HomeMy WebLinkAboutHamlet Study - Fishers Island Strategic Plan
Fishers Island Strategic Plan:
2007-2017
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Town ofSouthold, New York
October 2007
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan:
2007-2017
Prepared for:
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Fishers Island
Town of South old
P. O. Box 1179
53095 State Road 25
Southold, NY 11971
(631) 765-1800
Written by:
Valerie M. Scopaz, AICP
VMS Planning Services
P. O. Box 1655
Southold, NY 11971
631 765-5552
vrnsplanning(al,optonline.net
RECEIVED
September 2007
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OCT 3 0 2007
South old ToYlll Clert
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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FISHERS ISLAND STRATEGIC PLAN 2007 - 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................... i
1 INTRODUCTION
Study Area... ....................................... .......................... ........ I
General Planning and Political Context........................... .................. I
Project Purpose....................................... ................. ....... ....... 2
Plan Development and Public Participation........................ ............... 2
Acknowledgements... .................. ............ ..... .................................. 3
Reader's Guide............... ......... .................... ................................. 4
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2 METHODOLOGY, ISSUES & ANALYSIS
Methodology... .................................... .................... ............... I
Expectations...................................................... ..... ................ 2
Key Issues of Concern... ...... ................................. ..................... 2
Assessment ofIsland Strengths............ ......... ............................... 4
Assessment of Potential Solutions and Strategies................. .............. 4
Information Needs............ ......................................... .............. 4
Independent Observations & Analysis.............................. ............. 5
3 VISION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The Role of Vision, Goals and Objectives in Public Policy................... I
Vision Statement.............................. ....................... ................ I
Goals and Objectives......... ....................................................... 2
4 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
Strategies............ ...... ......... ......... ....................... .................... I
5
INVENTORY
Introduction... ........................................................... ............ I
Planning Framework................................. ............ ..... .............. I
I The Fishers Island Growth Plan............... ........................ I
2 Master Plan Update - Background Studies: 1984................. 3
3 Zoning Code and Zoning Map: 1989................................. 5
4 Water Supply/Watershed Study: 1994.............................. 6
5 Local Waterfront Revitalization Program............................... 7
6 Comprehensive Implementation Strategy: 2003...... ........... II
7 Hamlet Study: 2005................................................... 12
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Table of Contents
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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8 Island Institute: 2003-7....................... ......... ................ 13
9 Planning Conclusions.................. ............................... 14
Natural Resources............................................... ................ IS
I Harbor Management Committee............................................ 16
Historical Context............................................. .................. 16
I Founding Days.......................................................... 17
2 Post World War II ..................................................... 18
3 Structures & Sites of Historic Importance.......................... 19
a. Parade Grounds.......................................................... 19
Management Structure......................................... ................. 20
I Intergovernmental relations.......................... ................ 26
2 Alternative forms of government.................... ................. 27
Development Patterns & Constraints... ............ .......................... 28
I West End................................................................. 28
2 East End........................... ...................................... 29
Public Services & Facilities.................................... ................ 30
I Water Supply.......................................................... 30
2 Wastewater Facilities.................................................. 31
3 Electric................................................. .................. 32
4 Telephone............................................... ................ 33
5 Emergency Management........................................................ 33
6 Other......... ......... ...... ............ ................................. 33
Zoning........................................................... .................. 33
I. Zoning Patterns....................................................................... 34
2. Uses permitted within business districts................................ 36
Development Potential......... ............ ..................................... 40
Land Preservation............................................... ................ 41
Demographics................................................ .................... 42
I Census Data & Analysis.............................. ................. 42
2 School Population... ............... ..................................... 44
School Services................................................ .................. 45
Social Services............................................... ..................... 45
I Existing Senior Services.............................. ................. 46
2 Proposed Senior Services........................ ...................... 46
3 Proposed Youth Bureau................................................ 46
Housing...................................................... ...................... 46
I Affordable Housing Overview.................. ...................... 47
2 Housing services... ...... ......... ...................................... 49
a. Section 8...................................................................... 49
b. Horne Improvement..................................................... 49
c. Moderate Housing...................................................... 50
d. Proposed.Services........................................................... 50
3 Accessory apartments................................ ................... 51
4 Permanent affordable housing.................. ....................... 52
Community Services......................................... ...................... 54
Transportation............................................... ........................ 55
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Table of Contents
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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1 Roads............................................... ......................... 55
2 Ferry.................................................. ..................... 55
3 Airfield............................................... ...................... 58
Economy..................................................... ........................ 58
Information & Communications......... ............ ............................. 60
1 Centralized Information Collection & Management.................. 60
2 Geographic Information System........................................ 62
6 BIBLIOGRAPHY & SOURCES
Bibliography......................................................... .................. 1
Sources...... ............ ...... ......... ............ ............ ........ ................. 2
7 APPENDIX
A. Minutes of Stakeholder Meetings........................................................ 1
B. Questionnaires ..................................................................................... 7
C. Written Responses to Questionnaires
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
. F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
N.
O.
P.
Q.
8 REFERENCE BINDER
Reach 10, Town of South old Local Waterfront Revitalization Program
Fishers Island Harbor Management Plan
Town Code, Chapter 157 Harbor Management
Emergency Management Plan
U.S. Census Data: 2000
Utility Company's Letter to Public Service Commission
Island Housing Inventory: 2007
Preliminary Housing Report to School Board, 2002
Town of South old Affordable Housing Programs - Policies and
Procedures, July 2006
North Fork Housing Alliance, Section 8 Application and Income
Guidelines.
Town of Southold Affordable Housing District Legislation
Fitness Trail
Fishers Island Ferry District Leases: 2006
State University of New York Economic Development Brochure
Island Inventory of Businesses: 2007
Landmark Preservation Application Process: Parade Grounds
Island Administrator Job Description
MAPS
(All maps are contained within this report except for Map 2-10 Sewer Network, which is
located within the Reference Binder.)
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1-1
2-1
2-2
2-3
Study Area
Zoning before 1989
Zoning in 1989
Zoning in 2006
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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2-4
2-5
2-6
2-7
2-8
2-9
2-10
2-11
2-12
2-13
2-14
2-15
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Areas of Special Concern - LWRP
Wetlands
SPLIA Inventory
Proposed Boundary: Parade Grounds Historic District
Land Use
Water Supply
Sewer Network
Community Facilities
Buildable & Subdividable Land
Protected Lands
Community Preservation Program Plan Map
Business-zoned properties and structures.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In 2004, as a sequel to adopting its Comprehensive Implementation Strategy, the Town of
Southold initiated a series of hamlet studies during which residents were asked to create
micro-templates for land use and other public policy or administrative decisions within
their respective hamlet centers. However, the template for these studies did not fit the
particular circumstances of Fishers Island. Unlike other Southold hamlets which were
struggling with problems related to population growth and new development, Fishers
Island was fearful of further declines in its already small year-round population; to name
just one of the issues of concern. Its geographic distance and isolation from the rest of
the Town coupled with its closer physical proximity to Connecticut meant the business of
government (as well as living) was somewhat awkward and complicated. Although the
Islanders' had assumed an enormous degree of responsibility for protecting and
enhancing their own public health, safety and welfare, some issues required a more
cohesive leveraging of public as well as private resources. A different template was
needed.
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The Planninl!: & Political Context
Through the years, several public and privately-funded planning studies articulated a
vision for the Island's future. But, with the exception of the Local Waterfront
Revitalization Program, none contained specific strategies for achieving it. In 2002-3,
Island residents asked The Island Institute of Maine for help in addressing socio-
economic issues peculiar to small island communities. The Institute provided assistance
in restructuring the Island's ad-hoc form of self-government: a necessity given its
geographic isolation from the rest of the Town. These efforts led to the creation of the
Fishers Island Community Board (FICB), which subsequently established an Island
Office, a non-profit newspaper, and a schedule of Island activities: all of which has
resulted in improved intra-island communications. The FICB was also charged with two
other tasks: to articulate and priority community goals; and undertake and support efforts
necessary to achieve those goals.
Document Purpose
The purpose of this document is to articulate the community's goals and objectives,
thereby setting the stage for the FICB to chart Fishers Island's course for the next decade.
The Fishers Island Strategic Plan 2007-2017 is the end product of a consensus-building
and planning process that started during the summer of 2006 and ended in the fall of
2007. The Plan's scope goes beyond the boundaries of the hamlet's business centers to
include the entire Island. As noted earlier, this change in template was justified because
of the Island's unique history, pattern of land use development and physical isolation
from the rest of Southold Town.
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Proiect Desil!:ll & Methodolol!:V
Active input by the Island community was solicited, first by appointing Stakeholders
representing a broad spectrum of the Island community. Although appointed by the
Southold Town Board, they were given free rein to shape the content and direction of this
document.
Executive Summary
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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The consensus-building approach used to facilitate constructive dialogue and practical
problem-solving enabled each Stakeholder to bring different perspectives to the table.
The Stakeholders identified gaps in their understanding of the issues facing the
community, which resulted in a search for a comprehensive database about the Island as
well as the governmental agencies which influence Island life. The Stakeholders
gathered raw data on housing and the economy. The consultant worked with various
Town and Island personnel to collect and collate information for future access and use on
the Island. The consultant and the Stakeholders conducted extensive interviews with
representatives of key Island organizations, all of whom are acknowledged in Chapter 1.
The second part of this exercise consisted of exhaustive conversations amongst the
Stakeholders about Fishers Island's future. Using the up-dated information, the
Stakeholders made frank assessments ofthe problems facing the Island and worked hard
to reach consensus about how best to categorize and solve those problems.
The fruit of that dialogue was encapsulated in a draft Vision Statement, and a clearly
defined set of goals. The goals spanned ten separate, but interconnected, aspects of
community life. Then, the Stakeholders developed a series of objectives for each goal.
The objectives explained the specific outcomes the goal was intended to achieve. The
idea was to define benchmarks that would help community leaders judge whether a future
proposed action would actually bring them closer to achieving the intended goal. Finally,
the Stakeholders identified specific implementation actions, some of which called for
further research and discussion.
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The Fishers Island Community Board subsequently sponsored (at its own expense) a
series of public information and roundtable forums to enable the Stakeholders to engage
the wider Island community in a dialogue, using the draft statement of vision, goals,
objectives and implementation strategies as a focal point. The resulting community input
was used by the Stakeholders to revise and refine this document.
Proiect Implementation: Next Steps
This document is intended to be the basis of an organized, vibrant and ongoing dialogue
(under the aegis of the FICB and with the cooperation of the Town) through the next
decade. The loose-leaf binder format will facilitate its use as an expanding and evolving
compendium of factual information, as well as a vital part of the Island's institutional
memory.
Proiect Fundine
This planning exercise was being funded principally by the Town of Southold. However,
significant supplementary funding was provided by the Fishers Island Community Board
to underwrite consulting assistance during multiple Stakeholder meetings and four
community information meetings.
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Executive Summary
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
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Fishers Island is a unique place with an unusual history. It is populated by independent-
minded people, who have chosen the island way oflife and recognize its rarity in today's
world. The geographic isolation of island life poses challenges that are not for the timid
or faint of heart. It should be no surprise that the island's inhabitants are a resourceful,
persistent lot, close to the American pioneering spirit.
This report is the end product of a community planning exercise that took place over
several months spanning the summer of 2006 and ending in the fall of 2007. The
exercise was designed to address the specific concerns of the Fishers Island community
as they were articulated during this process.
While this report contains many elements of a standard land use plan, it is not a typical
planning document. The title, Fishers Is/and Strategic Plan, reveals its intent: to lay a
foundation for future community action, a means whereby the Island community may
achieve its goals for its future.
As will be explained below, in the Readers Guide, the structure of this document is
intended to facilitate self-governance, whether through the channels of the existing town
government or through the collective, voluntary actions of the island's residents. As a
result, it is intended to be more of a source book, reference manual, and strategic
document than a repository for all the known information about Fishers Island.
The reader should pay close attention to the section below, entitled General Plannine
and Political Context.. because it explains more fully the specific issues this planning
exercise and report were designed to address.
Study Area
Fishers Island is nearly five square miles (about 3,200 acres) in size, and is the largest
island within Southold Town. It is located about twelve miles northeast of Orient Point
and about four miles south of Connecticut. Several smaller islands surround Fishers
Island: all uninhabited, except for North Dumpling, which contains a residence. Map I-I
shows the Study Area and its geographic location.
Fishers Island has a complex history of managed growth. Its size and location relative to
both Southold Town and New London, Connecticut, has shaped its fiercely independent
community. Residents of the Island recognize its social and natural uniqueness, and are
protective of it.
The strategic planning exercise that informed this document was conducted in direct
response to a request from the Islanders for a more complete and comprehensive
informational database with which to chart their future course, which aims to protect and
enhance their unique quality of life.
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General Plannine & Political Context
Beginning in 1984, the Islanders sponsored a series of privately-funded planning studies
which were used as visionary blueprints and strategic plans for community action. The
first study was compiled in 1984, when the Fishers Island Civic Association contracted
Chapter 1: Introduction
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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with the Trust for Public Land to assess the Island's capacity to accommodate future
growth. In 1988, another report, The Fishers Island Growth Plan, was written. It was
subsequently updated in 1994. During the mid-to late 1980s, Fishers Island also
participated in the Town-wide Master Plan Update, but the Update was not tailored to
Fishers Island. The substance of these and other relevant planning policies and
documents are discussed in further detail, in Chapter 5 Inventory.
Today, more than a decade after the 1994 Growth Plan update, the challenges facing
Fishers Island are similar, but different. The purpose of this strategic planning exercise
was to re-examine these challenges and to help the Islanders chart a course for the next
decade using the latest available data. The aforementioned studies had created a
foundational inventory of the Island's resources, but certain aspects of this database were
in need of updating and enhancement.
Public information essential to Island government also needed to be made more
accessible to Island residents. Traditionally, factual information about Fishers Island
could be found both on the island and within Southold's Town Hall. However, the
geographic distance between the Island and Town Hall, coupled with limitations of
technology, were the primary reasons why neither the Island nor Town Hall had a
complete, categorized set of essential information.
Recent technological advances in communications (computers, e-mail and the Internet)
coupled with improvements in data management (specifically the development of a
Geographic Information System (GIS) for Southold Town and the implementation of
Laserjiche, an electronic document storage and retrieval system, in the Town Clerk's
Office) offered the possibility of reversing some of these information and communication
gaps.
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Project Purpose
The Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007- 2017 (FISP 2007) is designed to rectify past
deficiencies in the Town's general and GIS databases about the Island. The FISP 2007
also is intended to provide a visionary focus for decision-making at the community and
governmental levels, as well as a practical listing of actions or strategies whereby the
community's Vision could be realized. The format and content reflects the active input
of the Island's residents and its key stakeholder groups, who were represented by
individuals selected and appointed by the Southold Town Board.
Plan Development & Public Participation
This plan was developed as part of a collaborative process involving three separate
groups of participants: the Islanders (as represented by appointed Stakeholders), Town
staff and the consultant. The Stakeholders were identified by Councilwoman Louisa
Evans and appointed by the Southold Town Board. The Stakeholders were chosen with
an eye towards bringing together a broad representation of the Island community. The
composition of the Fishers Island Community Board served as a guide. Table I lists the
Stakeholders.
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Chapter I: Introduction
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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Table 1: Study Participants
Stakeholders:
Heather Ferguson Burnham
Peter Burr
Ken Edwards
Meredith Harr
Judi 1mbriglio
Audrey Noyes Ludemann
Sarah Malinowski
William C. Ridgway
Pennie Sharp
Charles Stepanek
The Plan was developed over the course of fifteen months beginning in July of 2006.
The minutes of the Stakeholder meetings are included in Chapter 7. Councilwoman and
Town Justice Louisa Evans served as an Ex-officio observer and facilitator. Her help in
facilitating assistance from Town Hall was invaluable. While she participated in the Stakeholder
discussions, she did not vote on the language and substance of this document.
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Acknowledl!ements
The research and development of the FISP 2007, particularly the Inventory, would not
have been possible without the assistance of Islanders who generously shared of their
time and expertise. The following people met with the consultant and/or the
Stakeholders in response to a specific invitation, requests for assistance, or by attending
Stakeholder meetings as interested observers. A few called to offer expertise and other
assistance. Table 2, below, lists these individuals in alphabetical order.
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Table 2: Community Resources
Ann Banks, Librarian, Fishers Island Library
Elbert Burr, Chairman, Fishers Island Harbor Committee
Frank Burr, Chairman, Walsh Park Benevolent Park Corporation
Peter Brinkerhoff, President, Board, Fishers Island Library Association
Tom Doherty, Manager Fishers Island Ferry District
Reynolds (Chippy) du Pont, Jr. Chairman, Fishers Island Ferry District
Lesile Goss Gruner, Fishers Island Harbor Committee
Sarah Malinowski, Stakeholder
Steve Malinowski, Fishers Island Oyster Farm
Kathy Parsons, President, Fishers Island Development Company
Pierce Rafferty, Curator, Henry R. Ferguson Museum
William Ridgway, Stakeholder
Cynthia Riley, Program Director, Fishers Island Library
Jeanne Schultz, Superintendent, Fishers Island School
Penni Sharp, Stakeholder
John Spofford, President, Fishers Island Community Board
Art Walsh, Member of the Fishers Island School Board
Robert Wall, President, Fishers Island Utility Company,
& Manager, Fishers Island Development Company
Chapter 1: Introduction
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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Town Elected Officials:
Darlene Duffy, Tax Assessor
Councilwoman & Justice Louisa Evans, Ex-officio
Elizabeth Neville, Town Clerk
Scott Russell, Supervisor
Robert Scott, Tax Assessor
Town Aooointed Officials
Kenneth Edwards, Jr., Planning Board
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Town Staff:
Philip Beltz, Special Projects Coordinator
Linda Bohn, Assistant Deputy Town Clerk
Antonia Booth, Town Historian
John Cushman, Comptroller
Linda Cooper, Assistant Deputy Town Clerk
Patricia Finnegan, Town Attorney
Carol Kalin, Secretary, Planning Department
Karen McLaughlin, Director, Human Resources Department
James McMahon, Director, Public Works Department
Stacey Norklun, Records Management Assistant
Linda Randolph, Secretary, Planning Department
Kenneth Reeves, Director, Recreation Department
Lloyd Reisenberg, Network and Systems Administrator
Robert Scott, Tax Assessor
John Sepenoski, Technical Coordinator II
Mark Terry, Acting Director of Planning
Anthony Trezza, Senior Planner
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Reader's Guide
As noted in the beginning of this Chapter, the Fishers Island Strategic Plan was
designed to address the highly specific needs of Fishers Island's residents at this
particular point in their history.
First and foremost, this document is designed to be a vehicle for expressing the consensus
viewpoints of the Fishers Island community as regards its future over the coming decade.
Second, it attempts to set a series of benchmarks that define the specific policies,
projects, and actions that will be needed in order for the Island community to protect and
enhance its way of life.
Chapter 2 Methodology, Issues and Analysis contains a description of the primary issues
of concern as voiced by the Stakeholders. It is followed by an overall analysis of the
issues with reference to the facts collected and presented later, in Chapter 5 Inventory.
Chapter 2 also contains observations on options the community might explore as well as
the inherent problems the community faces in its attempt to achieve its vision for the
future.
Chapter I: Introduction
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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Chapter 3 Vision, Goals and Objectives reflects community consensus about its future.
This chapter is the heart of this document, the center from which all future actions must
emanate. Understanding this chapter is essential for interpreting Chapter 4
Implementation Strategies, which lays out a highly specific, action-oriented schedule for
use by the Island community. By design, this chapter also will be useful to officials in
Town government.
Chapter 5 Inventory provides a detailed synopsis of past planning studies that apply to
Fishers Island. This framework was felt to be essential to understanding the long-
standing commitment ofthe Island community to protecting its unique environmental and
human communities, as well as to understanding the ways in which Fishers Island is
similar to (or different from) the rest of Southold Town.
A considerable amount of natural resource and other information about Fishers Island
was documented in these planning documents, and rather than recount that information,
most of these documents are incorporated into this one by reference, with one exception.
Relevant sections and maps of the Town of Southo/d Local Waterfront Revitalization
Program are included in Chapter 7 Appendix for the convenience of the reader.
The Inventory also contains selected updates of other essential information, as dictated by
the primary issues of concern to the Island community at this point in time. This
information includes a wide range of topics including social, demographic,
environmental, economic, historic, public infrastructure and other public administrative
or regulatory matters.
Chapter 6 Bibliography contains a list of various sources used in the preparation of this
particular report. Chapter 7 Appendix contains specific material deemed essential to
understanding the issues. Finally, some material has been placed into in a separate
Reference Binder, which should be updated periodically as needed.
Finally, it must be noted that most of the factual information contained in the Inventory
and Reference Binder pertain to Fishers Island or the Town of Southold. Some
Connecticut resources are noted here, but a comprehensive guide to Connecticut-based
resources was beyond the scope of this project.
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Chapter I: Introduction
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY, ISSUES & ANALYSIS
This Chapter retraces the methodology and steps that were taken in order to develop this
Strategic Plan, and identifies the expectations the Stakeholders had for this project. This
chapter includes an articulation of issues of concern to the Islanders, as well as a frank
assessment of Island strengths and the types of potential solutions that would be explored.
This assessment included an inventory of information that would be needed to develop a
realistic strategy for the Island's future.
Lastly, it contains an overall analysis of the options open to the Island given the issues,
the information available and the inherent constraints of Island life.
Methodolol!V
The consultant met with the Stakeholders three times: during July, August and September
of 2006. The purpose of the meetings was two-fold: to give the consultant first-hand
insight into the primary issues of concern to the Fishers Island community, including
their expectations for this planning exercise; and second, to engage in a joint search for
additional information that would be of use to all parties during this planning exercise. A
synopsis of the issues of concern expressed at that point in time is provided later in this
chapter.
.
The consultant spent the fall and winter months of 2006-7 consolidating and collating
relevant factual information about Fishers Island and preparing a draft statement of
Vision, Goals and Objectives, along with a preliminary list of Implementation Strategies.
From April through September of 2007, the Stakeholders worked diligently to refine the
content and style of the draft document. Public information meetings were held in June,
July, August and September of 2007, most of which were sponsored, funded and hosted
by the Fishers Island Community Board under the direction of its Chairman, John
Spofford, with assistance by Meredith Harr Doyen.
A considerable amount of public dialogue and written input was received during and after
these meetings. The Stakeholders discussed all the comments and suggestions, and, in
response, made several revisions to this document, particularly Chapters 3 and 4. Of
necessity, some of the more detailed ideas contributed by Island residents were held aside
with the intent of introducing them again during future discussions with the Island
Community Board as part of the implementation of this Strategic Plan.
Finally, the wording of Chapters 3 and 4 in particular represents the unanImous
consensus of the Stakeholders.
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Chapter 2: Methodology, Issues and Analysis
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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Expectations
The Stakeholders voiced a wide range of expectations for this strategic planning exercise.
A synopsis is provided below.
. A strategic plan to protect the natural environment from further degradation, to
redress existing environmental problems and to encourage land preservation.
· An inventory of factual information about the island, including, but not limited to:
o Business properties and structures
o Vacant building lots
o Build-out potential
o Demographic data and trends
o Year-round housing
o Environmental assessment
· A consolidation of all existing information about Fishers Island, into the Town's
Laser- fiche system.
· A CD-ROM containing all scanned documents, including maps, pertaining to
Fishers Island.
Kev Issues of Concern
The Stakeholders also identified the following issues as being of primary concern to the
Island. (An asterisk * notes an issue that appears in more than one category.)
.
. Social:
o There is insufficient affordable housing on the Island for year-round
residents, but no one is sure how much housing is needed.
o A decision had been made to create a community center, but there was
uncertainty as to the specific needs it would serve and the services it
would offer. Agreement has been reached on its location in Building 98;
the owner of which, FIDCO, has agreed to let be used as a center. About
$ 1.8 million of the roughly $2.5 million needed has already been raised.
(The appropriate permits have since been obtained and reconstruction is
underway.)
o There are questions as to whether the year-round population is declining
or just in a state of flux.
o There are concerns about the long-term viability of the year-round
community given the current state of affairs, e.g. lack of affordable
housing, increasing seasonal population, loss of housing in West End to
seasonal population, limited business opportunities. *
o There are security concerns related to day workers returning to burglarize
homes.
.
. Economic
o There are concerns about the long-term viability of the year-round
community given the current state of affairs, e.g. lack of affordable
Chapter 2: Methodology, Issues and Analysis
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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housing, increasing seasonal population, loss of housing in West End to
seasonal population, limited business opportunities. *
o Utility costs (electricity in particular) are high.
o More information is needed about the Island's businesses, its economy
and the general business climate.
o Little information is available about home occupations, tenants on Town-
owned property managed by the Ferry District, and under-utilized or
vacant business properties.
o There are concerns that the Island is in danger oflosing more of the few
on- Island businesses in existence.
.
Physical
o Maintenance of physical infrastructure such as roads and sidewalks should
be improved.
o There is uncertainty about how much new growth the existing utility
infrastructure (e.g. electricity, water, sewer, ferry) could absorb before
additional capital investment would be necessary.
o How many vacant lots could be built on? Or further subdivided?
o There is some concern about the potentiailoss of historical structures and
sites as new development or redevelopment occurs.
o What is ultimate disposition of US Navy property?
. Could part of site be used for affordable housing?*
.
. Environmental
o There seems to be an increase in the presence of invasive species.
o The quality of the natural environment seems to be declining.
. For example: The increased amount of land converted to lawns
has raised concerns about the introduction of pesticides and
fertilizers into the ground and coastal waters.
o Land preservation needs to be continued and encouraged.
