by the Harbor Master. at the expense of the last owner of record, consistent with CT boating statutes and regulations. b) No huilding, structure, or floating facility within the harbor or marine facility, either on land or below the high tide line, shall be allowed to deteriorate to the point that a hazard or inconvenience to navigation may result. Recreational Boating Issues and Policies: an example is -- Issue: Mooring Tackle Specifications and Inspections Policy: Minimum guidelines should be established for all individual-private and commercial mooring tackle used in the harbor along with specific recommendations for periodic inspection of mooring tackle. . Commercial Port Issues and Policies: an example is .- Issue: Conflicts with Recreational Uses Policy: Reducing or eliminating potential conflicts between recreational and commercial vessels and facilities should be an important consideration in the design and review of future public and private waterfront development proposals. Public Access Issues and Policies: an example is n Issue: Littoral Rights and the Public Right of Access Below Mean High Water Policy: Plans and proposals to improve existing public access facilities and to provide new public access oppommities should be consistent with the littoral rights of waterfront property owners. Conversely. the exercise of littoral rights by waterfront owners should not have a significant adverse impact on coastal resources, public access opporttmities, visual quality, traditional water uses. and other public values associated with the land and water resources below MHW. These exerpts were provided as an example of the way Norwalk arranged their HMP. The two page attachment shows all the issues the HMP addresses.