HomeMy WebLinkAboutMatt-a-Mar - New Suffolk
RECEIVED
MAY 3 JXI6
May 2, 2006
SoufhoM Towa CI.ri
Ms. Jerilyn B. Woodhouse, Chairwoman
And Members of the Planning Board
Southold Town Planning Board
Southold Town Hall
P. O. Box 1179
Southold, NY 11971
Re: Matt-a-Mar on the Bay
117-8-18
SEQRA determination
Dear Ms. Woodhouse:
With regard to the projected decision of the Planning Board May 8, 2006, on the SEQRA
determination for the Matt-a-Mar property in New Suffolk: there are many reasons for a
positive declaration.
However, in our view, the most compelling and determining reason is that we (New
Suffolk and Southold Town) need to know, once and for all, the nature and degree of
contamination on that property before another spade is turned for any purpose.
After over 160 years of deposits of coal, oils, tar, kerosene, gasoline, copper, solvents-
and who knows how many other elements and chemicals - the property is a repository of
suspected contamination.
Please issue a positive SEQRA declaration for a full environmental review.
Thank you for your attention and your patience.
Sincerely, ~ 4/J.". _
~g.~ *~tA.Jf~
{/ Joan B. Robbins
Newton Robbins
16995 Main Street
P. O. Box 147
New Suffolk, NY 11956
Cc: ~tt Russell, Southold Town Supervisor
V'Southold Town Board
Southold Town Building Department
Southilld Town Board of Trumees
NYSDEC - Stony Brook
Mark Terry, Southold Town Planning Department
;S
THE NEW SUFFOLK. WATERFRONT COMMITIEE
PO BOX 336, NEW SUFFOLK., NY 11956
May 1,2006
Ms Jerilyn Woodhouse
Chairwoman, Southold Town Planning Board
PO Box 1179
Southold, NY 11971
Dear Ms Woodhouse and Members of the Planning Board,
In light of the upcoming SEQRA decision which the Planning Board will make regarding
Mat-A- Mar By the Bay LLC's application # 4738-01008/00008, the New Suffolk
Waterfront Committee would like to reiterate its concerns regarding this project and
emphasize that a full environmental review is not only what many New Suffolk residents
desire, but what they believe is mandated by the scope and scale of the Mat-A-Mar
proposal.
Clearly, the failure to date on the part of the applicant to provide a response to the July
2005 NP&V report, indicates that the points raised by NP&V are not only difficult to
address, but we would suggest impossible to respond to adequately without a more
comprehensive environmental study. A positive SEQRA Declaration from the Planning
Board at this time would insure that the questions raised by the NP& V nearly one year
ago, can finally be addressed.
The Southald Town Hamlet Study describes New Suffolk as "Southold's onlv waterfront
hamlet center" with a "unique and historic association with the Peconic Bav". The L WRP
has identified the property as one of Southold's underuti1ized sites and has recommended
redevelopment which .......h to mail/tain the marine-J'P.\ated character of the New Suffolk
wat<!r/Tnnt, but at a scale apmonriate to the community." They go on to say, "The hillh
del!ree of environmental llMlti.tivitv not to mention the uniQue historic character of the
New Suffolk area. in 2enera1. highlights the need for careful and limited redevelooment."
There is also, as you know from the site's long history of proposed and then abandoned
redevelopment projects, a question of possible contamination on the site, which has still
to be resolved. It is clearly referred to in the L WRP where references are made to the
''use of Brownfield Grants to pay for environmental clean up of the site prior to
redevelopment." Again, a positive SEQRA dec1aration at this point, would help make the
determination regarding the possible need and scope of environmental clean up before
Mat-A-Mar moves forward with redevelopment of the property.
As you complete your review of this application over the next few weeks, we ask you to
consider the points we have made above and especially, to consider that this is one of the
first opportunities for Southold to take advantage of the L WRP's power as a legislative
tool. The L WRP was designed to protect the natural beauty, environment, and way of life
of Southold waterfront communities. The way in which its recommendations are
considered with regard to the Mat-A-Mar application, which is in fact an early test case,
will affect other communities for years to come.
Respectfully Yours .
-----Dl~('\ ~ k~~~
Diana Schwatka, President, on behalf of the Committee
Cc: Scott Russell, Supervisor
~embers of tile Town Board
Members of tile Board ofTrustees
Patricia Finnegan, Town Attomey
Made Carrera, NYS DEC Region 1 Deputy Permit Administrator
Steven Resler, Coastal Resources Division, NYS Dept of State
Steven Ridler, Coastal Resources Division, NYS Dept of State