. Governmental
o Can Fishers Island manage its future without interference from "the
mainland"?
o Better coordination and representation is needed, e.g. there are no Fishers
Island representatives on the Zoning Board of Appeals or the Board of
Trustees.
o The management of property owned by Southold Town suffers from lack
of vision and transparency.
o The Island is not well-perceived by outsiders due to recent negative
publicity, e.g. sewage dumping from ferry boat.
o What is ultimate disposition of US Navy property? Could part of site be
used for affordable housing?*
.
Chapter 2: Methodology, Issues and Analysis
3
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Assessment of Island Strenl!ths
The Stakeholders engaged in a frank discussion of the strengths and opportunities that
currently exist as well as a clear-eyed assessment about the things that need work. The
following list contains a synopsis of this assessment of strengths.
.
. Social
o There is a good sense of community on Fishers Island that could be
strengthened.
o The sense of physical safety should not be jeopardized.
o There are significant human resources (talent, expertise, passion) that
could be tapped.
. Economic
o The Island has not been "ruined" by tourism.
. Physical
o The Island possesses public buildings, structures and land worth
maintaining and rehabilitating.
. Environmental
o The Island's environment is still in good shape and the problems that have
surfaced can be addressed.
o The potential for ecologically-sensitive use of public property has not been
explored.
. Governmental
o The Island's zoning has prevented the influx of hotels and other resort or
tourist designations.
o The historic structures associated with Fort Wright are worth protecting.
Assessment of Potential Solutions and Stratel!ies
As part of this assessment, the Stakeholders also identified the types of potential solutions
and strategies that it wanted to explore without committing itself to any specific solution,
technique or strategy. These included the following:
. Changes in existing (or new) policy and legislation
. Planning and design
. Capital investment and budgeting
. Other ideas that might come out ofthis planning exercise
.
Information Needs
The discussion of issues and potential solutions quickly led to an assessment of
information needs. Chapter 5 Inventory, of this report was designed to provide the
information identified as necessary for developing an effective strategy. In some cases,
the actual reports were included by reference. Taken together, this information will
provide a factual framework for informed decision-making, even if that decision is to
conduct further research.
Chapter 2: Methodology, Issues and Analysis
4
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Gathering data for the Inventory proved to be a difficult, time-consuming and, ironically,
enlightening process for the consultant. A considerable amount of information relevant
to Fishers Island was available, but it was not organized in one central location, either on
the island or in Town Hall. Additionally, several organizations on the island had amassed
considerable amounts of institutional and other data, but with the exception of the recent
Fishers Island Community Board's Annual Reports, the extent of this information dids
not appear to be immediately evident (or accessible) to the community at-large in a
regular, consistent, organized manner.
As part of this planning effort, the Stakeholders invited representatives of FIDCO, the
School District, the Utility Company, the Ferry District and the Walsh Park Benevolent
Corporation to meet and share information. A list of questions was sent in advance in
order to facilitate constructive conversation. The list of questions is included in Chapter
7 Appendix as are the written responses that were received. A brief synopsis of this
information was incorporated into Chapter 5 Inventory.
In the future, additional research into legal, environmental and economic development
matters will be necessary in order for the Islanders to determine which path to take to
achieve their goals. Some of these needs are identified in Chapter 4 and explored further
in Chapter 5.
.
The document focuses on and consolidates information about Fishers Island and the
Town of Southold, but does not ignore the fact that there are resources within the State of
Connecticut. The format of this document is designed to allow the insertion of updated
and new information so as to facilitate the ongoing implementation of the community's
Vision for the Island's future.
Indeuendent Observations & Analvsis
The Stakeholder meetings revealed that Island residents have made a concerted effort
over the last five years to identify and address many of their issues of concern. This
effort led to a significant and major revamping of the informal, on-island, self-governing
mechanism whereby community issues had been addressed in the past. The creation of
the Fishers Island Community Board, (FICB), took place during 2005-6 under the
auspices of two Island Fellows, who were funded and provided by the Island Institute of
Rockland, Maine.
.
The composition of the Stakeholder Committee mirrored that of the FICB; and the
discussions that took place during the fall of 2006 reflected the renewed sense of
direction the FICB had generated over the course of the previous year. The effort to
create the Building 98 Community Center (and its extended campus plan) was perceived
by the Stakeholders themselves as a direct result of the momentum generated by the
FICB. Similarly, the decision to prepare a long-term strategy for the management of the
Fishers Island School District demonstrated another collective decision that seemed to
flow from the 2002-3 Island Institute experience, described in more detail in Chapter 5
Inventory, Planning Framework.
Chapter 2: Methodology, Issues and Analysis
5
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Having just achieved a new forum for addressing island needs through the creation of the
FICB, the community, through its Stakeholders, seemed to be searching for a cohesive
governing strategy which would articulate community goals, determine specific
priorities and deadlines, delegate responsibilities and marshal limited resources (e.g.
manpower and finances) towards attaining those goals. The expectations and concerns
expressed at the initial Stakeholder meeting revealed general consensus about certain
aspects of Island life in need of improvement, but far less clarity about exactly what
changes to make and how to pursue them.
Additionally, the Stakeholder meetings and interviews (in July and August of 2006)
revealed the degree to which several different Island organizations, whether
governmental, quasi-public or private, pursued their objectives in isolation from one
another and the extent to which this habitual way of interaction was hampering those
same organizations' desire to improve Island life cooperatively. The fact that the
information held and generated by the various Island organizations was not centrally
located or easily accessible made it difficult for any Stakeholder (or organization) to
access the relevant data, use it to understand the issues of concern and develop an
integrated strategy to solve them, much less coordinate inter-agency actions. The
Stakeholders recognized that access to good information was essential to sound decision-
making as well as to forestall endless debates fueled by emotion and subjective opinion.
.
In addition to the need for centralized and accessible information, there was recognition
that a greater degree of definition, detail and prioritization would help the Stakeholders
(and the community-at-Iarge) create a more sharply-defined Vision about the future of the
Island. As noted earlier, the general consensus (articulated in previous plans) about
keeping Fishers Island's character lacked sufficient detail or clarity about what
constituted that character, much less suggestions how best to protect and enhance it. As a
result, while considerable sums of energy and money were being expended in pursuit of
good projects, there was no detailed, written statement of the overall Vision, Goals and
Objectives of the Fishers Island community. Nor was there a coordinated statement of
priorities, of how each project would further the whole; of how limited resources would
be leveraged.
By the third Stakeholder meeting, a pattern became evident. Attempts to encourage
creative thinking were met with a paradoxical mix of enthusiasm and resistance. The
resistance seemed to cut across all socio-economic strata and to arise out of two separate
things: deep-seated fears and a long history of benign neglect by Town government.
The fears were of change, such as: triggering too much population growth, of opening the
door to greater influence by Town government (and reducing Island control of its own
affairs), of antagonizing specific groups of people on the Island, and of voicing
alternative opinions: all of them normal to the human condition. As for the years of
benign neglect by Town government, this has resulted in some deeply ingrained
perceptions about the way the Town and other levels of government operate; one of
which is that no one is listening or cares about Fishers Island. It is a measure of the
exasperation felt by many Islanders that there is such antipathy to Town government.
.
Chapter 2: Methodology, Issues and Analysis
6
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
So, for instance, amidst complaints about not getting a fair return on taxes, there was
resistance to taking advantage of services financed by those tax revenues, or even asking
for Island-pertinent modifications of those services. The reluctance to tap into public
resources goes beyond a strong fear of "strings" that might be attached to any use of
government programs. This stance is due, in part, to the Island's extensive tradition of
self-reliance; and self-governance. Islanders, in general, seem to adhere to a bone-deep
conservative belief in less government.
In keeping with this conservatism, Fishers Island has a long tradition of protesting the
Town's tax rate, particularly the loss of revenue off the Island into the Town's coffers
without an equal return in services. This dispute extends to the deposit and use of
transfer tax monies (pursuant to the Community Preservation Project Plan) generated on
the Island. Efforts to reduce the flow of tax and other money off the Island have not been
successful. Yet. Reducing the outflow of tax revenues may have to take the form of
ensuring the return of a greater share of it in the form of public services relevant to the
Island's needs. Achieving this goal will require an ongoing commitment of time as well
as a carefully thought-out strategy.
.
The Island community is in the midst of social and institutional change. Already it has
taken strong steps to improve its own chances of effectuating change, not only on the
Island, but off-island, in Town Hall. The next challenge will be to harness its own
engines of self-governance, however informal, to find constructive and effective ways to
engage and leverage existing public resources available through Town, County and State
agencies in order to obtain the desired results. It is hoped that this strategic planning
document will ease the transition to a more pro-active, integrated Island community;
confident of its ability to shape its future and willing to tap into the larger pool of public
resources without fear of losing its integrity and uniqueness.
That said, there is no "right" answer for Fishers Island. The Island's geographic situation
and history are so unique there are few, if any, comparable situations to draw from. The
wide-ranging nature of the issues of concern, noted earlier in this chapter, and the inter-
locking nature of many of those issues, means that the very act of deciding on a strategy
will mean balancing trade-offs and setting priorities for the use of limited resources.
Consequently, community consensus on the issues, the goals, the priorities and the
implementation strategy will be needed because a high degree of pioneering
experimentation may be necessary in order to achieve "success", however that term is
defined by the Islanders.
In reviewing the concerns, the issues and the data relevant to Fishers Island, the most
understudied aspect of Island life seemed to be the local economy. Previous planning
studies gave the topic short shrift. And, yet, the local economy has undergone major
changes throughout the Island's history, and this history is worth reviewing here, in an
excerpt from a brief recounting of Fishers Island's history, written by Pierce Rafferty,
Curator, Henry R. Ferguson Museum.
.
Chapter 2: Methodology, Issues and Analysis
7
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Fishers Island was first settled in the I640s by John Winthrop, Jr., the son of the founder
of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The younger Winthrop saw the Island's promise as an
offihore livestock plantation. For six more generations the lad was passed down within
the Winthrop family and utilized primarily for raising cattle and sheep. In 1863 the last
of the Winthrop owners fell on hard times and sold the undivided property to Robert R.
Fox, a successful manufacturer of sail cloth based in New York City. His goal was to
retire to the island and restore the largely abandoned farms to their former grandeur.
After the unexpected death of Mr. Fox in 1871, his widow and the executors of his estate
began the process of turning the island into a seaside resort. Thefirst land lots were sold
to individuals beginning in 1876. By the early I880s, a small town center had formed, a
fishing community was thriving, and a tourist hotel had been built at the western end of
the island. Soon large steamers were brining hundreds of excursionists to Fishers Island
for a day filled with clambakes, sports activity, dancing and drinking. This brief tourist
period came to a halt in 1889 when Edmund and Walton Ferguson, two successful
businessmen and bankers, purchased 9/lOths of Fishers Islandfrom the Fox heirs for the
sum of $250,000. They received the entire island in return excepting lOI small lots that
had already been sold to individuals. The two brothers bought out and shut down the
tourist hotel and proceeded to develop the island as a family-based resort with cottages
and hotels that catered to seasonal visitors. The Ferguson brothers financed a
navigation company, the water works, an electric plant and built an overall
infrastructure worthy of a first class resort.
.
In the mid-I920s, Henry L. and Alfred L. Ferguson, the second generation of Ferguson
owners, turned their attention to the eastern two-thirds of the island, land that had been
utilized almost exclusively for farming purposes before that date. They hired Frederic
Law Olmsted, Jr., the son of the legendary designer of Central Park, to draw up a plan
for a private residential development ("the park") covering the eastern-most 1,800 acres.
They also hired golf course architect Seth Raynor to design an I8-hole golf course on the
Island's eastern tip. The new Fishers Island Corporation opened its grand clubhouse
and its golf course on July I, 1926. However, the Crash of 1929 slowed down
development and today there are only 150 residences within the "park" and 350
residences on the more fully developed western end.
Today all the grand hotels are gone and no single family owns the land, but Fishers
Island remains a very private resort that seeks no publicity, discourages tourism, and
nourishes its relatively quiet pace of life....
It is useful to look at this history with a critical eye. From 1644 through the early 1870s,
a period spanning about 230 years, the Island's wilderness landscape was virtually
obliterated by European farming practices, including the grazing of cattle and sheep.
This agricultural trajectory shifted in the late 1876, with the sale of building lots. Within
the span of a decade, as control of the island began to pass from single to multiple
ownership, the land use pattern shifted to other commercial enterprises, described as
including "a small town center, a fishing community and a tourist hotel."
.
Chapter 2: Methodology, Issues and Analysis
8
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
This trend was reversed fairly dramatically (and relatively quickly) when the Island was
acquired in 1889 for the purpose of re-shaping it into a premier golf and sporting resort.
Yet, within a decade, the grand plan was greatly affected by the federal government's
purchase (from the Ferguson brothers under threat of condemnation) of land for a
military base on the West End (1898). The development and subsequent expansions of
Fort H. G. Wright on the West End took place more or less alongside the implementation
of the Olmsted Plan on the East End during a relatively short fifty-year period during the
first half of the 20th century. It is interesting to note that as the year-round, military and
tourist population surged, so did the economy in response.
Since the closing of Fort Wright in 1949, more than fifty years ago, the Island has
experienced a slow decline in population and economic diversity. In the first half of the
20th century, Fort Wright was a dominant factor in the local economy. Now, in the first
decade of the 21 st century, service industries appear to be the dominant factors in the
Island's economy. Along the way, the Island lost parts of its traditional local economy
including almost all traces of its agricultural history. Today, almost nothing is
commercially grown or made on the island: oysters and perhaps nursery stock being the
major exceptions.
.
Throughout the United States' history, many commumtIes faced with the loss of a
military base reacted by actively and aggressively re-thinking the physical infrastructure
and use of that base. On Fishers Island, the dismantling of Fort Wright in 1951 prompted
a series of such actions, which were designed to keep ownership of the Fort's land and
structures within the control of the Island community. Much of the vacant land around
the airfield went to Southold Town. Other properties and buildings were sold to Fisher
Island residents or companies formed for the specific purpose of keeping the property
within Island control.
Subsequently, many structures were put to good use: officers' housing moved into the
single and multi-family private home market, some of the military storage and office
buildings were converted to business warehousing and office space, and one (Building
#98) is being converted into a community center. However, sadly, the part of Fort
Wright that greets the resident (or visitor) arriving by ferry is a shadow of its former spit
and polish. Today the literal and symbolic gateway to Fishers Island is partly defined by
unkempt parking areas, boarded-up buildings, feral cat colonies, and a vine-choked
landscape.
After the Fort was closed and more than 200 acres ofland ceded to the Town, the State of
New York authorized legislation allowing the Town to expand the Island-elected ferry
district's management authority over all town-owned land surrounding Elizabeth Airfield.
This amendment (in 1951) set the stage for the leasing of public land for private
commercial purposes, and is discussed in more detail in Chapter 5 Inventory.
.
The Town adopted zoning in 1957. Yet, to this day, neither the Town Code nor the
Zoning Regulations make any reference to the fact that the Zoning Map's designation for
Town-owned land (R-120) contradicts the commercial use of that land dating back to
Chapter 2: Methodology, Issues and Analysis
9
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
1951. While the low rents are a boon for the lessees, the downside to this Town policy is
that it has undercut the market demand for (and the value of) privately-owned
commercially zoned land on the Island. This situation is exacerbated by the scattered
location of the rest of the Island's businesses, some on commercial zoned land and some
not. It is no wonder the local economy seems fragmented.
A central premise of this analysis (and the structure of the suggested Goals and
Objectives) is that obtaining and maintaining a sustainable year-round population will
require more than creating a large, subsidized affordable housing market. It will require a
parallel effort to foster and maintain a sustainable year-round economic base. Without a
strong local economy and better access to economic opportunities on the Connecticut
mainland, year-round residents will be unable to compete financially with off-Islanders in
the Island's housing market. Without greater economic parity on the part of year-round
residents, West End housing stock will continue to move into the hands of seasonal
owners. But, taking a hard look at the shape and deficiencies of the Island economy will
mean taking a closer look at the interplay between the Town's public land management
policy and the type and location of zoning districts on the Island. And this effort will
mean assessing how existing practices might be tweaked or abandoned, as circumstances
require. The potential solutions will depend on the Vision the Islanders' choose and the
types of solutions they decide to pursue.
.
Daunting as some of these challenges may appear, the Islanders have a lot of social
resources to work with. With a little ingenuity, old-fashioned elbow grease, persistence,
advocacy and strategic organization, they have a good chance of meeting these
challenges effectively, thereby enhancing the quality of life they so treasure on Fishers
Island.
.
Chapter 2: Methodology, Issues and Analysis
10
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
. CHAPTER 3 VISION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
.
The Role of Vision. Goals and Objectives in Public Policv
Public policies generally are not effective unless they provide decisive guidance to
decision-makers at all different levels of government. The Vision statement, which the
policies purport to achieve, must identify the end product of the policies in unambiguous
language. For that reason, the Vision statement also should include a strategic blueprint for
implementation actions in the short-run as well as the long.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of a public policy program lies in how well it is implemented.
Effective implementation requires a set of criteria by which to measure the potential impact
of proposed actions, thereby providing some means of judging whether these actions will
achieve the desired Goal or not.
As will be described in Chapter 5 Inventory, Planning Framework, there are several
planning documents which articulated a Vision for Fishers Island. A few exceptions aside,
these Vision statements were not accompanied by a precise description of policy goals and
objectives, thereby making it difficult to assess which proposed actions might best be
pursued, as well as to determine their effectiveness after the fact.
The following Vision statement incorporates themes; some of which were mentioned in
previous documents, and others of which were articulated by the Stakeholders. It is
followed by Goals and Objectives designed to assist Islanders, and their representatives in
Town government, in achieving Fishers Island's Vision for its future.
Vision Statement
Fishers Island is an island community that desires to maintain its unique lifestyle and
character. The community's Vision for its future is an extension of its recent past, but with
enhanced opportunities for a well-rounded existence within a setting of superlative
environmental resources and community cohesiveness.
The Vision is for Fishers Island to continue to be a unique place where the existing quality
of life is enhanced by ample social and educational opportunities, protection of our natural
resources, sufficient economic activity and growth, and quality affordable housing to meet
the needs of an expanded, but limited, year-round population.
The Island community's Vision includes a limit to the future expansion of the resort or
summer-only population in conjunction with maintaining a more sustainable, year-round,
residential community and lifestyle.
The Fishers Island community is keenly aware of the trade-offs they have made in
exchange for the unique lifestyle they enjoy. By definition, island life requires not just the
virtues of self-reliance, strong community networks and civic spirit, it also requires a keen
understanding of how to live within environmental and other constraints.
.
Chapter 3- Vision, Goals, Objectives
I
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-20I7
Goals and Obiectives
The Goals and Objectives of this Vision Statement are designed to assist in the
implementation process, to provide guidance to decision-makers, whether elected or
appointed, and to community leaders.
.
Goal:
Develop an effective management and implementation protocol for Island
administration by strengthening and supporting the Fishers Island Community
Board (FICB) in this role.
.
.
.
Objectives:
To facilitate community implementation ofIsland-based initiatives.
To improve representation of Island issues and concerns on the Mainland and in
Albany and with relevant federal agencies.
To improve Islanders' understanding of Town govemment (and its jurisdictions)
To improve communications with the community and institutions on the
Mainland.
To facilitate the return of a more equitable proportion of the tax revenues
generated on the Island.
To leverage the existing strengths of Island organizations to achieve synergistic
results.
.
.
.
.
.
* * * * * *
Goal:
A sustainable year-round population of up to 500 people, with sufficient
diversity (in terms of age, sex and ability) to maintain a self-sufficient
Island community.
.
Objectives:
To ensure the range of ages and talents necessary for the Island community to
provide all necessary year-round public service functions, and governance,
whether paid or volunteer, such as, but not limited to, utilities, school, fire
department, constables, bay constables, and emergency medical services,
including on-island medical care.
To promote social, educational, cultural and recreational opportunities on the
Island to accommodate the interests of a viable year-round population.
To improve access to off-island services, facilities, and educational, cultural, and
recreational opportunities for all year-round residents.
To ensure the long-term use and viability of the Fishers Island School, which is
essential to the preservation of the Island community. It is presently an
accredited pre-K through 12 public school. While alternatives should be
continually explored, it must be recognized that discontinuing any grades
could negatively impact the growth and stability of the island population.
.
.
.
* * * * * *
Chapter 3- Vision, Goals, Objectives
2
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Goal:
Good quality housing stock of sufficient quantity and variety to house the
sustainable year-round target population.
Objectives:
· To retain and upgrade existing lower and moderate-priced housing to meet the
needs of a larger, more diverse year-round population.
· To create new housing of various types and sizes, suitable to meet the varying
needs of a diverse year-round population, yet integrated into the existing housing
stock.
· To encourage the retention of year-round housing stock on the Island.
* * * * * *
Goal:
A sustainable local economy geared towards providing satisfying, year-round
employment and access to off-Island employment, as well as providing the
types of services and goods needed by the Island population.
.
Objectives:
. To strengthen and diversify the economic base of the Island.
· To encourage the creation of steady, competitive, year-round employment
opportunities that would be attractive to and support a larger, more diversified
Island community.
. To stabilize and expand the economic commercial base.
· To revitalize or adapt existing and/or under-utilized business-zoned properties.
· To continue revitalization of the "Gateway" area, west and south of the Ferry
Dock on Silver Eel Cove.
· To work with business owners to develop their properties sustainably.
· To encourage the retention of core services such as fuel, food, utilities, etc.
* * * * * *
Goal:
A sustainable lifestyle through improved energy efficiency and affordability.
Objectives:
· To reduce energy costs for year-round residents and businesses.
. To introduce and encourage use of renewable energy resources in residential
and commercial construction.
· To promote energy conservation through education.
* * * * * *
.
Goal:
Chapter 3- Vision. Goals. Objectives
3
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
An integrated transportation network [including, but not limited to, roads, ferry,
water-taxis, bicycle and walking paths, airfield] that supports the Island community's
need for reasonable access to services, goods, and economic opportunities.
Objectives:
· To facilitate access to services, goods and economic, educational, social and
recreational opportunities which are only available off-island.
· To reduce vehicular traffic on the island during the summer months.
· To concentrate high volume economic activity and traffic generators in key
sectors.
. To develop commuter-friendly transportation options.
* * * * * *
Goal:
Manage future increases in the seasonal and tourist populations on Fishers Island.
.
Objectives:
· To mlmmlze the impacts of the seasonal population on the Island's
infrastructure and environment.
. To reduce traffic and security concems.
. To continue to discourage tourism.
· To continue to minimize the significant expansion of club facilities and/or
memberships, which would accelerate the construction of new seasonal homes
as opposed to providing additional social activities.
* * * * * *
Goal:
Preservation of the natural environment, particularly fresh water
wetlands, tidal marsh, woodlands, bluffs, dunes, beaches, and warm
season grasslands against degradation or destruction.
.
Objectives:
· To identify and protect environmentally sensitive wetland and coastal resources,
including marine habitat and species.To encourage water-enhanced and
water-dependent economic and recreational activities without destroying or
degrading the natural coastal environment. To maintain the open, rural feel of
the Island through land preservation.
· To protect the quantity and quality of the limited indigenous water supply.
. To maintain recreational facilities, of reasonable size, and in appropriate
locations, to service the Island population in an environmentally-compatible
manner.
· To ensure that economic activities are environmentally sustainable and
compatible.
Chapter 3- Vision, Goals, Objectives
4
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-20I7
.
. To prevent the further spread of invasive species into the remaining natural
habitat.
. To identify and restore selected natural habitat already affected by invasive
specIes.
. To prevent and/or mitigate erosion and siltation where possible.
· To prevent and/or mitigate water pollution where possible.
* * * * * *
Goal:
Protection and preservation of Fishers Island's unique historic and
cultural environment; and its strong sense of place.
.
Objectives:
. To identify and preserve the historic, cultural, architectural and archaeological
resources.
. To revitalize and strengthen the existing hamlet business centers on the West End.
o Of the four centers, the following two merit immediate attention:
. the General Business zoned "gateway" area west and south of the Ferry
Dock on Silver Eel Cove.
. the Hamlet Business zoned "triangle" formed by Equestrian, Oriental
and Crescent streets.
· To support the Ferguson Museum's role in the preservation of social,
archeological, historical and cultural attributes of the Island.
******
Goal:
Accommodate new growth and revitalize existing infrastructure in keeping with the
Vision and Policies of the Local Waterfront RevitalizationProgram.
Policy I
Foster a pattern of development that enhances community character,
preserves open space, makes efficient use of irifi'astructure, makes
beneficial use of a coastal location, and minimizes adverse effects of
development.
Policy 2
Preserve historic resources.
Policy 3
Enhance visual quality and protect scenic resources.
Policy 4
Minimize loss of life, structures, and natural resources from flooding
and erosion.
Policy 5
Protect and improve water quality and supply.
.
Policy 6
Protect and restore the quality and function of the ecosystem.
Chapter 3- Vision, Goals, Objectives
5
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
. Policy 7
Policy 8
Policy 9
Policy 10
Policy I I
Policy 12
Policy 13
Protect and improve air quality.
Minimize environmental degradation from solid waste and
hazardous substances and wastes.
Provide for public access to, and recreational use of, coastal waters,
public lands, and public resources.
Protect water-dependent uses and promote siting of new water-
dependent uses in suitable locations.
Promote sustainable use of living marine resources.
Protect agricultural lands.
Promote appropriate use and development of energy and mineral
resources.
Objectives:
· To use the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (and state grants designed to
facilitate implementation of the L WRP) to protect the natural resources of Fishers
Island and to assist in financing targeted projects.
.
.
* * * * * *
Chapter 3- Vision, Goals, Objectives
6
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
CHAPTER 4: IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
This section is designed to set forth a series of strategies which the residents of Fishers
Island may use to realize their Vision for the community's future. The strategies are
listed under the respective Goals and Objectives they are intended to implement. These
strategies consist of specific policies, procedures, actions that will enable the Fishers
Island community to realize their Vision for the Island's future.
The second part of this section contains an Implementation Schedule that identifies the
actions that must be taken in order to implement the recommended strategies the Island
community has decided to pursue. The Schedule notes the jurisdictions that should
assume responsibility for these actions, as well as setting forth a tentative timetable
during which these actions are intended to take place.
******
Goal:
Develop an effective management and implementation protocol for Island
administration by strengthening and supporting the Fishers Island
Community Board (FlCB) in this role.
.
Objectives:
· To facilitate community implementation ofIsland-based initiatives.
· To improve representation ofIsland issues and concerns in the Town of South old,
in Albany, and with relevant federal agencies.
· To improve Islanders' understanding of Town government (and its jurisdictions).
· To improve communications with the community and institutions of the Town of
Southold.
· To facilitate the return of a more equitable proportion of the tax revenues generated
on the Island.
· To synergistically leverage the existing strengths of Island organizations.
.
Recommended Implementation Strategies:
· Islanders should insist that all Island organizations coordinate, cooperate and
communicate on Island-wide issues in a timely fashion through the FICB.
· Improve the effectiveness and credibility of the FICB's administrative,
organizational and managerial capabilities.
· Reinforce the administrative effectiveness of the FICB through regular meeting
schedules, posting of meeting agendas and minutes in the Library and the Post
Office, and other places of public assembly.
· The FICB should cultivate productive working relationships with all Town
representatives of Fishers Island.
· The FICB should establish direct contact with governmental agencies whose
actions affect the Island or whose services potentially will be of benefit to the
Island. (The following examples are agencies mentioned in the report; but contact
should not be limited to these agencies only.)
Chapter 4: Implementation Strategies
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
. Town of South old
. Human Resources Department
. Recreation Department
. Youth Bureau
. Suffolk County
. Department of Health Services
. New York State
. Department of Environmental Conservation
. State University of New York Small Business
Development Center
. Department of State, Coastal Resources Division
. Local Waterfront Revitalization Program
. United States
. Department of Defense
o Naval Undersea Warfare Center
o Army Corps of Engineers
· Department of Transportation
o US Coast Guard
. Environmental Protection Agency
o Region I , Boston
o Region II, New York City
. Department of Commerce
o National Oceanographic, Atmospheric
Administration
o Coastal Zone Management (L WRP)
.
. Other
. Cornell Cooperative Extension
· University of Connecticut at Avery Point
. Maine Island Institute
.
· Re-examine the existing Island Administrator's (IA) job description.
a) Consider adding grant-writing responsibilities to lA's responsibilities.
b) Empower the IA to fulfill updated job description.
· Insist on Fishers Island representatives to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Planning
Board and Trustees Board.
· Set up a procedure whereby an original copy of any public document generated on
the Island is sent to the Town of South old for archiving into the Laserfiche and GIS
databases for future retrieval.
· Set up a procedure whereby copies of public documents pertaining specifically to
(or relevant to) Fishers Island are sent to and distributed on Fishers Island.
· Notify the Land Preservation Office every time property or easements are donated
to the Henry L. Ferguson Museum Land Trust so the Town's GIS database can be
maintained and updated.
· Establish a higher profile in the Town of Southold.
Chapter 4: Implementation Strategies
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
a) Initiate quarterly "Fishers Island Visitation Days" to Southold's Town Hall
whereby representatives of the FICB attend Town Board meetings and visit
with officials in order to advocate for Island concerns.
b) Set up opportunities for school children on Island and in the Town of Southold
to attend extra-curricula events in both locations.
· Include news in the Fog Horn about Town Board agendas, including pending
legislation and its potential impact on Fishers Island.
· Send monthly status reports to the Town Board on outstanding problems or
situations in need of Town action.
* * * * * *
Goal:
A sustainable year-round population of up to 500 people, and with sufficient
diversity (in terms of age, sex and ability) to maintain a self-sufficient island
community.
.
Objectives:
· To ensure the range of ages and talents necessary for the Island community to
provide all necessary year-round public service functions, and governance,
whether paid or volunteer, such as, but not limited to, utilities, school, fire
department, constables, bay constables, and emergency medical services,
including on-island medical care.
· To promote social, educational, cultural and recreational opportunities on the Island
to accommodate the interests of a viable year-round population.
· To improve access to off-island services, facilities, and educational, cultural, and
recreational opportunities for all year-round residents.
· To ensure the long-term use and viability ofthe Fishers Island School, which is
essential to the preservation of the Island community. It is presently an accredited
pre-K through 12 public school. While alternatives should be continually
explored, it must be recognized that discontinuing any grades could negatively
impact the growth and stability of the island population.
Recommended Implementation Strategies:
· Create housing, social, cultural and economic opportunities that would attract and
keep this target population.
· Implement Island Community Center campus plan.
· Improve coordination and budgeting among all Island organizations through the
Fishers Island Community Board so as to provide a wider range of educational,
recreational and social opportunities.
· Continue to contact other educational institutions for assistance on expanding
educational offerings and youth marine programs.
· Develop marketing strategies to attract new residents.
· Continue dialogue with the Fishers Island School Board about the long term use
and viability of the Fishers Island School.
.
Chapter 4: Implementation Strategies
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Goal:
Good quality housing stock of sufficient quantity and variety to house the
sustainable year-round target population.
.
Objectives:
To retain and upgrade existing lower and moderate-priced housing to meet the
needs of a larger, more diverse year-round population.
To create new housing of various types and sizes, suitable to meet the varying
needs of a diverse year-round population, yet integrated into the existing housing
stock.
To encourage the retention of year-round housing stock on the Island.
.
.
.
Recommended Implementation Strategies:
· Define the type and amount of affordable housing needed.
· Set short (2 years) and long (10 year) targets for creating affordable (low and
moderate) housing units and define priorities by type and location.
. Access feasible sites for renovations and new mixed uses:
· Renovate existing buildings for affordable housing
· Access feasible sites for new affordable housing such as:
o Part of U.S. Navy property
o Land owned by Fishers Island School District
o R-120 property at Fort Wright
o Land owned by the Fishers Island Utility Company
o Other sites (as may become pertinent or available)
· Identify which existing residential rental housing (& other structures) could be
improved in terms of function, appearance and value.
· Identify which single family homes might be converted into two-family homes.
. Publicize existing accessory apartment law.
· Facilitate construction of accessory apartments where realistic (and feasible)
through permit expediting and financial incentives or tax breaks.
. Scout-out feasible locations for employer-owned housing for employees through
the creative re-use of existing structures, e.g. a building set up as a writers and
artists colony during off-season, could be used, in part, as a dormitory during the
peak (July & August) season.
· Solicit funds, donations and creative partnerships to enable the Walsh Park
Benevolent Corporation to construct more housing.
· Create incentives for new affordable housing to be built by the private market.
· Solicit Suffolk County assistance to acquire and/or rehabilitate housing through a
public-private partnership.
o The use of County funds would not preclude giving year-round residents first
priority. It would only require allowing access to off-islanders (from the Town
of Southold, then Suffolk County) ifthere weren't sufficient residents on the
island.
.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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· Set-up a housing education center with materials about housing subsidy programs,
accessory apartment law, tenants' rights material, application forms for Section 8
and other programs.
· Update and maintain inventory ofIsland housing stock.
******
Goal:
A sustainable economy geared towards providing satisfying, year-round local
employment as well as providing the types of services and goods needed by a year-
round population.
.
Objectives:
· To strengthen and diversify the economic base of the Island.
· To encourage the creation of steady, competitive, year-round employment
opportunities that would be attractive to and support a larger, more diversified
Island community.
· To stabilize and expand the economic commercial base.
· To revitalize or adapt existing and/or under-utilized business-zoned properties.
· To continue revitalization of the "Gateway" area west and south of the Ferry Dock
on Silver Eel Cove.
· To work with business owners to develop their properties sustainably.
· To encourage the retention of core services such as fuel, food, utilities, etc.
.
Recommended Implementation Strategies:
· Revitalize and strengthen the existing hamlet business centers on the West End.
o The following two merit immediate attention:
. the General Business zoned "gateway" area west and south of the Ferry Dock on
Silver Eel Cove.
. the Hamlet Business zoned "triangle" formed by Equestrian, Oriental and
Crescent streets, also known as the Village Green.
· Draw up a blueprint for revitalization of public and private properties west of Silver
Eel Cove and use it to develop public-private partnerships to seek funds from New
York State through the L WRP grants program.
· Arrange for the State University of New York's Small Business Development
Center to come to Fishers Island at scheduled times to provide assistance to small
businesses.
· Publicize the University of Connecticut's business services programs.
· Set up an Island-based "small business development resource center and
clearinghouse" whereby potential and existing entrepreneurs could obtain
information and where they could be matched with potential on-island investors.
· Use this center to seek entrepreneurial grants for small start-up companies.
· Work with the Fishers Island Ferry District to develop alternative management
strategies for Town-owned land currently under Ferry District jurisdiction.
· Review, enforce and change (if necessary) zoning codes and other regulations in
order to encourage new economic growth. For example:
· Define aquaculture and permit it in certain zones
Chapter 4: Implementation Strategies
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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· Add or subtract land uses from existing zoning districts
. Create new zoning district categories
· Enforce law requiring mobile vendors to obtain pennits
· Rezone properties in order to pennit types of economic activity more appropriate to
the existing infrastructure and buildings; e.g. Residential Office.
· Re-zoning would respect grand- fathered operations, while encouraging future
businesses to locate in more appropriate places.
· Create tax incentives for specific types of businesses, or for reuse of historic
structures.
· Explore the appropriate use of public land for private business purposes.
· Maximize use of sewer and water infrastructure within existing service areas
(instead of expanding service to new areas).
· Maintain and update inventory ofIsland-related businesses.
· Explore ways to improve access to reasonably-priced health insurance and
homeowners insurance through company or Island-based insurance programs.
· Work with legislators in New York and Connecticut to facilitate health care.
* * * * *
Goal:
A sustainable lifestyle through improved energy efficiency and affordability.
.
Objectives:
· To reduce energy costs for year-round residents and businesses.
· To introduce and encourage use of renewable energy resources in residential and
commercial construction.
· To promote energy conservation through education
Recommended Implementation Strategies:
· Encourage the Fishers Island Utility Company to continue to explore short and long
term options to reduce energy costs.
· Provide incentives for new construction (residential and commercial) to be solar
and wind energy compatible.
· Impose surcharges for energy-consumptive amenities in new construction.
· Create incentives for energy-conservation oriented design and construction and
renovations.
· Create Incentives for off-peak use of electricity during peak months.
· Take advantage of rebates for installing alternative energy devices.
· Promote water and energy conservation by the community.
* * * * * *
.
Chapter 4: Implementation Strategies
6
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
.
.
Goal:
An integrated transportation network [including but not limited to, roads, ferry,
water-taxi, bicycle and walking paths, and the airfield] that supports the year-
round community's need for reasonable access to services, goods, and economic
opportunities.
.
Objectives:
To facilitate access to services, goods and economic, educational, social and
recreational opportunities which are only available off-island.
To reduce vehicular traffic on the island during the summer months.
To concentrate high volume economic activity and traffic generators in key sectors.
To develop commuter-friendly transportation options.
To continue to plan for, strengthen and improve the evacuation plan for both natural
and man-made disasters.
.
.
.
.
.
Recommended Implementation Strategies:
Set up a working committee through the FICB to explore details associated with the
concept of having an island-based boat at night.
Improve parking, walking and biking areas.
Continue to support Island efforts to provide access to off- Island opportunities and
activities.
Evaluate and present the evacuation plan on a yearly basis.
.
.
.
.
* * * * * *
Goal:
A cap on future increases in the resort, summer or tourist population on Fishers
Island.
.
Objectives:
To continue to minimize the impacts of the seasonal population on the Island's
infrastructure and environment.
To continue to reduce traffic and security concerns.
To continue to discourage tourism.
To continue to minimize the significant expansion of club facilities and/or
memberships that would accelerate the construction of new seasonal homes as
opposed to providing additional social activities.
.
.
.
.
Recommended Implementation Strategies:
Explore creative funding opportunities to preserve land; e.g. use of Community
Preservation Project Plan funds.
Continue to highlight the work of the Ferguson Museum Land Trust.
Inventory and evaluate the use of public access points (to Fishers Island).
.
.
******
Chapter 4: Implementation Strategies
7
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
.
.
Goal:
Preservation of the natural environment, particularly fresh water wetlands,
tidal marshes, woodlands, bluffs, dunes, beaches and warm season grasslands,
against degradation or destruction.
.
Objectives:
To identify and protect environmentally sensitive wetland and coastal resources,
including marine habitat and species.
To encourage water-enhanced and water-dependent economic and recreational
activities without destroying or degrading the natural coastal environment.
To maintain the open, rural feel of the Island through land preservation.
To protect the quantity and quality of the limited indigenous water supply.
To maintain recreational facilities, of reasonable size, and in appropriate locations,
to service the Island population in an environmentally-compatible manner.
To ensure that economic activities are environmentally sustainable and compatible.
To prevent the further spread of invasive species into the remaining natural habitat.
To identify and restore selected natural habitat already affected by invasive species.
To prevent and/or mitigate erosion and siltation where possible.
To prevent and/or mitigate water pollution where possible.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Recommended Implementation Strategies:
. Seek funding to develop a "ground-truthed" wetlands map for the West End.
. Develop a litter and garbage management plan.
. Amend the Harbor Management Plan to afford better protection of marine water
quality and give the Fishers Island Harbor Committee tools to implement.
· Work with the Henry L. Ferguson Museum, the Fishers Island Conservancy and
other island organizations in their efforts to develop public education exhibits on
how sensitive coastal features of Fishers Island can be damaged through overuse or
mis-use.
. Tap into the resources and public education capabilities of off-Island organizations
such as Cornell University's Cooperative Extension, the Maine Island Institute, the
University of Connecticut at A very Point, Mystic Seaport, the New York
Department of Environmental Conservation, and the N ew York Department of
State's Coastal Resources Division.
. Identify point sources of direct stormwater discharges to tidal waters and wetlands.
o Develop a capital improvement plan (including public funding sources) to
remediate those sources in a more environmentally compatible manner.
. Encourage use of the Harbor Honey through public education.
. Work with the Town to develop altemative management strategies for Town-
owned land.
· Enforce accepted Best Management Practices for erosion control during
construction.
* * * * * *
Chapter 4: Implementation Strategies
8
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
.
Goal: Protect Fishers Island's historic and unique cultural environment and its
strong sense of place.
.
Objectives:
To identify and preserve the historic, cultural, architectural and archaeological
resources.
To revitalize and strengthen the existing hamlet business center/village green
To support the role of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum and the Museum's Land
Trust in the preservation of social, archeological, historical and cultural attributes of
the Island.
To celebrate the Island's natural environment and unique character and lifestyle.
.
.
.
.
Recommended Implementation Strategies:
Develop a Parade Ground Preservation Plan.
Seek funds to do an updated version of the Society for the Preservation of Long
Island Antiquities' (SPLlA) survey of historic structures.
Recommend properties for local, state and national landmark status.
Recommend lighthouses for State landmark status.
Continue to broaden the Fishers Island School's offerings by building bridges with
Cornell University's Cooperative Extension, the University of Connecticut at Avery
Point and other relevant off-Island institutions.
.
.
.
.
* * * * * *
Goal:
Accommodate new growth and revitalize existing infrastructure in keeping with the
Vision and Policies of the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program.
.
Objectives:
. To use the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (and state grants designed to
facilitate implementation of the LWRP) to protect the natural resources of Fishers
Island and to assist in financing targeted projects.
Recommended Implementation Strategies:
. Broaden public awareness of the power of L WRP to implement Fishers Island's
Vision by distributing educational material and giving lectures.
. Seek L WRP-related funding to accomplish projects listed in the Fishers Island
section of the LWRP, particularly the revitalization of the Silver Eel Cove area
and protecting the fisheries resources.
* * * * * *
Chapter 4: Implementation Strategies
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
CHAPTER 5
INVENTORY
Introduction
The purpose of this Section is to update existing inventories of certain attributes of
Fishers Island which were identified as particularly relevant to the 2007 Strategic Plan.
The Inventory starts with a synopsis of planning documents and policies, then moves on
to more specific topics.
Throughout this section, the reader is referred to eXlstmg documents, which if not
included in the Appendix or the Resource Binder of this report, may be accessed through
the Town of Southold's Laserjiche archive. The documents in the Laserfiche archive
have also been copied onto CD-ROMs, which have been placed on Fishers Island; one
copy in the offices of the Fishers Island Community Board and the other in the Fishers
Island Library.
.
Planninl! Framework
This report used several planning documents by way of reference, information, guidance
and historical context. These studies and reports are incorporated by reference because
they are foundational policy documents. Their salient points are highlighted here.
A fairly recent synopsis of many of these plans also can be found in The Town of
Southo/d's Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, November 2004, specifically within
Section II, Inventory & Analysis, Section J. Reach 10: Fishers Island, pages 1-48. A
copy of this portion of the L WRP is located in the Reference Binder. The entire three
volume set of the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program document (in print and
electronic formats) is available in the office of the Fishers Island Community Board as
well as the Fishers Island Library.
1. The Fishers Island Growth Plan: 1988, 1994
The 1988 and 1994 versions of the Fishers Island Growth Plan (FlOP) were based on an
earlier body of work consisting of natural resource inventories, maps and a report, all of
which had been prepared in 1984 (and subsequently updated in 1987) by the Trust for
Public Land. The Trust reports examined the current state of development on Fishers
Island and the Island's capacity to accommodate future growth without impacting the
natural environment.
The 1988 flOP, as summarized in the Southold Town Local Waterfront Revitalization
Program (L WRP) (Section II, J. Reach 10, p2), .... .included a series of assumptions aimed
at protecting the unique environment and community character of Fishers Island. The Plan
Assumptions were:
1.
Fishers Island must have a healthy year-round population. It must be self-
sufficient in providing all necessary year-round service functions, e.g., school, fire
department, groceries, EMS, medical, etc., and also be able to expand those
services to meet the needs of the summer population. To meet these requirements,
.
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
.
Fishers Island needs more people than currently live on the Island year-round. It
is desirable that the year-round community includes a diverse composite of age,
sex and ability levels.
2.
Efforts must be made to slow the growth of the summer population. All citizens
and organizations should bear this goal in mind when making decisions, which
could influence growth.
3.
The Island should remain a residential community and tourism is to be
discouraged. (Commercial activities on Fishers Island should continue to focus
their operations exclusively on serving the resident population).
4.
The natural environment must be unequivocally protected. The uniqueness and
fragility of our ocean, harbors, wetlands and water supply must be respected. To
that end, Fishers Islanders, both year-round and part-time, must be made aware of
the need for environmental protection.
5.
The Fishers Island school is a major asset and should be strengthened through
enhanced programs and a larger student body. The character of the Island's
society would be changed to everyone's detriment without the school.
6.
For the foreseeable future, our Island's official governance will remain the same,
i.e., we will continue to be a hamlet within the Town of Southold. This means we
will need to work closely with the Town Board to obtain special legislation when
necessary and to see that the Board understands that Fishers Island's priorities
are frequently different from those of the rest of Southold. It is the responsibility of
the Fishers Island representative on the Town Board to ensure that Fishers
Island's uniqueness and best interest is clearly communicated to the other Board
members. We should seek representation on any other Town boards or committees
that are important to the welfare of the Island. In addition, we should explore
special vehicles which might enhance local contro/.
7. To protect and strengthen Fishers Island, all people and organizations must be
made aware of their interdependency, so that they will be encouraged to workfor
the common good even when some individual sacrifice might be necessary.
8. All Fishers Island residents should generously support the programs of the Island
Museum and similar organizations which use private initiatives and land
protection strategies to preserve the remaining open space on Fishers Island.
(Fishers Island Growth Plan Committee, 1988, p2.)
(as quoted in Town of South old LWRP, Section II, J. Reach 10, pp2-3.)
In 1994, this plan was updated. The concerns and assumptions expressed in the 1988 plan
were reaffirmed. The following points were stressed:
.
.
Fishers Island must have a viable year-round population
Efforts must be made to slow the growth of seasonal population
The Island should remain a residential community
For the foreseeable future, our Island's official governance will remain the same:
we will continue to be a hamlet within the Town of Southold and
.
.
.
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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.
The natural environment must be unequivocally protected
(Fishers Island Growth Plan Committee, 1994, pI.)
(As quoted in Town of South old LWRP, Section II, J. Reach 10, pp3-4.)
2. Town of Southold Master Plan Update - Background Studies: 1984
In 1984, the Town retained a consulting firm to create a series of background reports and
maps that examined existing conditions within the Town. The information was used by
the Southold Planning Board to formulate a Master Plan Update in 1985 (Master Plan
Update: Background Studies, Raymond, Parish, Pine and Weiner, Inc. 1984). This
update set forth goals for the entire town. In this report, Fishers Island was categorized as
a "hamlet".
The Master Plan Update proposed that "the goals of the Town of Southold reflect the
Town's interest in preserving and enhancing the natural and built environment and
providing opportunities for a level of growth and expansion of the economic base that is
compatible with the existing scale of development, availability of water, existing sensitive
environment of the Town and its historic heritage" (Town of Southold Planning Board,
1985, p3). The following detailed goals were proposed:
.
Overall planning
. Provide a community of residential hamlets that are comprised of a variety of
housing opportunities, commercial, service, and cultural activities, set in an open
or rural atmosphere and supported by a diversified economic base (including
agriculture, marine commercial and seasonal recreation activities).
. Maximize the Town's natural assets, including its coastal location and agricultural
base and achieve compatibility between the natural environment and
development.
. Achieve a land use pattern that is sensitive to the limited indigenous water supply
and will not degrade the subsurface water quality.
Housing/residential development
. Preserve the existing housing stock and provide the opportunity for the
development of a variety of housing types to meet the needs of people at various
stages of the life cycle, various income and age levels and household
compositions.
Economic development
. Strengthen and diversify the Town's economic base as a means of stabilizing and
expanding the tax base and year-round and seasonal employment opportunities.
.
Waterfront
. Protect environmentally sensitive coastal areas, maximize public access to the
waterfront and achieve economic benefits from water-enhanced and
water-dependent activities, particularly well planned seasonal and commercial
activities in appropriate locations.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Agricultural preservation
. Preserve Southold's prime fannland and encourage the continuation and
diversification of agriculture as an important element in the life and economy of
the Town.
Environment
. Preserve and enhance the Town's natural environment including waterways,
wetlands, tidal marshes, woodlands, bluffs, dunes and beaches.
. Maintain and protect Southold's agricultural heritage and pastoral and open
qualities
. Ensure that there is an adequate quantity of high quality ground water to serve
Southold's present and projected year-round and seasonal populations.
. Promote a development pattern that is responsive to sensitive areas exhibiting
prime agricultural soils, poor drainage, high water table, high erosion hazard,
flood hazard, sensitive coastal features, great scenic quality and woodlands.
. Maintain and improve surface water quality
. Maintain and protect fin fishing and shell fishing habitats.
.
Cultural environment
. Preserve the historic, cultural, architectural and archaeological resources of the
Town.
. Preserve and strengthen the hamlets as cultural, residential and commercial
centers of activity in the Town; as a means of contributing to the preservation of
historic buildings and areas and contributing a "sense of place".
Community facilities/utilities
. Ensure the provision of an adequate range of community facilities and services to
accommodate existing and future Town needs in a convenient and cost effective
manner.
. Maintain and improve existing utility systems and determine where it is
appropriate to expand water supply, sanitary sewer, storm drainage and solid
waste disposal systems in order to support the desired level of development and to
maintain and protect a healthful living environment, a viable economic base and
the natural environment.
. Provide an open space and recreation system adequate in size and location to
accommodate a range of facilities to serve the total (seasonal and year-round)
population.
Transportation
. Insure efficient movement of people and goods within Southold, as well as into
and out of Town, in a manner that maximizes safety and maintains the scale and
integrity of residential and agricultural areas.
(Update 1985: Town of Southold Planning Board, 1985, p3-5)
.
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
The future pattern of land use proposed in the Master Plan Update encouraged residential
development to locate in and around existing hamlets "in order to preserve and enhance
the historic and cultural centers of the community, to support existing commercial
centers, to provide locations for moderately priced housing and to encourage efficient
and effective provision of community facilities and services" (Town of Southold Planning
Board, 1985, p6) and for commercial development to locate in hamlet centers. The Plan
identified Mattituck, Cutchogue, Southold and Orient as major hamlet centers which
should "continue to be the residential-business-service centers of the Town" (Town of
Southold Planning Board, 1985, p8). New Suffolk, Laurel, Peconic, East Marion and
Fishers Island were also considered hamlet centers.
(As quoted in Town of South old LWRP, Section II, B. pp 2 - 4.)
It is worth noting here that the Master Plan Update contains only three goals that either
are not addressed or are incompatible with those set forth in the Fishers Island Growth
plans. These are noted below:
1985 Master Plan Update Goals
Fishers Island Growth Plan Goals
.
Waterfront Waterfront
...maximize public access to the waterfront Growth plans are silent on the issue of
and achieve economic benefits from maximizing public access and on water-
water-enhanced and water-dependent enhanced or water-dependent activities.
activities, particularly well planned seasonal Growth plans specifically not in favor of
and commercial activities in appropriate tourist-based economic activity such as
locations. hotels and restaurants.
Agricultural preservation Agricultural preservation
Preserve Southold's prime farmland and Growth plans are silent on the issue of
encourage the continuation and agriculture and furmland preservation.
diversification of agriculture as an important
element in the life and economy of the
Town.
Environment Environment
Maintain and protect Southold's Growth plans are silent on protecting
agricultural heritage. agricultural heritage.
3. Zoning Code and Zoning Map: 1989
Historically, development on the Mainland has reflected the changing nature of land use
and the economy within the greater New York metropolitan area, including western Long
Island. The massive and rapid transformation of farmland on western Long Island into
housing developments after the Second World War may have been among the reasons
Southold Town adopted land use planning legislation in 1957. The first Master Plan was
adopted in 1967 and amended in 1978.
.
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The 1985 Master Plan Update reflected the Town's ongoing concerns about new growth
and the sufficiency of the 1978 plan to address it. Although the 1985 Update was never
formally adopted by the Town Board, it was used as a guide in the preparation of a
revised Zoning Code and Zoning Map, both of which were adopted in 1989. This Code
and Map constituted a major overhaul of the extent legislation, with significant
ramifications for Fishers Island. The 1989 changes prevented the re-introduction of
hotels to Fishers Island. It also created a three-acre residential zoning district (R -120)
coincidental with the boundaries of the Olmsted Plan on the eastern two thirds of the
Island. At the same time, the pre-existing lots within the Olmsted Plan were
grandfathered in and recognized as legal. The lands comprising the Hay Harbor Club
were up-zoned to R-120 as well. The Navy property was up-zoned even more
restrictively, to R-400 or ten acre zoning.
Most of the boundaries of the business and industrial zoning districts shown on the 1970
Zoning Map were kept, but they were re-designated. Most General Business districts
were changed to Limited Business districts with the major exception of the land that
comprised the former Army base of Fort Wright. The land south and west of Whistler
Avenue, of which about 178.5 acres is owned by the Town, was rezoned R-400. Two
parcels west of Fox Lane and consisting of about 10 acres are zoned R-120.
.
Only the main fort complex, consisting of military warehouses, offices and other
operating structures, to the west of Silver Eel Cove was left in Business zoning. Most of
the smaller structures that had been used as officer's quarters were given a residential
zoning designation of either R-40 or Hamlet Density. All the Industrial districts were
changed to either Business or Marine districts, depending on the existing use.
The net effect of the 1989 Zoning Map was to reduce the amount of land zoned for
business purposes. Map 2-1 shows the pre-1989 zoning map. Map 2-2 shows the 1989
zoning map. The current map (2-3) is discussed later in this chapter in the subsection on
Zoning.
.
4. Fishers Island Water Supply / Watershed Study: 1994
This study was commissioned as a result of water quality testing during the years 1988-
89. There were concerns about the ongoing safety and capacity of the water supply
system, which was built around 1926 and expanded at various times thereafter. The
study was jointly funded by a partnership of the Fishers Island Conservancy, the Suffolk
County Health Department and the Suffolk County Planning Department. The study was
designed to provide "technical information and recommendations for development of
rules, regulations and policies for the future preservation of water quality in the three
surface water reservoirs and the groundwater aquifers of the Fishers Island public water
supply" (Fishers Island Water Supply / Watershed Study, A. R. Lombardi Assocs., Inc.,
1994, pi-I.)
The Water Supply/Watershed Study (FIWS/WS) recommended the adoption of "a
comprehensive and vigorous watershed and aquifer monitoring, protection and spill
prevention plan" (FIWS/WS. A.R. Lombardi, pl-3.) Most of its recommendations were
Chapter 5: Inventory
6
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
carried out, after the Fishers Island Watershed Protection Plan was adopted by the Town
in 1997. (Town of Southold LWRP, Section II, J. Reach 10- p35.) However, one
recommendation, to remove all underground fuel storage tanks by 2007, was not
specifically implemented, and it is unclear if this objective has been achieved.
.
5. Local Waterfront Revitalization Program: 2004
The Town of Southold Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) was grounded
on several planning studies, some of which had been funded and undertaken as part ofthe
process of developing the program. The L WRP was designed to function as a
comprehensive planning document even though its primary focus was the preservation,
rehabilitation, and enhancement of the natural resources on which the Town's economy
and quality of life rested.
Policies
The L WRP promotes the following public policies within Southold Town:
Policy 1
. Policy 2
Policy 3
Policy 4
Policy 5
Policy 6
Policy 7
Policy 8
Policy 9
Policy 10
Policy 11
.
Chapter 5: Inventory
Foster a pattern of development in the Town of Southold that enhances
community character, preserves open space, makes efficient use of
infrastructure, makes beneficial use of a coastal location, and minimizes
adverse effects of development.
Preserve historic resources of the Town of South old.
Enhance visual quality and protect scenic resources throughout the
Town of South old.
Minimize loss of life, structures, and natural resources from fiooding and
erosion.
Protect and improve water quality and supply in the Town of Southold.
Protect and restore the quality andfunction of the Town ofSouthold's
ecosystem.
Protect and improve air quality in the Town of South old.
Minimize environmental degradation in the Town of South old from solid
waste and hazardous substances and wastes.
Provide for public access to, and recreational use of, coastal waters,
public lands, and public resources of the Town of Southold.
Protect the Town ofSouthold's water-dependent uses and promote siting
of new water-dependent uses in suitable locations.
Promote sustainable use of living marine resources in the Town of
Southold.
7
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Policy 12
Protect agricultural lands in the Town of Southold.
Policy 13
Promote appropriate use and development of energy and mineral
resources.
(LWRP, Section V - Implementation-p52)
Underutilized Areas
The L WRP contains a detailed description and inventory of Fishers Island's resources as
was known or published at that time. Among the key findings of the L WRP were two
underutilized waterfront sites: two properties on West Harbor by Dock Beach and
remnants of Fort Wright near Silver Eel Cove.
Since the publication of the LWRP in 2004, the two properties on West Harbor by Dock
Beach have been turned into a public beach and park that includes gravel parking area,
picnic tables, a scenic overlook, low maintenance plantings and some interpretive material.
The upland lot remains in its current vegetated state. The existing dock on the shorefront
parcel is currently set aside for dockage by Southold Town residents for a period not to
exceed 2 hours. (LWRP, Section IIJ.Reach-IO-p38). With the exception of the
renovation of Building #98 into a Community Center, no equivalent revitalization of the
F ort Wright property has been started.
.
Areas of Special Concern
The L WRP also identified six areas of special concern on Fishers Island. These areas, as
identified in the L WRP, are described below and shown on Map II.J. 10, a copy of which is
included as Map 2-4.
. West Harbor
"West Harbor is the main maritime center on Fishers Island and is the focus of water-
dependent use and recreational boating activity. It contains the three marinas located on
Fishers Island and the largest single concentration of moorings in the Town of Southold.
Fishers Island Oyster Farm. a commercial aquaculture company. and several commercial
lobster fishermen are based in West Harbor. The most significant harbor management
issues on Fishers Island occur in West Harbor. as the sometimes divergent interests of
recreational boaters. marinas and shelifish producers all converge within a harbor that is
becoming increasingly congested with boat traffic." (LWRP, Section II, J. Reach 10-p38).
. Fort Wright and Silver Eel Pond
"The Town of Southold has identified the former Fort Wright area and Silver Eel Pond as
an underutilized area. This area includes a significant collection of abandoned military
buildings that could be redeveloped to provide year-round jobs and/or affordable
housing." (LWRP, Section II, J. Reach 10-p38).
.
. Fishers Island Beaches
"The Fishers Island Beaches SCFWH consists of three areas on Fishers Island: the Mud
Pond Beach area on Fishers Island Sound at the far eastern end of the island. the Middle
Farms Beach area on Block Island Sound on the south central shoreline. and the Stony
Beach area on the far western end of the island between Hay Harbor and Fishers Island
Chapter 5: Inventory
8
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Sound. They are important as a network of bird nesting sites. Nesting shorebird species
inhabiting the Fishers Island Beaches are highly vulnerable to disturbance by humans from
mid-April through July." (LWRP, Section II, J. Reach IO-p39).
. Fishers Island Pine Islands (formerly Hungry Point Islands)
"Fishers Island Pine Islands SCFWH is located along the north shore of Fishers Island,
approximately one and one-half miles from the eastern end of the island. The Islands
comprise a relatively small, but valuable, coastal habitat type that provides suitable
conditions for several unusual species of wildlife. Isolation from predators and human
disturbance may be the most important component of the islands habitat, distinguishing
this area from many other rock and marsh islands in Suffolk County. " (L WRP, Section II,
J. Reach IO-p39).
.
. The Race and the Conservation Zone
"The Race is an area of open water located between Race Point, at the western end of
Fishers Island, and Valiant Rock. located approximately one and one-half miles southwest
of Fishers Island. The fish and wildlife habitat is a very deep channel (over 150 feet in
depth), approximately one mile wide, and bordered by steep underwater slopes rising up to
relatively shallow water (less than 30 feet deep) on each side. This approximate 2,500-
acre area is the primary opening in the underwater ridge separating Long Island Sound
and Block Island Sound, and is an area of very turbulent tidal exchange. The Race
represents a very unusual physical environment in New York State. The deep, turbulent
waters and shoals combine to produce a productive and diverse habitat for marine fishes.
As a result of the abundant fisheries resources in the area, the Race has become a
nationally renowned sportjishing area with heavy fishing pressure occurring throughout
spring, summer, and fall. In addition to sportjishing, the Race supports a commercial
lobster fishery of regional significance. The significant human use that this area supports
is dependent upon maintaining or enhancing opportunities for compatible recreational and
commercial fishing, within the productivity limits of the fisheries resources." (LWRP,
Section II, J. Reach lO-p39)
"The Town of Southold recognizes the importance of maintaining the habitat values of the
Race SCFWH...the Town has supported the efforts of the Fishers Island Lobstermen and
the Fishers Island Conservancy to foster better regional management of the unique and
regionally-significant lobster and other fishery resources surrounding the Island.
Exploitation offishery resources to their detriment is contrary to the Town ofSouthold's
LWRP policies on resource management." (LWRP, Section II, J. Reach lO-p39)
"Finally, with regard to the future deposition of any contaminated dredge spoils at the New
London Dump Site, the Town of Southold finds that prospect to be contrary to the intents
and purposes of its Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, as well as threatening to the
water of Fishers Island, the unique habitat of the Race and the Fishers Island and Block
Island Sounds in general" (LWRP, Section II, J. Reach lO-pp39-40)
.
Chapter 5: Inventory
9
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-20/7
.
. The Fishers Island Water Supply watershed
"Concerns were raised about the ability of the current groundwater supply to provide an
adequate quantity of water during drought conditions and saltwater intrusion. Protection
of the watersheds of the groundwater supply and the Barlow, Middle Farms and Treasure
Ponds from the impacts of development is important to the community, in order to ensure
the continued availability and quality of the groundwater and surface water supply. Steps
have been taken by the Fishers Island Water Company to address these concerns such as
implementation of the Fishers Island Watershed Protection Plan, development of a third
well and maintaining the surface water treatment plant on Barlow Pond for service. The
relatively undeveloped watershed area also includes important wetlands and significant
plant and wildlife habitat that warrant protection. " (L WRP, Section II, J. Reach 10-pp40)
.
Development Issues
The LWRP noted certain troublesome aspects of Fishers Island's population and growth
potential. "All of Fishers Island has been identified by the Town of Southo/d as an area
of existing stable use. The island is a well-established seasonal residential resort
community with a small year-round population. Much of the island has been developed
for residential use or has been subdivided. Although many of these lots remain
unimproved, seasonal growth is occurring, both through new seasonal residential
development and an increasing market in seasonal rental of existing property. These
trends have had the effect of increasing the overall seasonal population and boosting
property values. The downside is this trend could negatively impact the environment and
the community character of the island. Mitigating steps have been taken to address rapid
seasonal growth such as capping membership in the island's private facilities and
maintaining a two vessel ferry service rather than a larger fleet. "
"At the same time that seasonal development pressure has increased, Fishers Island has
experienced a decline in its year-round population. This threatens the vitality of the
island's character and infrastructure. Maintaining the Fishers Island School is also vital
to the island's year round population. Without the school, families with young children
may be forced off island. So, as the population declines, the student population at the
school does as well. To address this issue, the Fishers Island School, kindergarten through
grade 12, has employed a magnet student program inviting as many as 25 students in
grades 5 through 12 from Connecticut [toJ attend the school, thereby enhancing the
viability of the school experience for the island's 50 or so students. Despite the success of
this program and quality of education delivered to the students, the community is beginning
to discuss the feasibility of alternative high school experiences for the island students. "
"It is clear that current trends will result in changes that could alter the environment and
community character of Fishers Island. The focus of the Town of Southo/d LWRP is to
ensure that the impacts of these changes on the island's coastal resources, both natural
and cultural, are minimized. To this end the LWRP focuses on the protection of the
island's unique natural environment and its water-dependent uses. " (Section II, J. Reach
10- pp38 to 41.)
.
Chapter 5: Inventory
IO
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Harbor Management
The L WRP also included a Fishers Island Harbor Management Plan (FIHMP), which
was created by the Fishers Island Harbor Management Committee, with assistance from
the Southold Planning Department, and the New York State Department of State. The
FIHMP was adopted by the Town Board in 1997, along with enabling legislation,
(Southold Town Code: Chapter 33, Fishers Island Harbor Management). Section II. J.
Reach 10 and the Fishers Island Harbor Management Plan of the Town of Southold
L WRP are included in the Reference Binder.
Conclusions
The L WRP recommended three specific projects for Fishers Island:
. Revitalization of Fort Wright and Silver Eel Pond
. Regional Habitat and fishery Management Plan
. Ongoing Protection of Water Supply and Watershed
(LWRP, Section V - Implementation -p55)
Of these three, only protection of the water supply and watershed has been addressed.
.
6. Comprehensive Implementation Strategy: 2003
Southold Town adopted a moratorium during the years 2002 through 2005, during which
it undertook a comprehensive review of its long-range planning policies, its land use and
resource protection plans, and its governing legislation. During this time, moratorium
law prevented the subdivision ofIand until a comprehensive review of the Town's long-
range planning policies and its governing legislation could be conducted.
The Comprehensive Implementation Strategy (CIS) document, (Draft Generic
Environmental Impact Statement. Southold Comprehensive Implementation Strategy,
May 2003) examined a body of planning work spanning twenty years. These plans
articulated, in various ways and levels of detail, the Town's vision for itself as a socially,
economically and environmentally sustainable community. The CIS made a detailed
review of the Town's land use and resource protection plans, as well as its extant
legislation and procedural standards. The following list indicates the plans that were
reviewed and the year the plans were completed.
.
Parks, Recreation & Open Space Survey (1982)
Town Master Plan Update (1985)*
Fishers Island Growth Plan (1987-1994) *
US/UK Countryside Stewardship Exchange Team Report (1991)
Long Island Comprehensive Special Groundwater Protection Area Plan (1992)
Town Affordable Housing policies and program (1993)
Southold Town Stewardship Task Force Study (1994)
Sea View Trails of the North Fork (1995)
Peconic Estuary Program (1995)
Economic Development Plan, Town of South old (1997)
Community Preservation Project Plan (1998)
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Southold Township: 2000 Planning Initiatives (1999)
County Route 48 Corridor Land Use Study (1999)
Farm and Farmland Protection Strategy (2000)
Town Water Supply Management & Watershed Protection Strategy (2000)
Scenic Southold Corridor Management Plan (200 I)
North Fork Travel Needs Assessment (2002)
Blue Ribbon Commission for a Rural Southold, Final Report (2002)
Town of South old Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (2003)*
(CIS, p 1-4)
(An asterisk denotes a plan that was discussed earlier in this section.)
*
.
The CIS described the basic goals of the above-referenced plans and studies as follows:
. "To preserve land, including farmland, open space and recreational landscapes.
· To preserve the rural, cultural and historic character of the hamlets and
surrounding countryside.
· To preserve the Town's remaining natural environment; to prevent further
deterioration of the Town's natural resources and to restore the Town's degraded
natural resources back to their previous quality.
· To preserve and promote a range of housing and business opportunities that
supports a socio-economically diverse community.
· To increase transportation efficiency and to create attractive alternatives to
automobile travel, while preserving the scenic and historic attributes of roadways
in the Town. "
The Town's objectives in focusing on these goals are twofold:
I) "to maintain the unique cultural and historic sense of place found
within Southo/d's communities, and
2) to maintain the high quality of the Town's environmental resources. "
(CIS, P 1-5)
The CIS identified 43 separate implementation actions that had been recommended by
the various planning studies. Many of the actions were (and remain) relevant to Fishers
Island. The CIS found the Town's long-range plans to be internally consistent, but
recommended the adoption of detailed strategies to ensure their implementation. One of
the recommendations was to develop detailed hamlet studies. In 2004, the Town Board
authorized studies for all the hamlets on the Mainland. The Town of Southold Hamlet
Study, Cleary Consulting, was completed in July of 2005 and is discussed next.
7. Town of South old Hamlet Study 2005
In 2004, pursuant to the afore-noted CIS recommendations, the Town Board authorized
studies for all the hamlets on the Mainland. The Town of Southo/d Hamlet Study, was
completed in July of 2005. Later that month, the Town Board adopted the report as an
official planning document.
.
The primary focus of the Hamlet Study was to formally delineate the Hamlet Centers,
evaluate the technical and practical feasibility of redirecting potential future growth from
Chapter 5: Inventory
12
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
the agricultural and open space areas of the Town towards the hamlets, and also to
critically validate the Hamlet Centers themselves, to define strengths and weaknesses
with an eye toward enhancement, improvement and revitalization."
(Town of South old Hamlet Study, Town-Wide Analysis, Page 5.)
The hamlet studies were designed to allow local stakeholders to take active roles in
defining each hamlet's "center", to propose outer growth boundaries, and to debate its
future shape and form. The centers were defined as places within the overall township
that were well-defined, recognizable districts distinct from the outlying open space and
farmlands. All the Town's hamlets except Laurel and Fishers Island were included.
Subsequently, at the request of the Islanders, a separate hamlet study was authorized.
However that effort stalled because much of the format and focus used for the Mainland
hamlets did not lend itself to the issues of concern to Fishers Islanders.
.
8. The Island Institute 2003-7: Givinl! Voice: The Fishers Island Proiect
In 2002, several Fishers Island residents visited The Island Institute, in search of ideas
about how to address issues of great concern to them, principally the declining year-
round population, the rising cost of living, and the inability of existing island
organizations to deal effectively with these issues. The discussion "focused on problems
common to many islands: the difficulty of running (and paying for) a small public school;
the costs and challenges of law enforcement; state and federal mandates that don't fit
island situations; the need for health care and other social services; what it means to be
"out of sync" with mainland communities. In addition, Fishers, with its large number of
expensive summer homes and its proximity to Long Island Sound's over-the-top real
estate market, was forced to deal with a housing market, property taxes and real estate
values that - from a small community's standpoint, at least - could only be described
as out of control." ("No Dog But His" by David D. Platt in Giving Voice: The Fishers
Island Proiect, p 17.)
The Island Institute is a membership-based community development organization based
in Rockland, Maine. Its primary focus is on fifteen year-round island communities
located off the Maine coast, and its mission is "to support and sustain the uniqueness and
viability of small islands." (http://www.islandinstitute.org/aboutus)
A dialogue ensued, of which the end result was the funding and placement of a Senior
Fellow on Fishers Island for the years 2004 through 2006. As documented in Giving
Voice: The Fishers Island Proiect. two Senior Fellows assisted in the restructuring of the
way in which existing organizations, upwards of thirty-three in number, communicated
with one another and governed island affairs.
.
Briefly, the Senior Fellows assisted the islanders in restructuring their ad-hoc method of
self-governance which reflected the lack of a strong presence of the Mainland of Town
government. The Fishers Island Civic Association was supplanted by a partly
appointed/partly elected Fishers Island Community Board (FICB), whose structure and
activities are defined by By-Laws. The fourteen members consist of six, elected
Chapter 5: Inventory
13
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
representatives (three of whom must be year-round residents and three of whom must be
seasonal residents) and one appointed representative from each of the eight organizations
with the greatest impact on island life: the Fishers Island Development Corporation, the
Ferry District, the Fire District, the School Board, the Utility Company, the Island Health
Project, the Waste Management District and Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation.
The FICB's mission is "to facilitate the functioning of the Fishers Island community by
serving as the focal point for participation by individuals and organizations in the
determination and execution of goal for the Island." (Giving Voice, Appendix)
The FICB's charge is to establish mechanisms to:
. "Increase collaboration and communication between organizations and the
public;
. Provide a forum, that includes organizations and the public, that encourages
community participation and dialogue surrounding the issues concerning the
residents of Fishers Island;
. Articulate and prioritize the community goals; and
. Undertake, encourage, and support tasks to achieve those goals. "
(Giving Voice, Appendix)
.
Through the efforts of the Senior Fellow during the years 2006-6, the FICB established
an Island Office, a non-profit newspaper, and a monthly meeting schedule of various
Island activities and projects: all of which has resulted in improved intra-island
communications and organization, as well as a more cohesive dialogue with Town
government. Historically there has been limited interaction between Southold Town
government on "the Mainland" and Fishers Island. While the "hands-off' approach
towards island governance by "the Mainland" often suited the independent nature of the
island community, it also has resulted in a legitimately deep-seated frustration with the
Mainland's lack of responsiveness to resolving island problems.
9. Planning Conclusions
A review of past planning studies from 1982 to 2005 revealed that many of the Town's
overall goals and objectives for its future remained fundamentally unchanged through the
decades. Many, but not all, ofthese goals are relevant to Fishers Island.
Fishers Island's Vision for its future is essentially a preservationist Vision: that of
protecting the island's unique attributes from the cultural and physical homogenization
that has pervaded much of the American landscape. However, pursuit of that Vision in
the 21 st century is likely to require a more definitive approach to solving Island problems,
and this may require a candid look at certain Island traditions. As identified in Giving
Voice. Fishers Island already has taken significant strides in this direction.
.
Chapter 5: Inventory
14
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-20/7
.
Natural Resources
As seen from Map 2-4, Fishers Island is the largest of several islands scattered near the
Connecticut shoreline. Fishers Island is 6.7 miles long, and averages three quarters of a
mile in width; encompassing about 5 square miles (3,200 acres) ofland. It is located about
12 miles to the northeast of Orient Point and 3 to 4 miles south of Connecticut, opposite the
cities of New London, Groton, Mystic and Stonington. It is accessible only by plane or
boat. The other islands, all uninhabited except for the first, include: North Dumpling,
South Dumpling, Pine Islands (also known as Hungry Point Islands), Wicopesset, Latimer
Reef, Flat Hummock, Race Rock.
The natural resources of Fishers Island have been documented in past planning
documents, all of which were noted and described earlier in the Planning Framework
section. These documents are included in this report by reference and the interested
reader is referred to these documents for more details. However, Section II. J. Reach 10,
of the Town of Southold' s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, L WRP, is included
in the Reference Binder.
.
Although the L WRP contains a listing of the priority areas of concern on Fishers Island,
the natural resource database will need to be updated in order for Islanders to achieve
their goal of improving the environmental protection techniques currently in use on
Fishers Island. One gap in the database is the lack of an updated survey of rare and
endangered species. Another is the lack of a detailed wetlands map. The existing
wetlands map, included here as Map 2-5, is based, partly, on interpretations of aerial
photographs. This map is too generic for stewardship purposes and needs to be improved
through field work and ground and ground-truthing, whereby GPS (Global Positioning
System) waypoints are assigned to vegetation boundaries or boundaries, and are placed
upon an A-2 Survey Map. (An A-2 Survey Map is an accurate property map that is field
surveyed, signed and sealed by a licensed surveyor.)
Another gap in the database is the lack of an updated survey of rare and endangered
species. A third gap is lack of a GPS map denoting where mosquito breeding sites are
located. (Source: Geb Cook, Director of Site Services, Clean Harbors Environmental
Services, Inc., E-Mail. September 10, 2007.) Currently, field workers use hand-drawn
maps. An accurate property map that is field surveyed and signed and sealed by a
licensed surveyor.
The Fishers Island Conservancy has a long track record of protecting the Islands' natural
resources. This organization has underwritten many research and field projects,
including assisting with the costs associated with mosquito control and outfitting the
pump-out boat. Currently it is funding an experimental phragmites control project with
approvals from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
.
Although there is environmental legislation on the books, and the Island has recourse to
enforcement by Bay Constables and New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation peace officers, the Island lacks an overall educational strategy or a
Chapter 5: Inventory
15
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
coordinated, on-Island process for self-protecting its most important upland and maritime
resources. Only the Fishers Island Harbor Committee exercises direct influence on the
environmental resources of West Harbor, pursuant to the Southold Town Code, Chapter
157, Harbor Management.
1. Fishers Island Harbor Committee
Formed in 1994, the Fishers Island Harbor Committee (FIRe) has played a very
important role in exerting local control over the Island's harbor resources. The FIRC
drafted and administers the Harbor Management Plan for all waters surrounding Fishers
Island. The reader is referred to Section J. Reach 10, pages 41- 45 of the Local
Waterfront Revitalization document for a detailed history of this volunteer Committee, its
charge and its jurisdictional authorities. A copy of the Harbor Management Plan can be
found in the LWRP, copies of which are available at the Library and the Fishers Island
Community Board office.
The FIRC was successful in cobbling together $35,000 from the Town and the Suffolk
County Department of Health Services towards the purchase of a pump-out boat which
has been named, the Harbor Honey. The Fishers Island Conservancy donated additional
funds to purchase electronic equipment and install it on the boat. The FIHC continues to
work closely with the Town Trustees and the Town Department of Public Works in order
to obtain funding and other assistance on harbor management issues.
.
The boat has been in operation since July 2007. The two boat handlers are paid by the
Town in accordance with civil service regulations. The boat has a waste-carrying
capacity of 240 gallons. The waste is transported to Noank Shipyards and pumped into
the Groton Sewer system. The yearly charge for access to the Shipyard ($ 500) is paid by
the Town.
Pumpage records will be kept in order to support the Island's upcoming petition to the
State of New York for "No Discharge Zone" status for all the island harbors and
perimeter waters. Obtaining this designation will help the Island maintain the water
quality and protect shellfish and fishery resources from contamination. (Source: Elbert
Burr, Chairman, Fishers Island Harbor Committee, August 1,2007, Telephone
conversation. )
Historical Context
Fishers Island's rich and complex history has played a definitive role in the Island's
development. The factors that shaped Fishers Island are quite different from those on the
Mainland, and they continue to shape the island community today. There are several
good sources of historical information, including the article "No Dog But His" by David
D. Platt (Giving Voice: The Fishers Island Project, p 17.). The information presented
here is included for the purpose offacilitating a strategic plan for Fishers Island's future.
.
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
1. Founding Days
The Island was purchased from the Pequot Indians in 1644 by John Winthrop. From that
point onward, the natural wooded, environment of the island was profoundly re-shaped
by the grazing of livestock and other farming practices of the time. In 1863, Robert R.
Fox purchased the island from the Winthrop family. Between 1863 and 1889, the Fox
family sold off about 101 small parcels, less than one-tenth of the island. In 1889, the
remaining nine-tenths were sold to two brothers, Edmund M. Ferguson and Walton
Ferguson.
At the time of the Ferguson purchase, the more-developed western third of Fishers Island
contained a large excursion hotel, a church, boarding houses and numerous cottages. The
eastern two thirds of Fishers Island consisted of undeveloped grazing land dotted by
mostly abandoned farm structures, fields and pastures. Following their purchase, the
Fergusons' revived and expanded farming at the east end with operations centered on
three distinct farms: East End Farm, Middle Farm and Wilderness Dairy. A fourth,
Poultry Farm, was created closer to town, below Mount Prospect. However, it was at the
West End that the Ferguson brothers began to implement their vision of an exclusive
resort community free of day excursionists. To support this vision, various Island-based
businesses, such as hotels, ferry, electric, water and telephone enterprises were created.
.
More than a decade earlier, in 1896, the federal government approached the Ferguson
brothers about purchasing land at the western tip of the island for the purpose of creating
a coastal defense base. This request did not fit the Fergusons' plans, but they agreed to
negotiate. Disagreement about the price per acre (the government offer of one hundred
dollars per acre was considerably lower than the asking price of one thousand per acre)
led to condemnation hearings. Two years later, a panel of judges ruled in favor of the
Fergusons and they received $176,000 for 215 acres of land in 1898. The U.S.
Govemment would continue to purchase land through 1943 for a total of 419 acres.
(Sources: Pierce Rafferty and Guardian of the Sound: A Pictorial History of Fort H. G.
Wrif!ht. Fishers Island. NY. 1998, Pierce Rafferty & John Wilton, p vii) The
development and operation of Fort H.G. Wright (until 1949, when it was de-activated)
generated enormous infrastructural and social changes, many of which continue to affect
the Island today.
In the 1920s, the second generation of Ferguson owners, led by Alfred L. and Henry L.
Ferguson, expanded the resort development plans for the eastern two-thirds of the Island,
referred to hereafter (in this report) as the East End. Beginning in 1925, and continuing
through the 1930s, the East End was slowly transformed into a private, residential
community in conformance with a landscape and design plan drawn up by the Olmsted
Brothers Company 1926 and revised in 1928. Between the development of the western
third of the Island into a military base and the transformation of the East End into a
"gated" resort community with a premier golf links course, all vestiges of an agricultural
economy disappeared, and now, almost no land is farmed.
.
The corporate structure set up by the Ferguson brothers to develop and manage the
Olmsted Park property was modified through the years. For more detailed information
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.
on the evolution of the corporate management structure of the East End, the interested
reader is directed to the following book, The Fishers Island Club and its Golf Links. The
First Seventy-Five Years, 2002, Charles B. Ferguson & Pierce Rafferty. It contains an
excellent recounting of the Fergusons, their vision for Fishers Island, the resort's
evolution into its present day appearance, and the history of its corporate management.
Financial and corporate decisions by the Fergusons (and the subsequent successor
companies that followed the original development company) have maintained many
aspects of the 1926 Olmsted plan on the East End. In 1965, the Fergusons' Fishers Island
Farms company was sold and re-named the Fishers Island Utility Company, which
continues to operate the water, telephone and electrical facilities, and retain partial
ownership of these facilities along with the Fishers Island Development Company
(FIDCO), a successor company formed in 1960 to manage the private eastern section of
the Island. More details about the management structure are contained in the subsection
on Management Structure, below.
.
(Sources include the following: The Fishers Island Club and its Golf Links. The First
Seventy-Five Years. 2002 , Charles B. Ferguson & Pierce Rafferty; The Town of
Southo/d LWRP, 2004; the resources of the Henry L. Ferguson Museum, particularly its
knowledgeable director, Pierce Rafferty; and the Southold Town Historian's library. The
Ferguson Museum has benefited from recent curatorial efforts to track down written and
photographic documentation pertinent to the Fergusons and Fort Wright. The interested
reader is referred to the Museum's collection for details beyond the scope of this report.)
2. Post World War II
At its height, during the First World War, Fort Wright's population is estimated to have
numbered about 1,500 people. In 1949, the U. S. Army closed Fort H.G. Wright. When
military personnel were withdrawn from the base, the buildings were shuttered. The
extensive infrastructure consisting of barracks, officers' quarters, storage buildings, gun
emplacements and dockage stood unused and neglected.
In 1956, 3.82 acres and twelve buildings were transferred for use by the Fishers Island
school. In 1958,293.23 acres of the military base were transferred to the General
Services Administration. Of this acreage, 56 acres and ninety-four buildings were sold at
auction to the Race Point Corporation, a local syndicate formed to ensure the land was
not purchased by off-islanders. Race Point Corporation donated much of this acreage to
the Town. The federal General Services Administration also transferred some acreage to
the Town. Some land still remains in federal hands, principally Mount Prospect, site of
the U.S. Navy Underwater Sound Laboratory which is currently operated by the Naval
Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC). (Guardian of the Sound, p. 218)
.
The significance of this ownership pattern, from a planning perspective, is that the
potential for the public and private sectors to work together to improve the quality oflife
on Fishers Island is enormous, particularly if consensus can be reached on community
goals.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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3. Structures and Sites of Historical Importance
In 1988, The Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities, (SPLlA), conducted
an inventory of historic properties within the Town of Southold. The inventory
(Comprehensive Survey of Historic Resources in the Town of Southold and Fishers
Island) found eighty-one (81) structures of historic significance on Fishers Island.
The information in the SPLlA survey was scanned into Laserfiche, then mapped and
reviewed by the Stakeholders. It is included here as Map 2-6. SPLIA Inventory. Upon
review, it was the consensus of the Stakeholders that the SPLlA inventory (and map) was
both inadequate and inaccurate, and that a new survey should be taken when funds
became available.
The Town has a register for local Landmark Structures and Sites. This is a voluntary
program whereby property owners submit requests for local registration. No properties
on Fishers Island are on this register, nor is there any record of any applications for
landmark status.
As noted in the Town of Southold Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, there are
three lighthouses around Fishers Island that are significant for historical as well as
nautical reasons. These are:
.
);> Latimer Reef Lighthouse
);> North Dumpling Light
);> Race Rock Light
(Source: Town of South old, LWRP Section II. F-p6)
New York State and the federal government each maintain Registers of Historic Places.
These registers contain buildings, structures, districts, objects and sites significant to the
history, architecture, archeology and culture of the state or the nation. Although Fishers
Island is not listed on either the State or the National registers, it has properties that are
considered eligible for such designation. These properties are:
);> Race Rock Light
);> Fort H.G. Wright
(Source: Town of South old, LWRP Section II. F-p3)
A review of the holdings of the Ferguson Museum with its curator, Pierce Rafferty,
revealed that the Museum contains an extensive inventory of the Fort Wright properties
and history. The museum's collection also includes a detailed building and grounds
inventory that had been commissioned by the Fishers Island Farms in 1918. This
information may be useful for future historic reconstruction purposes.
.
a) Parade Grounds
The Parade Grounds of Fort Wright are owned by the Town of Southold. Although the
historic aspects of this property have not been maintained, the site is potentially of state
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or national landmark status. Map 2-7 Proposed Parade Grounds Historic District.
outlines one possible boundary of such a district. Additional material relevant to the
application process is contained in the Reference Binder.
Manal!ement Structure
One consequence of Fishers Island's unusual history as recounted above, briefly, is that
the ownership and management of most services and infrastructure, including utilities, is
in private, not public, hands. By contrast, on the Mainland, almost all utility
infrastructure and services, such as electricity, internet, sewer, roads and water services
are provided almost entirely by either public entities such as a local, county or state
government, or by quasi-public entities that have been chartered as public authorities
under New York State law (e.g. Suffolk County Water Company, Long Island Power
Authority, KeySpan, etc.).
Fishers Island's geographic isolation from the Mainland has resulted in a unique degree
of unofficial or informal self-governance. Through the years, various districts and other
administrative arrangements have been created in response to island-specific needs and
situations. As a result, governance on the island is a curious and not entirely efficient
mix of private and public institutions, some on the Mainland and some on-Island.
.
The current form of self-government is described in detail in the recent publication
Giving Voice: The Fishers Island Proiect. A brief description of this report was included
earlier, in Planning Framework. During the years 2004 and 2006, the Fishers Island
Civic Association was replaced by the Fishers Island Community Board (FICB) whose
mission is "to facilitate the functioning of the Fishers Island community by serving as the
focal point for participation by individuals and organizations in the determination and
execution of goal for the Island." (Giving Voice, Appendix).
Currently, the FICB is functioning as an umbrella organization which hopes to facilitate
coordination among several active groups that have a significant impact on Island life.
(FICB Annual Report 2006). These organizations are listed below in alphabetical order,
in one of four categories: taxing districts, corporate, non-profit and governmental.
Taxing districts are quasi-public entities designed to provide a public service. Operating
revenues are collected through general taxes paid by property owners within the district.
The corporate entities listed here are privately held organizations designed to provide
specific management or utility services. The term, non-profit, is used here to describe any
organization created for the purpose of addressing civic, religious, social or other specific
issues. Operating revenues in non-profit organizations typically are generated through
private fund-raising and voluntary contributions, although some may obtain (or be able to
obtain) some of their money from public funding sources. The governmental category
includes organizations with considerable management authority, e.g. the Fishers Island
Harbor Committee, as well as those whose jurisdiction is strictly advisory.
.
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Taxing districts:
o Fishers Island Ferry District
o Fishers Island Fire District
o Fishers Island Library Association
o Fishers Island School District
o Fishers Island Waste Management District
Corporate
o Fishers Island Development Company
o Fishers Island Library Association
o Fishers Island Utility Company
.
Non-profit:
o American Legion Post No. 1045
o Island Health Project
o Fishers Island Cemeteries
o Fishers Island Civic Association Rodent Control Program
o Fishers Island Conservancy, Inc.
o Fishers Island Fire Department
o Fishers Island Lobstermen Association
o Hay Harbor Property Owners Association
o Fort H.G. Wright
o Island Bowling Center
o Island Community Center
o Island Concerts
o Island People's Project
o Our Lady of Grace Church
o St. John's Church
o Union Chapel
o Sanger Fund
o The Henry L. Ferguson Museum
o Tree Committee
o Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation
Governmental
o Southold Land Use Committee
o Fishers Island Harbor Committee
Each organization noted here has a clear purpose and is committed to meeting a specific
set of needs. Of particular note is the role played by the three Island churches in building
community, providing social networking opportunities, funding scholarships, aiding
people in need, hosting educational and spiritual lectures, and providing meeting space:
all in addition to hosting religious services.
.
The challenge faced by the FICB will be to leverage the human and financial resources of
all these organizations for maximum community benefit. The reader is referred to the
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Fishers Island Community Board's Annual Reports of 2005 and 2006 to obtain a more
detailed picture of the concerns and activities addressed by each of the above-listed
organizations.
The FICB itself is composed of six elected representatives ofthe Island community (three
year-round and three seasonal) and eight appointed representatives, one from each of the
eight institutions that wield the most influence on Island life. These institutions, listed
above, also are discussed below, briefly, in terms of their relevance to the implementation
of this Strategic Plan.
. Fishers Island Development Companv (FIDCO)
FIDCO is a corporation owned by more than one hundred shareholders, most of whom also
own residential property on the East End of the island. FIDCO is the successor to the
original corporate entities created by the Ferguson brothers to develop the East End.
Governed by an annually-elected Board of Directors, FIDCO seeks to maintain and
improve the character, atmosphere and quality of life of all of Fishers Island, not just the
East End, which encompasses about 85% of the land on the Island.
.
FIDCO maintains the park-like quality of the 1926 Olmsted Plan through deed restrictions,
whereby its Architectural Review Committee reserves the right to conduct its own site and
design review of each proposed residence. In 2005, FIDCO redrafted the Covenants used
to preserve the "park-like atmosphere" and improved its Design Review Guidelines for
structures and landscaping. FIDCO encourages the donation of undeveloped land to the
Henry L. Ferguson Museum Land Trust, to which it recently donated a sizable amount of
land.
FIDCO owns the land on which the Fishers Island Club and Golf Links are sited as well as
that of the Fishers Island MarinaIY acht Club. It manages and maintains the golf course
and all the buildings on land it owns. FIDCO also controls some land which has not been
sold or developed.
All roads within the East End are owned and maintained by FIDCO. Access over these
roads is by vehicular permits issued to east end property owners, their guests, members of
the Fishers Island Club, businesses that service the east end residents and year-round
residents of the island.
As a holding company, FIDCO retains majority ownership (60%) of the Fishers Island
Waterworks Company and minority ownership of the Fishers Island Electric Company and
Telephone Company. In summary, FIDCO acts as both a Property Owners Association for
the East End and as a holding company for various land holdings and infrastructure assets
located throughout the island.
FIDCO's involvement with the year-round community has been extensive and generous.
They have supported the efforts of the Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation in its efforts to
provide permanent affordable housing. They also have helped underwrite the creation of a
.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
fitness trail near the Fishers Island School, as well as leasing Building 98 (at no cost) for
the purposes of renovating it into a Community Center.
FIDCO's role in the implementation of any strategic plan for Fishers Island will be
essential.
. Fishers Island Utilitv Companv (FlUC)
The Utility Company is a holding company which oversees three operating companies
which provide water supply and sewage treatment, along with electric and telephone
services. (The operating companies are: The Fishers Island Waterworks Company
(FIWC), Fishers Island Telephone (FITC) and Fishers Island Electric (FlEC). FlUC's
stake in these compani es is:
. Fishers Island Water Company - 40%,
. Fishers Island Telephone Company - 51 %,
. Fishers Island Electric Company - 40%.
.
The FlUC provides management services to the FIWC. It also provides services to tax-
chartered districts and operates in accordance with rules and regulations set by the New
York State Public Service Commission. Although the holding companies are owned by
stockholders, their directors have never received compensation for their services. Nor
have the directors of the operating companies. (Correspondence: Robert E. Wall,
President, Fishers Island Utility Company, to New York State Public Service
Commission, April 3, 2006)
More details about the utility services are provided below, in Development Patterns and
Constraints. The management of the FlUC is linked closely to that of FIDCO and
together the two holding corporations affect the level and quality of essential utility
services on the island.
. Fishers Island Ferrv District
The Fishers Island Ferry District was created by State legislation in 1947 pursuant to
Article 12, Town Law, Chapter 699, Laws 1947. Its "object and purpose...[was] to
acquire, construct, equip, operate and maintain a public ferry...A further object and
purpose of the district shall be to acquire by gift, purchase or lease, an airport or landing
field situated on Fishers Island, and to operate and maintain such airport." (Section 2 of
the Fishers Island Ferry District Act, Amended by Chapter 620 of the Laws of 1951).
The District oversees the operation of Elizabeth Field and has secured federal funds to
assist in the cost of maintaining and upgrading the airfield.
.
The Fishers Island Ferry District Act (FIFDA) set forth the responsibilities and
authorities of the five member ferry commission, as well as the process by which they
would be elected. Section 5-b states that the town board may delegate jurisdiction,
control and supervision of such airport or landing field to a board of ferry district
commissioners, who may, in turn, lease such portion of the airport or landing field not
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
required (for such purposes) to any legal business purpose, subject to approval of the
town board after a public hearing held by the commissioners.
The FIFDA was amended in 1962 to incorporate the entire Island within the district,
except for the Coast Guard station and the U.S. Navy property. FIFDA also sets forth the
protocols whereby commissioners may be elected to the board for five year terms.
"Electors of the district qualified to vote for town officers of the town of Southold at the
preceding town election and owners of real property situate within the Fishers Island
ferry district assessed upon the last preceding town assessment roll shall be eligible to
vote at any such annual election." (FIFDA, Section 9). There are no term limits.
(Because of its volume, all documentation related to the Ferry District has been placed
on the Laserjiche CD-ROM where it can be found under the title "Ferry District".)
When the Ferry District was created, the Town Board did not adopt additional protocols
for the management of the land it had placed under the district's control, essentially
leaving that up to the District Commissioners. When the Town acquired the majority
stake in the land and airfield within Fort H.G. Wright in 1958, and expanded the taxing
and electoral boundaries of the district to encompass most of the Island, this had the
effect of expanding the district's management responsibilities considerably beyond its
original jurisdiction, which was the ownership, operation and management of ferry
service, boats and facilities.
.
The State authorizing legislation, FIFDA, has been amended in order to address district
needs and responsibilities and conceivably could be amended again in the future, as may
be needed. The extent to which the Town Board may exert its legislative authority over
specific operating procedures of the District, specifically as they pertain to non-ferry
issues, e.g. management of leases on public property, is not known. Eligible Island
voters have the power to change the composition of the District Board of Commissioners,
and to effect changes in operating procedures through the ballot box.
. Fishers Island School District
The Fishers Island School District, FlSD, provides public schooling for grades pre-K
through 12. The District is committed to providing a high quality learning environment
and to expanding the educational experiences of island students. The school district is
working on a long range plan for leveraging the uniqueness of the island's location and
small classroom settings through various outreach and magnet programs.
.
The school is perceived by the larger community as being an essential ingredient for a
successful year-round community. There is strong support for maintaining a full service,
accredited (pre-K to 12) school, but there also are ongoing questions as to the wisdom
and expense of providing grades 9-12 on the island, when private or public off-island
schools may be able to offer a different, more diverse palette of educational
opportunities. Nearly twenty years ago, the school created a magnet program to boost
enrollment as well as to compensate for the loss of some students to private off-island
schools.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
. Fishers Island Fire District and Fire Department
The Fire District encompasses the entire island, and is protected through the efforts of
approximately 48 active members of a Fire Department. The District owns the fire
house, the fire-fighting equipment and the ambulance. It rents the fire hydrants from the
Fishers Island Utility Company. The District provides life insurance for the Department.
It also has an awards program for Department members with twenty years of service.
The Fire Department consists of male and female volunteer firefighters, who also provide
ambulance and emergency medical technical services. The Fire Department owns and
maintains the Sea Stretcher, a twin engine ambulance boat capable of transporting two
patients to the New London hospital. Unlike the District, which is funded through tax
revenues, the Department relies heavily on volunteer labor and extensive private
donations. Its ability to service the emergency needs of the island depends on being able
to draw on a sufficiently large pool of able-bodied year-round residents.
. Fishers Island Waste Management District
The FIWMD is primarily concerned with the collection and disposal of garbage
generated on the island. It is a taxing district governed by five commissioners. The
district has two full time employees and one part time secretary, all of which are provided
with a health benefits package.
.
The composting station is operated on land owned by the FIWMD. The transfer station is
operated on land leased from the Ferry District. The transfer station handles all
household wastes including recyclables. The district does not dispose of junked cars or
boats. The FIWMD would like to move the transfer operation onto its property in order
to reduce operating and staffing costs and improve efficiency.
Three years ago, the district capped its landfill pursuant to New York State regulations.
It is negotiating with the Henry L. Ferguson Museum Land Trust to donate that property
as permanent open space since State regulations prohibit use of that land for any other
purposes.
Pursuant to State regulations designed to protect sole source aquifers (sources of potable
drinking water) from contamination, all household garbage generated on the Island must
be shipped off the Island. The expense of shipping garbage via ferry is five hundred
dollars ($500) per 30 cubic yards of material. During the summer months the District
spends between eight and twelve thousand dollars ($8,000 - $ 12,000) per month to ship
garbage to New London. In order to reduce this expense, the district is looking into ways
of reducing the volume of garbage that must be shipped off the Island. It would like to
acquire equipment capable of shredding glass and paper for reuse on the Island. (Source:
Michael Imbriglio, Commissioner, FIWMD. Telephone conversation, July 30, 2007)
.
. Island Health Proiect
Incorporated in 1974, the Island Health Project is committed to providing year-round
medical care on the Island. In 2006, the IHP was successful in achieving an ambitious
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
goal: finding a permanent physician to live on the island year-round. The IHP is also
constructing a new medical facility to improve the level of emergency and clinical care.
The IHP reflects the Island community's commitment to round-the-clock medical and
emergency care, and its recognition that such care will be essential for the Island to
attract and retain a diverse and vibrant year-round population.
. Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation
In 1987, the Fishers Island Civic Association and other civic-minded residents formed a
non-profit organization, known as the Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation, WPBC. The
mission of WPBC is to provide affordable housing opportunities for families who live
and work on Fishers Island. Named for the woman who agreed to sell her property on
North Hill, WPBC is credited with creating the first permanent affordable housing in
Southold Town, as well as Fishers Island. The organization is managed by a twelve
member Board composed of year-round and seasonal residents. Its funding comes from
donations, property rents and a fund-raising event. WPBC continues to create and
manage affordable housing. Its future efforts will be critically important if the Island is
to retain, much less expand, its year-round population.
.
1. Intergovernmental relations
Intergovernmental relations between the Island and the Mainland, the County and the
State are fractured, at best. Currently the Island is represented on the Mainland by an
elected Councilperson and an appointed Planning Board Member. Until a few years ago,
the Island also had an appointed representative on the Zoning Board of Appeals and an
elected representative on the Board of Trustees. The loss of representation on the latter
two boards occurred as the result of political decisions and has resulted in a lack of Island
input into the decision-making of those respective boards. The geographic distance and
the long travel time between the Island and the Mainland are the primary culprits in this
situation.
There are Island appointees to the following Mainland committees:
. Architectural Review
. Emergency and Disaster Preparedness
. Land Preservation
The Fishers Island Harbor Management Committee IS composed solely of Island
representatives.
In addition to the lack of Island representation on the Board of Trustees and the Zoning
Board of Appeals, there are no Island representatives on the following town committees:
.
. Board of Assessment Review
. Agricultural Advisory
. Anti-Bias Task Force
. Board of Ethics
. Committee on Health Issues and Services for the Elderly
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
. Conservation Advisory Council
. Employees Deferred Compensation Plan
. Employees Health Benefits
. Historic Preservation
. Housing Advisory Commission
. Parks, Beaches and Recreation
. Police Advisory
. Records Advisory
. Storm water Runoff Advisory
The bulk of Island coordination with the Mainland falls on a few shoulders, basically the
Councilperson and, to a lesser degree, the Planning Board member.
2. Alternative forms of governing
As noted earlier, the awkwardness of the current governing situation is due primarily to
the geographic distance between the Island and the Mainland. Improved applications of
existing technology might ease some of these communications problems in the future,
e.g. teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and online access to both Laserfiche and the
Mainland government's computer network. For the moment, as in the past, the primary
short-run solution to improved governing (and governance) is a persistent commitment of
time and energy into staying engaged in Mainland government functions and discussions
relevant to the Island.
.
The feasibility of exploring alternative forms of self-governance was brought up in
Stakeholder meetings and these alternatives are limited. One is to get Southold Town to
agree to send a home rule message to the New York State Legislature asking that it form
the Town of Fishers Island. The consultant views this alternative as unlikely for two
reasons: the reluctance of the Mainland to allow the Island to separate and the growing
realization in Albany that creating more local jurisdictions may be counterproductive to
efficient governing statewide.
The other alternative is to form an Incorporated Village within Southold Town. State law
restricts the geographical extent of Villages to five square miles or less. Fishers Island
encompasses slightly less than five square miles of territory. However, the minimum
requirement for incorporation is a year-round population of five hundred (500) "regular
inhabitants".
New York State Village Law, Article 2-200.2. defines "regular inhabitants" as "all
persons residing in the territory proposed to be incorporated except such persons who
themselves, or who are persons under the age of eighteen years residing with persons
who maintain a residence outside such territory which is used as their address for
purposes of voting." Further, a petition for incorporation must be sponsored by either
twenty percent of the residents qualified to vote within the proposed Village or the
owners of more than fifty percent in assessed valuation of real property (based on last
completed assessment roll). (Source: htto://public.leginfo.state.v.us)
.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Development Patterns & Constraints
The development patterns described in the Town of Southold LWRP 2004 document
remain largely valid and while that text was used as a primary source for this report, the
following paragraphs contain updated information where applicable.
The current breakdown of land uses on 979 parcels, based on the Tax Assessors records,
is noted below:
Use ofland on parcel
One family dwellings:
Two family dwellings:
Multiple dwellings:
Vacant lots:
Vacant underwater land:
Commercial:
Recreation & Entertainment:
Community Services:
Public Services:
Wild, Forested, etc. Lands:
Purchased Dev. Rights
Number of parcels
507
6
5
306
7
28
9
40
6
4
I
.
Total parcels
919
(Source: Town of South old, GIS, August 2006)
Because the management of the Island is so strongly bifurcated into East and West; its
development patterns and constraints are described in that context as well. The graphic
version of the list above can be found on Map 2-8: Land Use. When looking at this map,
keep in mind that the land use pattern shown here reflects the Tax Assessor's interpretation
ofland use, which may be quite different from the uses permitted by the underlying zoning,
which is shown on Map 2-3: Zoning 2006.
1. West End
Medium to high density development is only found in the westem part of the island,
principally within the confines of the former H.G. Wright Army base, where community
water supply and sewerage services are located.
The western portion of the island contains all the institutional and commercial uses found
on the island with the exception of the Water Works building on Barlow Pond, on the East
End. The institutional uses include a new medical clinic, an accredited pre-K to 12 public
school, a post office, the volunteer fire station, the Coast Guard Station, the ferry dock and
management office, a solid waste recycling and landfill station, and the offices of the
Fishers Island Utility Company.
.
Commercial uses include: several marinas, a seasonal inn (which includes a restaurant, bar,
game/meeting rooms and eight bedrooms), a seasonal food and deli market, a year-round
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.
supermarket, a couple of year-round or seasonal retail stores, the Hay Harbor clubhouse
and golf course, a hardware store, an aquaculture business, several landscaping businesses
and storage/offices for construction businesses. Commercial uses are scattered about the
West End, and can be found within the six discrete business zoned areas as well as on
Town property to the west and south of Silver Eel Cove.
Three churches and affiliated cemeteries, a museum, the American Legion Post, a bowling
alley and a theatre building are part of the wider community infrastructure. Finally,
Building 98, owned by FIDCO, is in the process of being converted into the Island
Community Center.
Southold Town owns most of the land that comprised the former military base. This land
lies to the south and west of Silver Eel Cove and Whistler Avenue and it encompasses
Elizabeth Field, a small airstrip. The Town's holdings equal approximately 186 acres. All
of this land is managed by the Ferry District pursuant to the Fishers Island Ferry District
Act.
Since the Town permits home occupations and some business operations pre-date the 1989
Zoning Code, it should be presumed that there is additional economic activity taking place
on residentially-zoned property.
.
The constraints to new development and re-development on the West End, particularly
within the former Fort, are small because of the close proximity to community water supply
and sewerage services.
2. East End
The eastern part of Fishers Island, beyond West Harbor, is largely under the control of
FIDCO and lot owners. It is almost entirely residential in use except for recreational
facilities such as the Fishers Island Club and the Fishers Island Links. This part of the
Island contains the lowest density of residential development. It is zoned R -120 (120,000
square feet of land, or slightly less than three acres of land is required per dwelling).
Building lots that were created prior to the addition of three acre zoning (in 1989) are
grandfathered, thus considered to be legal non-conforming lots.
Future development within the East End will occur but the rate of that development will be
controlled by FIDCO's policies. For instance, it still holds potential building lots, which
have not been sold. Also, FIDCO has maintained a cap on the membership level within the
Fishers Island Club. FIDCO's policies have been designed to prevent unchecked growth in
the seasonal population, thereby protecting the quality of life enjoyed by the year-round
community as well.
The eastern end of the Island was developed in accordance with a unique development
plan created in 1926 by Olmsted Brothers Company. In 1958, the Southold Town Board
adopted the 1926 Olmsted development map as an "open development" area or
subdivision, pursuant to Section 280-A.4 of New York State Town Law. This law
.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
requires the Planning Board to approve the creation of any new building lots with "the
park".
In summary, the constraints to new development on the East End are largely self-imposed.
The Olmsted Plan itself caps the ultimate amount of residential development that may
occur. Some of that development potential has been eliminated by individual property
owners who donated easements or land (in perpetuity) to the Ferguson Museum. In
addition to donating land to the Ferguson Museum Land Trust, FIDCO has voluntarily held
land with some development potential in reserve
Public services and facilities
The cost of utilities and other services was noted as an issue of concern to year-round
residents, even though the true cost of these services was borne to a greater degree by the
seasonal population. (Discussed elsewhere, in the Demographics section of this chapter,
the seasonal population is estimated to peak at around 3,000 people.)
A brief synopsis of the utility network including its inherent constraints (and excess
capacity), is useful for the purposes of identifying potential constraints to new development
or re-development. The management of Town land as defined by the Fishers Island Ferry
District is included here in recognition of the "public service aspect of that District's
charter. But the ferry service itself is discussed under the subheading Transportation,
towards the end of this Chapter.
.
Some of the information in this sub-section was excerpted from the Southold LWRP,
Section J. Reach 10 and some from the Stakeholder interviews with the providers of these
services. Chapter 7 Appendix contains the Stakeholder questions and agency responses.
1. Water Supply
The water supply, treatment, distribution and storage facilities for Fishers Island are owned
and operated by the Fishers Island Waterworks Company, an operating company jointly
owned by FIDCO and the Fishers Island Utility Company.
.
The Fishers Island water supply system was constructed in the early 1900s as part of the
development of Fort Wright. Today it services more than 600 customers by way oftwenty-
two miles of water mains, an equalization reservoir, a surface water treatment plant, a
groundwater treatment facility, a well field and three surface water reservoirs (Barlow
Pond, Middle Farm Pond and Treasure Pond). A copy of the Water Supply Map is
included as Map 2-9: Water Supply. Anyone located within five hundred feet (500') of the
distribution system must tie into it for their potable water supply.
Until the 1990s, Barlow Pond was the primary source of the island's drinking water,
augmented with water from Middle Farm Pond, if needed, during peak summer usage.
Water from Barlow Pond was treated in the I million gallon per day surface water
treatment plant that had been constructed during the 1920s and located adjacent to Barlow
Pond. This treatment plant was withdrawn from service in 1990 and currently is used as a
back-up supply system. Today, the primary source of water is the Middle Farms well field
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
area. The water is treated at the recently constructed groundwater treatment facility near
the well field, before being pumped directly into the transmission main.
In 1994, the demand on the well field was 75,000 gallons per day average during the
winter and 200,000 gallons per day during the summer (A.R. Lombardi Assocs., Inc.,
1994, p3-2). Although the land uses have changed considerably between 1939 and 1993,
the trend in water consumption on the Island held steady. Pumpage has declined in
recent years and some of this has been attributed to the two Island golf courses switching
to their own wells. Irrigation wells continue to be installed and be permitted provided
they are not used for drinking purposes.
Untreated well water can be pumped to Middle Farm Pond to augment the surface supply if
necessary. The 500,000 gallon Chocomont Reservoir maintains the system pressure and
provides storage for fire-fighting purposes. In order to expand the well capability of the
water supply, a third well, geographically set apart from the existing two wells at Middle
Farms, is now on-line and supplies robust and superior quality water. Aside from these
wells, about 50 individual private wells are still in use on the Island. The impact of these
wells on the aquifer is not known.
.
As noted earlier, in the subsection Planning Framework, the Fishers Island Water Works
Company has had a watershed protection plan in place in conjunction with the Suffolk
County Department of Health. This plan denotes primary and secondary protection areas.
This protection plan allows the Company to impose restrictions on the addition of irrigation
wells, and other heavy water users, such as swimming pools.
Water supply does not appear to be a constraint to future growth due to the fact that
pumping rates for nine months of the year are low. The Water Works Company estimated
that the system should be able to accommodate a fifty percent (50%) increase in usage.
The water rates are charged according to type of customer: Class I (true year-round) and
Class 2 (seasonal), with the former rate being less than the latter. The Company provides
two year-round employment positions. There are no projected increases in staffing. This
company is the most indebted of the utility companies on the Island.
2. Wastewater facilities
The only sewage treatment collection system on the island services about forty buildings
within the perimeter of Fort Wright. The system was built as part of the development of
the fort.
In 1986, a new community subsurface disposal system was installed to eliminate all
discharge to surface waters. In 1987, it was estimated that if 100 gallons per capita per day
of sewage flow were generated, this system could accommodate a maximum population of
200 in the Fort Wright area, a 30% growth increase from the service area's current
population.
.
In addition to this main disposal system, the Fishers Island School has its own system and
there are seven individual septic systems in the Fort Wright area. (The Trust for Public
Land, 1987, p32). In 1980, the population was 318 and in the 1990, it was 360. Since the
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
current year-round population on the Island has dropped below 300, it is reasonable to
asswne that the 1987 estimate is still valid and that considerable growth potential still exists
within the service area.
The remainder of the island uses individual on-site subsurface sewage disposal systems
which consist of either septic tank/leaching pool systems or cesspool/leaching pool
systems. Since 1972, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services regulations have
required septic tank/leach pool systems for all new residences. The Island's well-drained
soils, low density, and seasonal use have minimized problems related to individual on-
site wastewater treatment systems.
However, there are water quality problems in West Harbor and Hay Harbor and these
could be caused, in part, by malfunctioning on-site wastewater treatment systems on
residential properties adjacent to these harbors. Research should be conducted on the
location and condition of these systems to ascertain if they are a cause of the impaired
water quality.
.
Wastewater systems are not likely to be a constraint for future development in the Fort
Wright area due to unused capacity of the existing sewage treatment system, as noted
earlier. Also, the renovation of Building #98 into the Island Community Center will result
in increased capacity because storm water runoff currently flowing into the sewer system
from up to five catch basins will be diverted out of the sewer system into dry wells.
(Michael A. Home, P.E., Diversified Technology Consultants, Telephone conversation,
August 2, 2007)
Map 2-10 Sewer Network shows the location of this system. The map was created in 1970
and has not been updated. In the interim, some of the buildings shown on the map have
been demolished. This map's current format was too large to reproduce for purposes of
this report. Accordingly, a copy has been placed in the Reference Binder. The information
on this map should be updated through field work and entered into the Town's Geographic
Information System database.
3. Electric
Electricity is provided by the Fishers Island Electric Company. The trend in electric use
has gone up nationally, and this is true for Fishers Island as well. Although no statistics
are available, lifestyle changes involving greater use of electric devices, is considered the
biggest factor in the growth of electricity demand on the Island. New construction and
renovations typically result in increased demand.
The FIEC provides four basic classes of service: Class I (Year-round), Class 2
(Seasonal), Class 5 (Commercial) and Class 7 (Non-seasonal, but not year-round).
Seasonal residents pay more than twice that of year-round residents and commercial users
pay one half more than year-round residents.
.
Electricity is delivered via two underwater cables from Noank, Ct. The primary cable
dates to 1989, the secondary cable is an older cable installed in 1963 and kept for standby
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
or back-up purposes. There is no on-Island generation of electricity, although the
Company may look into that option in the future. At the same time, the Company is not
considering alternative sources of electrical supply. There are no service expansion plans
given that the current system is capable of servicing a fifty percent (50%) growth in the
current on-Island population.
The Company employs four on-Island residents. It has no plans for expanding the work
force. If this situation were to change, the Company would be interested in securing
affordable housing for those employees.
4. Telephone
The Fishers Island Telephone Company (FITC) has approximately 1,058 lines in service
on the Island. There is no difference between seasonal and year-round call rates. The
service is constantly upgraded and expanded in response to demand and evolving
technology. There are no known constraints to on-Island growth in intra-Island phone
service. But, the long-distance or off-Islander provider, ATT, can handle only eighty-
seven (87) calls at a time. FITC also is investigating upgrading its current level of
Internet access.
FITC employs five year-round personnel. It has no plans to expand this number. If it
did, it would assist in creating affordable housing for those employees.
.
5. Emergency Management
As will be noted later, in the section dealing with Transportation, evacuation plans in the
event of emergencies is a necessary part of ensuring the public health, safety and
welfare. Emergencies can range from natural (severe storm or hurricane events) to man-
made (e.g. breakdowns in the Millstone Nuclear Reactor in Connecticut). The extent
Emergency Management Plan for the Island has been an ongoing source of concern,
particularly with regard to timely notification and evacuation procedures in the event of a
nuclear mishap at the Millstone Nuclear Power Plant in Connecticut.
Pages I -3 of the Fishers Island Telephone Directory contain the key elements of the
emergency alert and evacuation plan. A copy also has been placed in the Reference
binder.
6. Other
The Department of Public Works is responsible for maintenance of Town-owned
buildings, recreational facilities and public park lands. The DPW also assists in the
solicitation of grants to implement the Local Waterfront Revitalization Program and other
projects such as the Fitness Trail.
Zoninl!
As noted earlier, in Development Patterns & Constraints, and as can be seen from Map
2~3: Zoning 2006, the bulk of Fishers Island is zoned for residential use. The entire eastem
.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
part of the Island is zoned R-120 (120,000 square feet per lot/dwelling) which is equivalent
to three acre zoning.
1. Zoning Patterns
The western part of the Island contains a much more diverse zoning pattern. Most of the
residential land is zoned R-80 (80,000 square feet per lot/dwelling). Three parcels ofland
are zoned R-120. One is the site of the Hay Harbor Club and Golf Course. The other
encompasses 9.5 acres and is the site of the Fishers Island Garbage and Refuse District. A
small adjacent parcel contains a two-family residence.
All the business zoning on the Island is contained on less than sixty acres of land within the
West End, and it is found in six different areas on the Island:
General Business:
Hamlet Business:
Limited Business:
General Business:
General Business:
Marine II:
General Business:
west of Silver Eel Cove
at the intersection of West and Equestrian avenues
at the intersection of Crescent and Fox avenues
Montauk Avenue
Central Avenue
Central Avenue
eastern terminus of The Gloaming
.
The location of the business districts reflects the location of pre-existing business
operations that came into existence during a period of higher population and greater levels
of economic activity. Each of the districts has its own distinctive quality and a primary
service or set of services that it offers. For instance, the post office is the centerpiece of the
West and Equestrian business center. With a few exceptions, each district contains
potential for redevelopment and new growth, although some more so than others.
Maps 2-15 A and 2-15 B show the location of business-zoned properties and structures.
The following table notes these properties by tax map number, zoning, acreage and use (as
determined by the Tax Assessor's Office).
Table: Business zoned properties on Fishers Island
PRTKEY ZONING SPLITCA T ACREAGE Zacres USE'
6.-8-5 B 0.49 0 210
9.-5-3 B 0.99 0 210
9.-5-6 B 0.15 0 210
9.-5-7 B 0.04 0 210
9.-5-8 B 0.09 0 210
9.-5-9 B 0.52 0 210
10.-7-3 B 0.33 0 210
10.-9-16 B 0.21 0 210
10.-9-17 B 0.26 0 210
10.-1-5 B R-40 0.65 0.29 210
10.-1-7 B 0.002 0 310
. 12.-1-7.1 B 0.46 0 311
6.-8-3.2 B R-40 0.74 0.04 311
Chapter 5: Inventory 34
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
10.-1-6 B R-40 1.11 0.22 311
. 6.-8-6 B R-40 0.81 0.35 311
10.-10-1 B 0.38 0 312
6.-4-11 B 0.65 0 313
10.-1-8.1 B 1.2 0 432
10.-7-2.4 B R-40 0.82 0.48 432
12.-1-4.4 B 4.68 0 440
12.-1-3 B 0.85 0 449
12.-1-19 B 0.4 0 449
10.-9-21.1 B 0.68 0 480
12.-1-2 B 2.18 0 480
12.-1-5.1 B 1.25 0 480
9.-5-4 B 0.18 0 483
9.-5-5 B 0.11 0 483
12.-1-17.1 B 6.4 0 612
12.-1-4.3 B 0.8 0 661
6.-8-7 B 0.34 0 870
9.-4-8.2 HB 0.34 0 210
9.-4-2 HB R-80 1.13 0.53 210
9.-2-5 HB 0.48 0 481
9.-4-3 HB 0.06 0 481
9.-4-5 HB 0.07 0 481
9.-4-11.5 HB 0.21 0 483
9.-4-4 HB 0.15 0 484
9.-4-8.5 HB 0.46 0 484
. 6.-7-1 LB 0.35 0 210
6.-7-3 LB 0.09 0 210
6.-7-4 LB 0.2 0 210
6.-2-18 LB R-80 0.53 0.17 210
6.-7-2 LB 0.08 0 311
6.-7-5 LB 0.5 0 311
6.-2-17.2 LB R-80 0.5 0.12 311
6.-7-6 LB 2.02 0 330
6.-6-20.6 LB 0.78 0 449
6.-6-21 LB 1.93 0 449
6.-7-13 LB R-80 3.31 1.33 449
6.-2-21.1 LB 0.3 0 481
6.-2-22.5 LB 0.38 0 481
6.-7-14 LB 0.5 0 484
6.-6-11 LB 1.02 0 534
9.-8-3.4 Mil 0.43 0 210
9.-8-7 Mil 0.2 0 312
12.-1-10 Mil BR-120 5.1 0 448
6.-2-22.2 R-40 LB 0.26 0.08 210
6.-2-23 R-40 LB 1.19 0.41 210
9.-5-11.1 R-40 B 2.46 0.7 418
10.-7-2.5 R-40 B 0.4 0.17 692
9.-4-6 R-80 HB 1.69 0.2 210
6.-2-17.1 R-80 LB 1.65 0.23 311
9.-8-2 R-80 Mil 3.22 0.89 441
. 10.-1-9 R-80 Mil 0.79 0.37 570
Chapter 5: Inventory 35
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Total acreage
Total minus non-business acreage
60.552 1.91
58.54
.
· Note: The use codes describe the predominate use of the site:
210: one family, year round residence
310: vacant residential land
311: vacant residential land
312: residential land with small non-livable improvement
313: ?
330: vacant commercial land
418: inn
432: service and gas stations
440: storage, warehouse and distribution facility
441: fuel storage and distribution
448: pier, dock
449: other types of storage, warehouse and distribution
480: multi-use
481: row type building with first floor commercial and second floor residential
483: converted residence with partial use as office
484: one story commercial
534: social
570: recreation
612: school
661: protection services (e.g. military, police, Coast Guard)
692: road
870: electrical facility
Although the Southold Zoning Code contains additional business districts, no Island
properties are zone Resort Residential, Residential Office, Light Industrial, Light Industrial
Office or Marine Business 1.
However, not all of the Island's commercial activity takes place on land zoned for business.
Other venues of business activity include:
. legal home occupations,
. pre-existing non-conforming businesses operating on residentially-zoned property,
. Town land, some of it zoned B, General Business, but most of it zoned R-120, is
leased for commercial activity under the auspices of the Fishers Island Ferry
District Act.
2. Permitted Uses in Business Districts
A simplified list of uses permitted by the existing business districts on the Island are noted
below:
.
Limited Business (LB) District
The purpose of the Limited Business (LB) District is to provide an opportunity to
accommodate limited business activity along highway corridors, but in areas outside the
hamlet central business areas, that is consistent with the rural and historic character of
surrounding areas and uses. Emphasis will be placed on review of design features so that
existing and future uses will not detract from surrounding uses. The additional uses must
generate low amounts of traffic and be designed to protect the residential and rural
character of the area.
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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Minimum Lot Area: 40,000 square feet
Permitted Uses
Single-family Residential
Retail businesses
. Custom workshops, machine shops
. Wholesale/retail sales, accessory storage and display of garden materials, plants
. Libraries,museums
Professional & business offices
Funeral homes
Restaurants, except drive-in and formula
Repair shops, carpenter and other trade shops, landscaping and service businesses
Hotels
Retail supplemental to service business
Wineries
Bed & Breakfasts
Private warehousing
Bv Special Exception
Accessory apartment
Contractor's yards
Telephone exchange
Art galleries, arts and crafts shops
.
Hamlet Business (HB) District
The purpose of the Hamlet Business (HB) District is to provide for business development
in the hamlet central business areas, including retail, office and service uses, public and
semipublic uses, as well as hotel and motel and multifamily residential development that
will support and enhance the retail development and provide a focus for the hamlet area.
Minimum Lot Area: 10,000 square feet
.
Permitted Uses
Single-family dwelling, detached and owner occupied
Two-family dwelling, owner occupied
Town and district structures and uses
Boardinghouses and tourist homes
Business, professional and government offices
Banks and financial institutions
Retail stores up to 6,000 square feet gross floor area
Restaurants, excluding formula and take-out
Bakeshop for on-premises retail sale
Personal service shops
Art, antique and auction galleries
Artists and craftsmen workshops
Auditorium and meeting halls
Repair shops
Custom workshops
Bus station
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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Theatre
Library, museum
Laundromat
Bed & Breakfast
Multiple dwellings
Grocery store up to 25,000 square feet
Bv Soecial Exceotion
MotellHotel on three acres minimum
Boarding and tourists homes
Fraternal and social institutional offices, meeting halls
Drinking establishments
Public garages
Funeral homes
Flea markets
Take-out & formula restaurants
Accessorv Uses
Accessory apartment
.
General Business (B) District
The purpose of the General Business (B) District is to provide for retail and wholesale
commercial development and limited office and industrial development outside of the
hamlet central business areas, generally along major highways. It is designed to
accommodate uses that benefit from large numbers of motorists, that need fairly large
parcels of land and that may involve characteristics such as heavy trucking and noise.
Minimum Lot Area: 30,000 square feet
.
Permitted Uses
Town and district structures and uses
Boardinghouses and tourist homes
Business, professional and govemment offices
Banks and financial institutions
Retail stores up to 8,000 square feet gross floor area
Restaurants, excluding formula and take-out
Bakeshop for on-premises retail sale
Personal service shops
Art, antique and auction galleries
Artists and craftsmen workshops
Auditorium and meeting halls
Repair shops
Custom workshops
Bus station
Theatre
Library, museum
Laundromat
Bed & Breakfast
Multiple dwellings
Grocery store up to 25,000 square feet
Wholesale, private/public warehousing, storage, excluding coal, coke, fuel oil, junk
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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Building, electrical, plumbing, contractor's yards
Cold storage plants, baking and other food processing and packaging plants
Wholesale or retail sale and accessory storage and display of garden materials, supplies
and plants, including nursery operations
Wholesale/retail beverage distribution
Funeral home
Bus station
Telephone exchange
Winery
One and two family dwellings
.
Bv Special Exception
Hotel or motel on three acres or more
Bed & Breakfasts
Tourist camps
Research, Design or Development Laboratories
Fully enclosed commercial recreation facilities, including but not limited to tennis clubs,
skating rinks, paddle tennis, handball and squash facilities, dance halls, billiard parlors,
bowling alleys, health spas and clubs and uses normally accessory and incidental to
commercial recreation, such as locker rooms, eating and drinking facilities and retail sale
of goods associated with the particular activity.
Laundry or dry-cleaning plants
Fraternal or social institutional offices or meeting halls (nonprofit).
Take-out restaurants
Drinking establishments
Automobile laundries
Public garages, gas stations & sales
Partial service gasoline stations
Private transportation service including garage and maintenance
Formula food restaurants
Flea markets
Retail stores in excess of 8,000 square feet
Accessorv Uses
Accessory apartments
Outdoor storage
Marine I (MI) District
The purpose of the Marine I (MI) District is to provide a waterfront location for a limited
range of water-dependent and water-related uses, which are those uses which require or
benefit from direct access to or location in marine or tidal waters but which are located
within the Town's tidal creeks or natural coves.
.
Permitted Uses
One-family detached dwelling per single and separate lot of record in existence as of the
date of adoption of this article.
Marinas for the docking, mooring and accommodation of recreational or commercial
boats, including the sale of fuel and oil primarily for the use of boats accommodated in
such marinas.
Boat docks, slips, piers or wharves for pleasure or fishing trips or for vessels engaged in
fishing or shell fishing.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Boat yards for building, storing, repairing, renting, selling or servicing boats, w/accessory
office for the sale of marine equipment or products, dockside facilities for dispensing of
fuel and, where pump-out stations are provided, rest room and laundry facilities to serve
overnight patrons.
Boat and marine engine repair and sales and display, yacht brokers and marine insurance
brokers.
Town and District buildings
Retail sale/rental fishing/diving/bathing supplies if accessory to marina/chandlery
Bv Special Exception
Beachlyacht/boat clubs & accessory uses e.g. pools, tennis courts, racquetball
Mariculture/aquaculture operations & research and development
Development potential
In 1994, the Fishers Island Growth Plan noted that Fishers Island contained approximately
1,000 building lots. The 1994 Plan determined that an additional 77 building lots could be
created under the zoning regulations. Island-wide, there are approximately 500 residential
housing units now in existence with several planned for construction in the next few years.
Of the build-able lots on the East End, 214 remained unimproved.
.
Map 2-12 Build-able and Sub-dividable Land shows denotes land that may be built on or
further subdivided for building purposes. This map was generated using the Town's GIS
database to identify land deemed build-able and/or further sub-dividable pursuant to the
Town's zoning and subdivision regulations. However, this map is not an accurate
reflection of the development potential of land on the East End. For that reason, FIDCO
was asked to provide an estimate of its residential growth potential which differs from the
Town's GIS estimate. The estimate is based on FIDCO's current policies and observed
trends and was provided by William Ridgway to the Stakeholders in September 2006. See
Chapter 7 Appendix for copy of full text.
Of the 398 lots identified on the Olmsted Plan, 176 have residences. Some of the residences
are accompanied by caretakers' cottages on the same or an adjoining lot which is within the
same ownership as the main house. Some estates encompass more than one lot.
Of the 222 lots within the Olmsted Plan that are still vacant (55% of the 398), thirty-one
(31) are not considered build able. Fifty-eight (58) (or 22%) of these vacant lots are parts
of estates and may contain accessory structures such as caretakers' cottages, pools, gardens,
etc. These lots are considered an integral part of a larger compound, thus are not likely to
be broken-off from the estate. Of the remaining 133 lots, 27 remain in FIDCO's ownership.
The rest, 106, are in private hands. Some of these lots have factors that auger against their
development. But, clearly some of these lots contain some potential for future
development on the East End.
.
The issue of whether any lots within the Olmsted Plan would be affected by the Town's
merger law was reviewed briefly and determined to be a topic requiring legal research
outside the scope of this report. FIDCO itself does not have a formal policy on the merging
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
or unmerging of lots within the Olmsted Plan, but it has a policy of encouraging the
preservation of land, and the consolidation of smaller and less-build able lots in keeping
with the Island's goal of minimizing future seasonal population growth.
Land set aside for the purposes of environmental protection includes land with wells, water
supply ponds, wetlands, etc. Other land held by FIDCO includes that encompassed within
the Fishers Island Country Club including the Links (golf course). Although not defined as
a "lot", this land, along with that used for beaches, tennis courts, clubhouse, shooting club,
etc. is considered integral to the Olmsted ParklEast End! experience, thus not likely to be
sold for residential development.
In the past FIDCO has sold building lots as a source of income to cover property taxes and
other expenditures. The Corporation's income/expenditure has been balanced for several
years and it currently maintains a policy of not selling any of its undeveloped land.
(Sources: Town of Southold, LWRP, 2004 and Kathy Parsons, President, FIDCO, verbal
communication, Stakeholder meeting of September 2006.)
.
A review of building permits issued between 1994 and 2006 revealed that a total of 39
permits had been issued for new dwellings and three for demolition. The location and
status of the new construction (whether started and completed or not) is not known.
(Source: John Sepenoski, Technical Coordinator II, E-Mail, February 7, 2007). But the
rate, slightly more than three new dwellings per year, remains slightly lower than the three
to six per year that was noted in the years prior to 1994. (Fishers Island Growth Plan
Committee, 1994, pp 3, 26).
The Island's development potential is not limited to residential growth. The Fort Wright
area includes abandoned military buildings that are ripe for redevelopment. Additionally,
some of the business-zoned areas contain properties that could be redeveloped. As noted
earlier, in Development Constraints, there are few utility-based impediments to
expanded commercial growth.
Finally, the 66.9 acre U.S. Navy property and the 44.6 acre Hay Harbor Golf Club are the
two largest potential sources of land for future development. The Navy property is zoned
R-400 (equivalent to ten acre zoning) and if subdivided would yield fewer than seven
residential building lots. If the Navy property were to be declared surplus, there is a
specified disposal process which enables the Town to engage in a dialogue about the
property's use and ownership. The Town could ask for the land to be ceded for public
purposes. The Hay Harbor property is in private hands and its R-120 (three acre) zoning
could result in a potential yield of fifteen or fewer homes.
.
Land Preservation
As of December 2006, one hundred and four parcels encompassing more than 830 acres,
of Fishers Island's 3,200 acres have been preserved from development: nearly 26% of the
total. The bulk of the land preservation on the Island has been achieved through
donations of land and conservation easements to the Henry R. Ferguson Museum by
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-20/7
.
private property owners and FIDCO. The Town is the third largest holder of preserved
land.
A map showing all protected lands, by category, is included here as Map 2 - 13 Protected
Lands. It should be noted that the land surrounding Elizabeth Airfield is owned by the
Town of Southold and is shown as protected, yet, in actuality, significant parts of this
land are regularly leased for use by private businesses for commercial purposes.
The Town currently is in contract to purchase an additional 2.4 acres of land located on
Silver Eel Cove using the Community Preservation Program Plan (CPPP) fund, also
known as the two-percent transfer tax. Other targeted properties are shown on the CPPP
Map, which is included here as Map 12-14. Only the properties shown on the CPPP Map
may be purchased using CPPP funds. Since all expenditures of CPPP funds must
demonstrate clear public benefit, the funds may be used for the acquisition of land,
including the purchase of development rights, These funds also may be used for historic
preservation and environmental remediation, but only on properties that have been
acquired using CPPP funds. The Town Board's policy has been to concentrate on the
acquisition offarmland and environmentally sensitive open space.
.
Table: Land preserved from development
Owner # parcels Acreage
Fishers Island Dev Corp, 46 372.21
Henry L Ferguson Museum Inc, 46 273.54
Town of South old, 5 184.8
Total 104 830.52
An additional 67.07 acres of land is still owned by the U. S. government. As noted
earlier, it is not protected, but in the event the federal government declares it surplus
property, the Islanders could ask that this land be ceded to the Town for public purposes.
DemOl!raDhics
There is a fairly detailed body of information about Fishers Island's vital and social
statistics, reflecting the Islanders' concerns about the size of the year-round population.
The economic and social ramifications of population size in a very small community such
as Fishers Island are felt quickly. A brief review of the available data is presented here,
excerpted from various other reports, which have been included by reference in this
report.
.
1. Census Data and Analysis
Census data has been collected by the United States government since 1790. As a rule,
census data counts people who stated that the island was their permanent and primary
residence, but it also would include military personnel residing on the island as part of
their military service. Records show the year-round population of the Island grew from
389 in 1900 to approximately 700 in 1930, a figure which did not include military
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
personnel, but does include the lighthouse keepers on the surrounding is]ands.(Source:
Henry L. Ferguson Museum, Exhibit, September 2007)
The next Table shows Census data from] 940 through 2005. There are no data available
for] 950.
Table: Population Change: 1940 - 2005
Population Change
.
Census Year
Sources:
1940 - 1980 Historical Pooulation of Long Island Communities 1790-1980: Decennial Census Data. Long
Island Regional Planning Board, Hauppauge, NY, August 1982
1990 School District Soecial Tabulation, New York State Department of Education
2000 Table DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000. U.S. Census Bureau
2005 Population Survey, Long Island Power Authority, 2005
It should be noted here that some stakeholders voiced concerns about the accuracy of the
2000 U.S. Census data due to shoddy or incomplete data collection methods. The
consensus opinion is that the census data undercounted the actual numbers of people on
the island. Since ]997, a separate unofficial count has been maintained. This count is
based on local knowledge of who is considered to be living on the island as a permanent
or year-round resident at the time of the count.
A comparison of the unofficial count with the U.S. Census count reveals, at most, a
difference of twenty people in the year 2000, with the unofficial count being lower than
the U.S. Census data. Since there will always be a fluctuation in the population due to
ongoing deaths, births and migration patterns, both in and out, all population data reflects
a snapshot of the moment in which it was collected.
.
The two different sets of unofficial statistics kept for the years 200] -2003 differ from the
2000 count by minus ten to plus twenty - a difference of thirty people. For the purposes
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
of this study, it is assumed that the short-term trend is indeterminate. By contrast, the
long term trend on Fishers Island is towards continuing decline in population. As seen in
the Census data above, the 2000 population represents a 49.5 percent decline since 1940.
The slight up tick estimated to have occurred since 2000 mayor may not be significant.
By contrast, the seasonal population seems to have increased steadily, although the
increase is a matter of some debate. Various estimates have been put forth, two of which
are mentioned here.
The Suffolk County Department of Planning uses a standard multiplier for estimating
summer seasonal population in resort areas. However, those estimates seemed to
undercount the various estimates provided by the Stakeholders, FIDCO and the Utility
Company. After reviewing the data, the County Planning Department staff subsequently
revisited its assumptions as they pertained to Fishers Island. The new estimate is five (5)
additional guest persons per year-round housing unit. Using this factor, the total
additional seasonal population is estimated to be 2,338 persons. (Source: Peter K.
Lambert, Principal Planner, Suffolk County Department of Planning, April 2006)
The seasonal population is estimated by the utility company to peak around 3,000.
(Robert Wall, April 3, 2006 letter to the New York State Public Service Commission). A
copy of this letter is in the Reference Binder.
.
An examination of the population and housing statistics for Fishers Island provides
additional insight into the nature of the summer resort community. In 1987, of 464
residential units in existence, 89% were single family dwellings; an estimated 73% of
which were used seasonally. The year-round population was 285 people; but during the
summer months, between the months of May and October, the summer population was
estimated to reach about 2,000. House guests and visitors increased this population
dramatically, sometimes doubling this seasonal population. (The Trust for Public Land,
1987, p2). (As quoted in LWRP, Section J. Reach 10, p 2.)
The continuing concern about the size of the year-round population can be traced as far
back as the 1988 Growth Plan and in the earlier Trust for Public Land reports,
particularly after the year-round population dropped by more than 31 % between the years
1970 and 1980.
The median age of Fishers Island's year round population, according to 2000 U.S. Census
data, is 43 years. The male/female ratio is nearly even (51.2/48.8). The average
household size is 2.09 persons per household, with family size higher, 2.72. Nearly 28%
of the population is aged 55 years or more. The bulk of the Island's population, 36.8 %, is
between 34 and 54 years of age, and absent a significant out-migration of retirees; this
points to the potential for the average age of the Island population to continue to inch
upward unless there is an infusion of younger people.
.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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2. School Population
The school population has been studied extensively by the Fishers Island School Board in
its draft Long Range Planning document. The next table shows the school enrollment
relative to the size of the year-round population since 1940. The table includes "magnet"
or off-Island students, which typically compose about a third of the student body. (These
numbers do not include Island students (K-I2) who attend schools off-island.) The
decline in the on-Island school population reflects that of the year-round population.
Census Year-round School Island Off-island
Year population enrollment students students
1940 572 151 151
1950 NA 67 67
1960 508 100 100
1970 462 104 104
1980 318 47 47
1990 360 68 52 16
2000 289 67 47 20
2005 293 65 43 22
2007 75 50 25
(Sources: U.S. Census and Fishers Island School)
.
School Services
The school has a strong track record scholastically. (100% Regents Diploma rate, a 100%
post-secondary placement rate and a zero drop-out rate.) The school attempts to counter
the Island's insularity through various outreach programs, including the Magnet program,
all of which are described in Superintendent Schultz's notes, a copy of which is included
in Chapter 7 Appendix.
While the geographic isolation of the Island, the technological barriers to better use of the
Internet and the small student body pose difficult limitations on the efforts of school
personnel to expand and enrich educational opportunities for the students, a significant
degree of community support and assistance is being channeled towards overcoming
these limitations.
The existing school building was described as being "comfortable" for 70 to 85 students.
If enrollment increases, additional space will be needed. The conversion of the bowling
alley building (after the alleys are moved to Building #98) will free up space next to the
school building. The school owns additional land which would be available for further
expansIOn.
.
The school is a significant employer: with nineteen (19) full time and four (4) part time
staff for a total of twenty-three (23) people, of which twelve (12) are Island residents (ten
full time and 2 part time). The school also owns and maintains seven affordable housing
units within walking distance.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
.
Social Services
The purpose of this section is to describe the types of human services provided to
residents of Fishers Island. Most, but not all, of the services are provided through
existing Town and County agencies. These services may supplement or interface with
the efforts of other quasi-public, private, and non-profit entities, including churches and
community organizations based on the Island.
I. Senior Services
:>> Medicare Part D phone and fax-based counseling has been provided since
2005 by request of the Town's Human Resources Department
:>> The Senior Lunch program is supported by churches and community groups
on the Island. (It is not funded by the Federal Older American's Act Nutrition
Programs, the Town or the County).
:>> Two senior aide positions were funded by the Town through Suffolk County
Office for Aging.
o The aides assisted seniors to live independently by assisting with
transportation to Connecticut for medical appointments, food
shopping, and other home-based assistance.
o This program provided funds sufficient for up to twelve hours per
week per aide.
o This service was funded and used in 2005.
o It was funded but not used during 2006. Accordingly it has not been
funded for 2007.
o Resumption of this service in the future can be arranged by contacting
Karen McLaughlin, Director, Human Resources Department,
Southold,
2. Proposed Senior Services
:>> For several years, Suffolk County's Office for the Aging has contracted with
the Island Health Project to provide Personal Emergency Response System
(PERS) services to the frail elderly on Fishers Island. The Island Health
Project subcontracts with a provider for this service.
:>> The Southold Human Resource Center is seeking funding to purchase a
vehicle to provide essential off-island transportation to doctors and treatment
centers in Connecticut.
:>> For the last five years, Suffolk County has advocated for a reciprocal
agreement for the provision of Certified Home Health Care covered under
Medicare between Connecticut and New York. Thus far, no agreement has
been reached.
:>> (Source: Town of Southold, Human Resources Department, October 2006
and January 2007)
3. Youth Bureau
:>> This Bureau was formed in 2007. No additional information was available.
.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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Housin!!
The 2000 U.S. Census data, (included in the Reference Binder), describes Fishers
Island's housing stock as numbering 625 units, of which 138 (22 %) are occupied and the
rest (78%) either vacant or for seasonal use. The majority (88.6%) ofthis stock is single-
family detached housing. Attached or multiple units (with up to nine units in a structure)
comprise the rest of the housing stock. Sixty-three percent (392) of Fishers Island's
housing stock predates 1939. Slightly more than 56% of Fishers Island's housing stock is
owner occupied. The rest is rental housing.
It is interesting to note that in The Trust for Public Land's 1987 report, of the 464
residential units in existence, 89% were single family dwellings, of which 73% were
estimated to be used seasonally. The year round population was estimated to be 285
people; the seasonal about 2,000 or more. (LWRP, Section II. J. Reach 10-p2.) Today,
twenty years later, the year-round population has climbed a bit and the seasonal peak has
been estimated by the Fishers Island Utility Company to be closer to 3,000.
.
The Stakeholders put together a 2006 inventory of housing occupied by the year-round
population, and it can be found in the Reference Binder. This inventory includes one
hundred fourteen (114) households/families, of which sixty-one (61) or 53% own their
place of residence. This inventory's estimate is lower than, but still very close to the
2000 U.S. Census count, noted earlier. This estimate also is in line with that identified in
another housing study prepared for the Fishers Island School. (Report to the Fishers
Island School Board, November 25, 2002, Preliminary Housing Report, Cynthia Riley,
pages 3-6; the noted pages are included in the Reference Binder.)
The Stakeholders recounted from personal knowledge the homes that had been sold on
the West End in recent years by year-round residents to seasonal people. They noted that
there has not been a corresponding gain in new year-round construction on the West End,
leading to the concern that the percentage of the year-round population being forced to
rent may be increasing.
A review of building permits issued between 1994 and 2006 revealed that a total of 39
permits were issued for new dwellings and three were issued for demolition. However, this
data did not identify the location and status of the new construction (whether started and
completed or not) is not known. (Source: Southold Town Building Department data as
interpreted by John Sepenoski, Technical Coordinator II, February 7, 2007).
1. Affordable Housing Overview
There is considerable concern about the loss of year-round housing stock to the seasonal
market. This trend is related not only to the decline in the year-round population, but also
to the inability of some Island residents to compete in the housing market against off-
Island people with higher incomes. This situation mirrors the housing problem on the
Mainland, where year-round residents can't compete with up-Islanders and Manhattan-
ites for housing because of the high demand for seasonal homes and the significant
income disparities.
.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
One indicator of the cost of housing on the Island relative to income is the percentage of
income that is spent on the monthly costs of that housing. According to the 2000 U.S.
Census, more than 27% of the Island's households owning their home spent 35% or more
of their income on monthly costs of ownership. The percentages for renters are similar.
More than II % of renters were spending 35% or more of household income on rent, and
more than 13% were spending between 30 and 34.9 % of their income on rent. The rule
of thumb is that no more than one-third of a household's income should be spent on
shelter. In 2000, the percentage of owners and renters paying 30% or more of their
monthly income for shelter was equivalent to about 25% of the year-round occupied
units. In actual numbers, this translates into 33 out of 135 households.
.
The Island has twenty-one affordable housing units, ten of which are owned and eleven
of which are rented. Fourteen of these units are single-family residences, the rest are
apartments within two multi-family structures. Twelve of the single-family residences
are located on land owned by Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation, WPBC. The other
units are located on land owned by the Fishers Island School District and the Utility
Company. Altogether these twenty-one units account for about 3% of the Island's total
housing stock, (assuming the 2000 US Census estimate of 625 units) and about 15% of
the year-round occupied units (which was assumed to be 138).
All of the Island's affordable housing is managed by the Walsh Park Benevolent
Corporation, WPBC, which screens applicants according to a set of criteria which
include: a demonstrated need for housing assistance, recommendations from employers
and others, commitment to working on the Island and a record of service to the
community.
In response to the need, the WPBC is experimenting with incentives such as establishing
an inventory of rental housing that would be leased to people wishing to sample year-
round life on Fishers Island in the hopes of attracting them to stay permanently. WPBC
also is engaged in discussions with the Fishers Island School District about creating
additional affordable housing on district land. It continues to seek out land owners
interested in gifting either their property or their homes to WPBC for a combination of
money and tax deductions in order to expand the pool of affordable housing options.
When the Stakeholders asked the WPBC the following question "What are the...supply
and demand projections (for affordable housing) for the next 20 years, and what are the
underlying assumptions for those projections?" it received this answer:
Walsh Park's approach to supply and demand is based on 19 years of experience that
supports our contention that we are unlikely ever to meet the full demand potential and
that we must continue to add units. Over this time, we have consistently been able to
maintain full occupancy. even as we almost doubled the number of units. In addition,
during this period, the cost of non-Walsh Park housing is likely up two to three fold,
which we believe is faster than the growth of average island income growth. Further,
assuming that the total year round population is 275 people and that an average of four
people lives in each dwelling, which would imply that 80 houses are needed to sustain
today's level in the future. While this is a guesstimate, it must be urgently noted that
virtually any of the houses owned by year round families, when sold, will not be bought
by year round families, as the year round seller has and will continue maximizing their
.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
sale proceeds via selling to seasonal buyers. Finally, while the island desires more year
round families, the factors mentioned make it most unlikely that any current or fUture
year round families can afford to pay prices, effective set by the demand of seasonal
residents. (Source: Statement, Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation, September 2006)
It should be noted that this projection, of an additional sixty residences over the current
twenty-one, is based on the Island population remaining stable at 275 people. It points
towards a year-round working class population with little or no opportunity of obtaining
equity in their place of residence.
2. Housing Services
The Town offers different types of direct housing assistance; subsidies and home
improvement grants. These are described below, briefly.
.
a) Section 8
Section 8 is a federal housing voucher program whereby financial subsidies are
provided to eligible applicants to help pay for rental housing. The funds are
disbursed at the local level. This housing program enables eligible applicants to
pay higher rents than they normally would be able to pay relative to their income.
. Application may be made through the North Fork Housing Alliance by
phone or in person.
. Eligible applicants are given vouchers as they become available.
Being placed on the list does not guarantee receipt of a voucher. But,
the number of eligible applicants on a list influences the number of
vouchers the Town receives.
. 1996 was the last year during which there was a Fishers Island
recipient of a Section 8 voucher.
· Eligibility requirements and application guidelines are included in the
Reference Binder (Town of Southold Affordable Housing Programs -
Policies and Procedures, July 2006 and North Fork Housing Alliance,
Section 8 Application and Income Guidelines.)
(Source: Telephone Conversations, January 31, 2007 and February 15,
2007 with Tanya Palmore, Executive Director, North Fork Housing
Alliance. )
.
b) Home Improvement
· Financial assistance is provided for home repairs and upgrading, e.g.
roofing, additions, general repairs, kitchen upgrades.
. Application may be made through the North Fork Housing Alliance by
phone or in person.
. If loan is granted to property owner, an indefinite lien can be placed on the
property in lieu of repayment.
. If loan is granted to a landlord, a ten-year lien can be placed on the
property for half the value of the loan.
(Source: Telephone Conversations, January 31,2007 and February 15, 2007
with Tanya Palmore, Executive Director, North Fork Housing Alliance.)
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Since 2004, the Town of Southold has required the creation of affordable housing
with each new subdivision plat approved by the Planning Board. At least ten
percent and up to twenty five percent of a standard, full yield subdivision must be
set aside as permanent affordable housing. Density bonuses are provided for the
construction of25% requirement.
.
c) Southold Town Moderate Housing Program
The Town's moderate housing program is designed to create permanent
affordable housing. The program is designed to give Town residents with local
jobs first priority. The program guidelines are:
Residency Requirements/Priority Population:
1. Income eligible individuals or families who have lived and worked in the Town
of Southold for a period of at least one (1) year prior to the application
submission.
2. Income eligible individuals or families who have lived in the Town of Southold
for a period of at least one (1) year prior to application submission.
3. Income eligible individuals or families who have worked in the Town of
Southold for a period of at least one (1) year prior to application submission.
4. Income eligible individuals or families who previously lived in the Town of
Southold for a minimum of one (1) year and wish to return.
5. Other income eligible applicants.
Asset Limitations:
I. You may not own property (including vacant land or a mobile home secured to
the ground) and,
2. Your total net worth cannot be greater than 25% of the purchase price of the
home (if applicable).
3. Total net worth of applicants shall include all liquid assets less debt. Note:
Liquid assets shall not include sheltered assets, trusts, Individual Retirement
Accounts, 401K's and other federally recognized tax-deferred vehicles.
.
d) Proposed Housing Services:
J;> Suffolk County's Office for Economic Development and Workforce Housing
(SC-OEDWH) is seeking to assist Walsh Park Benevolent Corporation
(WPBC) with funding for future initiatives
o Discussions were held with Frank Burr of WPBC and Marian Zucker,
Director of Affordable Housing, Suffolk County Office for Economic
Development and Workforce Housing, on August 9, 2006, during
Town Board's Fishers Island trip
J;> The Town of Southold's Human Resources Department (TS-HRD) would
assist on behalf of WPBC to obtain funding through the Suffolk County
Legislature.
J;> TS-HRD provided WPBC with a copy of its recently adopted Town of
Southold Affordable Housing Policies and Procedures Manual, which
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
includes a formula to ensure affordability at resale, permanent fixed
improvement policy, etc. as well as the Town of Southold Housing Needs
Assessment of2005.
:.> A copy of the Manual is included in the Reference Binder.
(Source: Town of South old Dept. Human Resources, November 2006)
3. Accessory Apartments
The Town's Zoning Code allows, by Special Exception from the Zoning Board of
Appeals, the creation of accessory apartments in single-family residences within the
following zoning districts on Fishers Island: by Special Exception of the Zoning Board of
Appeals: R-40, R-120, R-400, Hamlet Density and Limited Business. An accessory
apartment in these zones is defined as follows:
APARTMENT - An entirely self-contained dwelling unit consisting of a minimum of 450
square feet of living area containing complete housekeeping facilities for only one family,
including any domestic servants employed on the premises and having no enclosed space other
than vestibules, entrance hallways or porches, or cooking or sanitary facilities in common with
any other dwelling unit and/or "apartment." [Added 6-19-1990 by L.L. No. 13-1990] (Section
280-13 B. (13)).
In order to obtain a Special Exception to place an accessory apartment in an existing one-
family dwelling, the property owner must meet the following requirements:
.
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
.
(a) The accessory apartment shall be located in the principal building.
(b) The owner of the existing dwelling shall occupy one of the dwelling units as the owner's
principal residence. The other dwelling unit shall be leased for year-round occupancy,
evidenced by a written lease for a term of one or more years.
The existing one-family dwelling shall contain not less than 1,600 square feet oflivable
floor area.
The accessory apartment shall contain not less than 450 square feet oflivable floor area.
The accessory apartment shall not exceed 40% of the livable floor area of the existing
dwelling unit.
A minimum of three off-street parking spaces shall be provided.
Not more than one accessory apartment shall be permitted on a lot.
The accessory apartment shall meet the requirements of a dwelling unit as defined in
~ 280-4 hereof.
The exterior entry to the accessory apartment shall, to the maximum extent possible,
retain the existing exterior appearance of a one-family dwelling.
All exterior alterations to the existing building, except for access to the apartment, shall
be made on the existing foundation.
The certificate of compliance shall terminate upon the transfer of title by the owner or
upon the owner ceasing to occupy one of the dwelling units as the owner's principal
residence. In the event of an owner's demise, the occupant of an accessory apartment
may continue in occupancy until a new owner shall occupy the balance of the dwelling
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-20/7
.
or one year from date of said demise, whichever shall first occnr. [Amended 5-20-1993
by L.L. No. 6-1993]
(I) All conversions shall be subject to the inspection of the Building Inspector and renewal
of the certificate of occupancy annually. [Amended 5-20-1993 by L.L. No. 6-1993]
(m) The building which is converted to permit an accessory apartment shall be in existence
and have a valid certificate of occupancy issued prior to January I, 1984, or proof of
occupancy prior to that date. [Amended 5-20-1993 by L.L. No. 6-1993]
(n) The existing building, together with the accessory apartment, shall comply with all other
requirements of Chapter 280 of the Town Code of the Town of South old.
(0) Notwithstanding the provisions of ~ 280-13B hereof, no site plan approval by the
Planning Board shall be required for the establishment of an accessory apartment.
(p) Approval by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services of the water supply and
sewage disposal systems shall be required.
(q) No bed-and-breakfast facilities, as authorized by ~ 280-13B(14) hereof, shall be
permitted in or on premises for which an accessory apartment is authorized or exists.
[Added 3-14-1989 by L.L. No. 3-1989]
Town Code, Chapter 280-13. B. (13)
Only one accessory apartment has been created on FI through this program.
.
In the Hamlet Business (HB) and General Business (B) districts, accessory apartments
are permitted as of right (meaning the Building Department can issue the permit directly)
provided the property owner meets the following requirements:
(2)Apartments are permitted within the principal building only, subject to the following
requirements:
(a) The Building Department issuing an accessory apartment permit.
(b) The habitable floor area of each apartment shall be at least 350 square feet.
(c) There shall be no more than three apartments created or maintained in any single
structnre.
(d) Each apartment shall have at least one off-street parking space.
(e) Construction andlorremodeling of an existing structure to create an accessory apartment
shall not trigger the need for site plan approval set forth specifically in ~ 280-127 and
Article XXIV in general unless such construction or remodeling results in an increase of
the foundation size of the structure.
(t) The apartment(s) shall not comprise more than 40% ofthe principal building.
Source: Town Code, Chapter 280-45. C. (2), and 280-48.C. (3)
.
4. Permanent affordable housing
The Town Code also permits the change of zone (by petition to the Town Board) to an
Affordable Housing District, which contains specific provisions to ensure the permanent
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
affordability of land and dwelling units. As noted in the Town Code, these districts shall
be located in "appropriate and desirable locations for affordable housing. Such locations
include, but are not limited to: land within Hamlet Locus Zones, as may be determined by
the Town Board; land within walking distance of services, shops, schools, and public
transportation; land that adjoins existing centers of business and residential development
(as opposed to land adjoining farm and open fields); and other locations where the project
has been shown to meet a demonstrable need." (Town Code, Chapter 280-26)
The AHD zoning permits the following types of dwellings: single-family detached,
owner-occupied two-family dwellings, multiple and row or attached dwellings, and one
accessory apartment per dwelling up to 50 % of the dwellings in the AHD district. A
copy of the AHD legislation is included in the Reference Manual.
Additionally, every new standard residential subdivision that results in the creation of
five or more new building lots shall comply with the requirements herein to provide
affordable housing:
.
[1] Twenty-five percent ofthe lot yield as determined pursuant to ~ 240-10B(2)(a) and (b)
shall be set aside as moderate-income family dwelling units (MIFDU), as defined, created
and administered under the provisions of the Affordable Housing District, ~~ 280-24
through 280-33 of this Code. Each MIFDU shall be created subject to covenants and
restrictions as set forth at ~ 280-30 or through another mechanism approved by the Town
Board that will keep units perpetually affordable. The number of MIFDU units required in
a subdivision shall be rounded up to the next whole number.
[2] In satisfaction ofthe requirement to create 25% MIFDU units, the standard subdivision
applicant shall be required to construct no less than 10% of the total yield as MIFDU units
in the subdivision. All subdivisions shall have at least one constructed MIFDU unit within
the subdivision. The remaining required units shall be provided by the applicant in any of
the following ways:
[a] The applicant may construct dwelling units in the subdivision equal in number to the
remaining percentage, thereby providing a total of 25% of the yield of the
subdivision as MIFDU units. If this option is chosen, the applicant will receive an
increased density of one additional lot per MIFDU lot created in excess of 10%
under this option. The additional lots shall be built in the subdivision and shall be
MIFDU units. For each additional lot created as part of the increased density
pursuant to this option, the developer shall pay a sum representing the cost of
development rights equal to the number of additional units created. This sum shall be
set annually by Town Board resolution and shall be based on the average cost of
development rights purchased by the Town in the previous year. The resolution in
effect at the time of the preliminary plat hearing shall determine the sum to be paid
under this section. This amount shall be paid to the Community Preservation Fund to
be used according to the terms of the Fund. Alternatively, in lieu of payment, the
developer may extinguish an equivalent number of development rights on another
parcel in Town, in a form approved by the Town Attorney.
[b] The applicant shall pay a sum to the Town of Southold Housing Fund. The sum shall
be based on the number of required MIFDU lots not constructed in the subdivision.
The per unit sum shall be set annually by resolution of the Town Board and shall
.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
consider factors such as the average cost of building lots and costs of construction in
the Town of Southold.
[c] The applicant may provide property with development rights equal to the number of
the required MIFDU units not constructed in the subdivision, to the Town of
Southold Housing Fund, North Fork Housing Alliance, Community Land Trust of
Southold Town, or other similar organization approved by the Town Board for the
sole purpose of developing affordable housing on the site. The property must be
acceptable to the recipient as a viable site for affordable housing development, and
proof of same must be provided to the Planning Board during preliminary plat
review.
[d] If the option provided in Subsection B(2)( c )[2] [b] or [c] is chosen, the applicant may
build any remaining allowed lots in the subdivision, and they shall not be required to
be MIFDU units.
Source: Town Code: Chapter 240-10 B/ (2) (c)
Community Services
Fishers Island provides a wide range of community services, primarily through its non-
profit and church organizations. A review of the Fishers Island Community Board's
Annual Reports provides a general idea of the range and depth of services available on the
Island. The newest addition to this list is described here.
.
Fishers Island Community Center (FICC)
In 2003, a Community Center Committee was formed to explore the concept of creating a
community center on Fishers Island as a key element in both the retention and increase of
a viable year-round population. A survey of the seasonal and year-round residents led to
the decision to create a year-round center containing a workout room, meeting and
gathering rooms, a youth and senior center and a kitchen. FIDCO agreed to lease
Building # 98 for this purpose, and to initiate a fund-raising campaign
The Committee will work closely with the school to create a campus setting, by installing
links between the Center, the school, the public tennis and basketball courts, an exercise
path and the school's waterfront property, which may be placed under easement and used
for an outdoor research area. It is hoped that revitalization of this building will stimulate
future improvements of the waterside area west of Silver Eel Cove.
Future plans for the FICC include collaboration with Fishers Island School for a video-
distance learning center for educational and town business, and possibly, an indoor pool
at the school (a priority in all the surveys.) Fundraising started in 2006 and renovations
began during 2007. A copy of the Island Community Center Campus Map is included in
the Reference Binder.
.
The Mainland provides a small percentage of the community services offered on the
Island. The Southold Town Recreation Department provides recreational services and
opportunities for youth and adults. The Recreation Department does not have a direct
presence on the Island, but has provided equipment for the softball league. Sports
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
equipment also has been provided for the Island Peoples Project. Kenneth Reeves,
Director, has offered to sponsor a free youth basketball program. (Kenneth. Reeves,
Director, Recreation Department, March 2007, E-mail correspondence)
Funding for the design and construction of a Fitness Trail was obtained through a
combination of public and private funds. The Department of Public Works coordinated
the grant application for public funds and will oversee the trail's construction during
2007 on a portion of Town land west of The Parade Grounds closest to the Fishers Island
School. A copy of the Trail proposal and map is included in the Reference Binder.
In March 2007, the Town agreed to form a Youth Bureau. During the development of
this Bureau, Fishers Island should communicate its needs and petition for services and
funding under this program.
Transportation
It goes without saying that transportation services are critically important to Fishers
Island. The Island's economy and social fabric are shaped by the quality and nature of its
transportation network. A clear understanding of the nature of that network is essential
for future decision-making affecting the Island.
.
Earlier, mention was made in the section dealing with Public Services and Facilities
about the Emergency Management Plan. This plan is of critical importance for the safety
of all Island residents and visitors and should be reviewed on a regular basis in response
to changing conditions on and off the Island.
1. Roads
Maintenance of the public road network on the West End is under the jurisdiction of the
Town's Highway Department. There is one Highway Department employee on the
island. Maintenance issues have to be brought to the attention of the Mainland on a
regular basis.
2. Ferry
The District's priority is safe and efficient operation and maintenance of the ferry service
between the Island and New London. The District retains a staff of seven, six of which are
Islanders. As with the other utilities, the provision of off-season service is subsidized by
the peak season service.
In response to the question whether the existing service could be enhanced through the
basing of one boat on the Island overnight, the District responded as follows:
.
The Ferry District Board can never dismiss any subject on a permanent basis under any
circumstances. The District is charged with providing transportation of goods. services
and people to and from Fishers Island and New London. The District was formed when the
privately ownedferry service based on Fishers Islandfailedjinancially. It should be noted
that the ferries are based on the mainland where the infrastructure for the maintenance
services and the staffing are located. The idea of basing a ferry on the Island is brought up
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
periodically. The conversation usually ends when the requirements of operation are
discussed in detail. Without at least doubling the District's budget (resulting in much
higher fares and taxes), such a contemplation is not possible. The District cannot require
the crew members to live on the Island, and as of the most recent informal survey, there
seems to be little support amongst the crew members for making a move to the Island.
Additionally, the District hires a large number of part time help during the summer season.
There is no pool of candidates present on the Island either for part time help or for full time
crew members. If one were to actually propose a boat based on the Island, a minimum
requirement would be 2 captains and 6 crew members domiciled on the Island in
approximately 8 houses. Currently there are no houses and coincidently no crew members
willing to consider such a move. " (Memo to Stakeholders, Fishers Island Ferry District,
September 2006. The full memo is included in Chapter 7 Appendix.)
As noted earlier, in the subsection on Management Structure, the Fishers Island Ferry
District (FIFO) has jurisdictional authorities and responsibilities that go beyond that of
owning, operating and managing ferry service between Fishers Island and the port of New
London. These powers include management of nearly 186 acres of Town land, of which
7.5 acres lie immediately adjacent to the ferry dock on Silver Eel Cove. The remainder of
the land, 178.4 acres, surrounds Elizabeth Airfield, the operation and maintenance of which
also lies with FIFO jurisdiction and responsibility. The legislation creating the FIFO
explicitly granted authority to lease land within its jurisdiction to private enterprises for
commercial purposes.
.
In 2006, the FIFO held fourteen business leases for structural space or land within its
jurisdiction. The leases typically run yearly, although some run for as long as three years.
All leases were renewed in the spring of 2006. Monthly lease income for 2006 was $4,005
($48.060 yearly). (Source: Tom Doherty, Manager, Fishers Island Ferry District, March
2007) Income from leases is deposited into the District's general fund for use as the
District sees fit. The leases and rates are included in the Reference Binder.
The leases may be granted for the use of land or structures or both. Leases are tailored to
individual business needs and are subject to public notice, hearing and input prior to be
awarding. However, there is no written application procedure or protocol defining who
may apply and which applications are accepted and allowed to move forward to the public
notice stage. The District's policy is to award leases to those lessees currently holding
leases provided they honored the terms of past leases in good faith. Next in-line is
established on-Island businesses. Currently there is a waiting list of potential lessees,
although the extent and composition of that list was not divulged. The waiting list is a
recent trend.
.
Lessees with waterfront access are responsible for maintaining control over that access.
Public access to other waterfront property under the jurisdiction of the FIFO, e.g. the
fishing pier and beaches, is controlled or managed as follows: ferry personnel oversee the
pier, and the Bay Constable and State Troopers oversee the beaches and Race Point.
Camping is not permitted on any town properties although overnight fishing on the
waterfront is allowed.
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Management of Elizabeth Field is the responsibility of the lessee who has leased the airport
building. These responsibilities include maintaining the runway lights, overseeing use of
the parking lot, communicating with aircraft during business hours, collecting landing fees
and alerting the District of other outstanding items in need of maintenance. Landing fees
are twenty-five dollars ($25) per landing and those fees are kept by the lessee. The airfield
is maintained by the District with assistance from the Federal Aviation Administration
(90%), the State of New York (5%) and the Town of South old (5%).
The primary priority of the FIFD is the operation and management of the ferry service. Its
landlord activities include overseeing leased properties and enforcing leasing agreements.
The FIFD would not object to exploring alternative management options for the other
responsibilities imposed on the FIFD by its charter, assuming the Southold Town Board
agreed to such changes and assisted in amending the District's charter or responsibilities.
(Source: Reynolds (Chippy) duPont Jr., Chairman, Fishers Island Ferry District Board of
Commissioners, August 17,2006.)
.
The Fishers Island Ferry District provides the most heavily-used and essential
transportation service for the Island. Its jurisdictional responsibilities were discussed
earlier in the Management subsection. Although the Fishers Island ferry is the primary
means of access for the majority of the Island's year-round and seasonal residents, it is
not the only water service. Many year-round and seasonal residents own their own boats
and are comfortable using them to access Connecticut and New York ports of call for
personal business. Employers and private operators also provide water taxi services to
workers.
In an attempt to determine how many workers commute from Connecticut to jobs located
on Fishers Island, the Stakeholders created a common-knowledge list of workers and
their employers. The Table below lists the number of workers that traveled to Fishers
Island from Connecticut during an average work day in 2006. The ferry statistics are an
average work day based on year-round ticket sales during 2006.
Table: Daily Water-borne Commuter Traffic
T
B (B) E
'N
(E)
N b fW k
D
.
ransporter: oat or mployer s ame um ero or ers per ay
Fishers Island Ferry - B 118 (average)
Pop Eye - B 32
Baby Doll - B 28
Broom - B 5
Pirates Cove Marina - E 4
Steve Malinowski - E 3
Paul Tombari - E 3
Emerv Nemeskay - E 2
Tom Ravino - E 2
Chip Sinclair - E I
TOTAL (10) 198 workers on average per day
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
The data in the previous table suggests that the Fishers Island Ferry accounts for about
sixty (60) percent of the average daily commuter water traffic to and from the Island.
This data does not include daily trips taken by parents to deliver children to school off-
Island, or personal off-Island trips necessitated by the unavailability of ferry service.
3. Airfield
Elizabeth Airfield was constructed by the U. S. Army as part of Fort H.G. Wright. It is
owned by the Town and managed by the Ferry District. The Airfield is not subject to the
security controls common to larger airports. The District has delegated oversight of the
landings and take-offs during daylight hours to the business leasing the building
alongside the runway. The lessee is allowed to charge a nominal fee ($25.00) for use of
the runway and to keep the money. As best as could be determined, no records are kept
oflandings and take-offs, nor an analysis of whether user fees could be brought closer in
line with actual maintenance and operations costs.
The airfield is basically a no-frills runway with radio-controlled, night landing lights and
a small parking area. No services are provided, such as engine repairs, hangar space,
fuel, weather station, pilot's lounge, indoor waiting area, etc.
.
Economv
There are almost no standard economic statistics available for Fishers Island other than
that collected by the U.S. Census Bureau. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Profile of
Selected Economic Characteristics, 221 Island year-round residents were aged sixteen
years or older, of which 165 (or 74.7 %) were employed. Of this group, thirteen (13) of
residents aged sixteen years or older (less than 8%) were self-employed; Twenty-nine
(29) were salaried workers in government (17.6%). The remaining 123, 74.5%) are
working in the private sector.
The U.S. Census examines employment in two different ways: by occupation and then by
industry. By occupation the statistics are as follows:
33.9 % - Service occupations
26.1 % - Management, professional and related occupations
19.4 % - Sales and office occupations
12.7 % - Construction and maintenance occupations
4.2 % - Production, transportation and moving
3.6 % - Farming and fishing
By industry the statistics are as follows:
.
18.8 % - Education, health and social services
15.8 % - Professional, scientific, management, administrative, waste management
15.2 % - Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, food services
9.1 % - Construction
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
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9.1 % - Retail
7.9 % - Transportation, warehousing, utilities
7.9 % - Other, not including public administration
6.1 % - Public administration
4.8 % - Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing
3.6 % - Agriculture & fishing
The Census does not shed light on the percentage of residents that work off-Island.
The Stakeholders attempted to further define the nature of the on-Island economy, and
get an idea of the numbers of off-Island workers. A copy of their Table: Fishers Island
Business & Characteristics is included in Chapter 7: Appendix.
While the table is incomplete, and preliminary analysis is oflimited value, it does provide
interesting information. About sixty-eight (68) different businesses are known to operate
on the Island. The businesses are most privately owned, with a handful of government
employers in the mix.
.
Employee and other facts were available for only forty-eight (48) of the sixty-eight (68)
businesses noted above. Of these, thirty-five (72.9%) were considered year-round
businesses. And, of these, twenty-five (25) own their place of operation; the rest of the
businesses are operated out of rented space, the home of the business owner or at the
home of the person who has contracted for their services; e.g. house cleaners, massage
therapists. Of the businesses owning their place of operation, seventeen of the twenty
five are year-round operations, the rest seasonal.
Although this table is incomplete, it counts at least one hundred residents employed on-
Island, which suggests that more Islanders work on-Island rather than off, although the
exact percentage is unknown.
Income statistics by the 2000 U.S. Census reveal a median household income of $ 50,521
based on 135 households, and a median family income of $ 59,583 based on 67 families.
The statistics don't indicate how many jobs were held down by family members or heads
of households. Of these families, three were living below the poverty level. This
translated into 24 individuals of which five were children under the age of 18 years of
age. (The 2000 U.S. Census profiles are included in the Reference Binder.)
.
If the Islanders are interested in encouraging more economic activity on the Island, it
would be helpful to complete the Stakeholder's inventory (Fishers Island Businesses &
Characteristics) and perhaps to expand it to include other kinds of information. This
type of database might help identify underserved sectors of the local economy,
particularly where off-Island businesses are providing the services for lack of on-island
providers. It also might identify gaps in the zoning code as it pertains to certain types of
businesses. An updated survey of the properties rented by businesses might help define
the extent to which Town rental of public land for business purposes is reducing the
market demand for privately owned business property.
Chapter 5: Inventory
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
The State of New York offers economic development counseling services to small and
new businesses and these services include marketing analysis and assistance in accessing
funding sources. These services are offered through the State University and the Empire
Development Corporation of the State Economic Development Office. Source
information is included in Chapter 6 Bibliography & Sources and a copy of the brochure
can be found in the Reference Binder.
In addition to the Island's geographic isolation, its history, and the large extent of its
resort or seasonal population (relative to its year-round population), the Island's economy
also is influenced by the scattered nature of its business districts, the lack of suitable
space/structures for contemporary business needs and the availability (however limited)
of public land for lease at lower rents than might be found in the private market. Another
factor is the ability of off-Island businesses to sell retail from trucks. The Town Code,
Chapter 197 Peddlers Solicitors and Transient Retail Merchants, requires these
businesses to obtain permits. However, this law is not enforced.
.
Information & Communications
A small but important part of this planning exercise was to improve the flow and storage
of information pertaining to the Island. Lack of current information about both the Island
and the Mainland contributes to the sense of disconnectedness that exists between the
Island community and Town government.
In 2001, the Town implemented an information storage and retrieval system, known as
Laserfiche, which has revolutionized how the public accesses government documents.
Now, documents, including meeting minutes, resolutions, permits, correspondence and
maps, can be found by typing "search words" into a computer. The computer scans the
database for all documents containing the search words and provides the reader with a
menu of matches. The reader can then access and read specific documents right on the
computer screen, thus saving hours of manual searching through boxes and folders.
1. Centralized Information Collection and Management
As part of this update, the consultant searched on the Island and the Mainland for public
records, reports and other documents related to Fishers Island and found inconsistent
archival practices. Some original public records, including maps, reports and documents,
were being stored on Fishers Island but neither the Town Clerk nor the Data Processing
department had a listing or copy of these records. Other records, located on the Mainland
in file cabinets, had not been scanned into the Laserfiche system. In spite of the rigorous
archival practices that had been instituted on the Mainland in 2001, there was no central
collection, inventory or archive containing all public documents pertaining to Fishers
Island on either the Island or the Mainland.
.
Discussions with Elizabeth Neville, Town Clerk, resulted in a radical upgrading of
information storage and cataloguing practices within the Town Clerk's office. Ms.
Neville also arranged for Stacey Norklun, Records Management Assistant, and a
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Regional Advisory Officer from the New York State Department of Archives, Lorraine
Hill-Campbell, to travel to Fishers Island in August of2006 to assist Meredith Harr of the
Fishers Island Community Board (FICB). Together they reviewed documents in the
possession of the FICB and assessed whether they should be archived. Several boxes of
materials (consisting of minutes, maps and newsletters) were sent to the Mainland for
scanning into Laserjiche, and then were returned to the FICB office.
In conjunction with this effort, a parallel search was made of files in the Planning
Department, the offices of the Town Historian and the Town Clerk for any information
(such as records, reports, documents, maps and photographs) pertaining to Fishers Island.
These also were scanned into Laserfiche. All the information archived as a result of this
search was filed into a specific Fishers Island file.
.
Prior to this time, decisions, minutes and application files from the Board of Trustees, the
Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), and the Planning Board (PB) had been scanned into
Laserjiche in accordance with standard procedures for storing public records. However,
due to the volume of information generated by each of these boards, this information was
not sorted into a separate Fishers Island file. Rather, keying in the words "Fishers Island"
while searching the records of each respective board will yield information and decisions
affecting Island properties. Records also can be retrieved by tax map number and by
topic, e.g. accessory apartments, dock permits. Laserjiche contains records for the ZBA
and the PB back to about 1957-8, when those boards came into existence. Laserfiche
contains Trustee records from 1936 to the present, and Town Board minutes and
resolutions from 1945 to the present.
Because public documents must be stored for future retrieval purposes, the Laserjiche
archiving process will be an ongoing one. Older historical material will continue to be
scanned into the database along with future current decisions. The accuracy and
usefulness of this archiving system requires all components of town government to
forward public records to the Town Clerk's Office. However, there is no standardized
procedure whereby public records generated on Fishers Island are forwarded to the
Mainland for scanning.
As noted earlier, all known records, documents, maps and aerial photographs deemed
relevant to the public record of Fishers Island (other than decisions by the Zoning,
Trustee, Planning and Town boards) have been scanned into the Town's Laserjiche
system and keyed for retrieval as "Fishers Island" to save time during future searches for
information. The records that have been scanned as part of this project were saved onto a
CD-ROM, two copies of which are attached to this report. It is suggested that one copy
be placed in the Fishers Island Library and the other with the Fishers Island Community
Board in order to facilitate public access.
All other public records, such as Zoning, Trustee, Planning and Town board minutes, can
be accessed only on the Mainland through computers located at Town Hall because there
is no direct, secure computer network connection between the Mainland and Fishers
.
Chapter 5: Inventory
61
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Island. There are long term plans to provide Island access to the Laserjiche system,
perhaps within the next five years.
For the near future, the Town Clerk's Office will continue to send updated CD-ROMs of
Island-specific documents (other than board decisions) annually on an as-needed basis
until such time that technology allows for direct computer access to the Town's
Laserjiche system from Fishers Island. In the meantime, a procedure should be set up to
ensure that all public records generated on Fishers Island are being sent to the Town
Clerk either bye-mail (in Adobe or Word format) or through regular mails (print, CD-
ROM, memory stick).
2. Geographic Information System
The Town's Geographic Information System (GIS) was developed over a period of
several years beginning in the early 1990s. Maintaining, updating and expanding the
database currently is the responsibility of the Data Processing Department and other
primary users such as the Planning Department, the Land Preservation Department, and
the Engineering Office.
.
The Data Processing Department's policy is to update the database on a continuing basis
as information is sent in by different departments. On Fishers Island, two private entities,
FIDCO and the Museum, accept easements and donations of land. There is no procedure
(or requirement) whereby private land preservation activities are recorded with the Town.
However, voluntary sharing of this information would enable the GIS database to be kept
current and the information made available to the Island residents.
As part of this planning exercise, maps from previous studies and old aerial photographs
were scanned into the GIS in order to expand and update the database. This effort also
included a search for aerial photographs held by the Ferguson Museum. Tom Dougherty,
General Manager of the Fishers Island Ferry District also was contacted regarding
surveys of Town-owned property located in the City of New London, Connecticut.
In addition to the maps specifically created for this document, the GIS database now
contains the following information pertaining to Fishers Island.
Aerials
2004 natural color aerial photos
2001 natural color aerial photos
1999 natural color aerial photos
1996 natural color aerial photos
1995 infrared aerial photos
1930 black and white aerial photos
.
Tax Maps
Current - Suffolk County Tax Map, which includes specific attributes such as:
o Protected land
o Community Facilities
o Acreage
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Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
Zoning
Current - Town Zoning Map
Natural Resources
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Wetlands Map
National Wetlands Inventory Map
Town of South old Wetlands Map
Town of Southold Beach and Bluff Map
2006 - Audubon Important Bird Areas
o The Race
2006 - New York State Significant Coastal Habitats Map
Topographical
United States Geological Survey Quads
Regulatory
Federal Emergency Management Agency Flood Map
(Source: John Sepenoski, January 2007)
As a result of this planning project, these maps have been saved on a CD-ROM. One copy
has been placed with the Fishers Island Library and the other is at the Fishers Island
Community Board office.
.
Finally, the Town's GIS database does not include extensive infrastructure maps, such as
the location of water and sewer lines, lighting systems. These systems are owned and
operated by private companies. In the future, the possibility of scanning that information
into the Town's GIS database (with appropriate security controls) should be explored.
As with Laseifiche, future updates of the GIS database as it pertains to Fishers Island will
be sent to the Island on an annual, as-needed basis. Conversely, information generated on
the Island should be sent to the Town Clerk's office for entry into Laserfiche or the GIS
database. As with Laserjiche, currently there is no Island protocol in place for ensuring
that public information is sent to the Mainland for archival purposes.
.
Chapter 5: Inventory
63
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
CHAPTER 6: BIBLIOGRAPHY & SOURCES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Demol!raphic Data
Historical Population of Lonl! Island Communities 1790-1980: Decennial Census Data.
Long Island Regional Planning Board, Hauppauge, NY August 1982.
Table 8. Population Counts for Suffolk County Villages, Communities, and Unincorporated
Places Which Were Reported in/or Derived from a Decennial Census.
Nassau Suffolk Place Level Summaries - 1990 U.S. Census
Population Survev 2005: Current Population Estimates for Nassau and Suffolk Counties and the
Rockaway Peninsula. Long Island Power Authority, November 2005 p.3l.
School District Demographic Profile: 1990 Census School District Special Tabulation, NYS Dept
of Education
1980 Census of Population. Characteristics of People and Housinl!. Prepared by LIRPB using US
Census data
.
2000 Census.. U.S. Bureau of the Census
Table DP-I. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000
Table DP-2. Profile of Selected social Characteristics: 2000
Table DP-3. Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics: 2000
Table DP-4. Profile of Selected Housing characteristics: 2000
Report to the Fishers Island School Board, November 25, 2002, authorship unknown.
PIanninl! Documents
Givinl! Voice: The Fishers Island Project. Meredith Harr and Nate Gray, edited by David D. Platt,
Island Institute, 2007.
Master Plan Update: Backl!round Studies, Raymond, Parish, Pine and Weiner, Inc. 1984-5.
The Fishers Island Growth Plan: 1988, The Trust for Public Land, 1988
The Fishers Island Growth Plan: 1994, The Trust for Public Land, 1994
Fishers Island Water Supplv / Watershed Studv. A. R. Lombardi Assocs., Inc., 1994.
Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement. Southold Comprehensive Implementation
Stratel!V, Town of Southold, May 2003
.
Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, Town of South old, November 2004.
Chapter 6: Bibliography and Sources
I
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
The Town of Southold Hamlet Studv, Cleary Consulting, July 2005.
Historical
Guardian of the Sound: A Pictorial Historv of Fort H.G. Wright. Fishers Island. NY., Pierce
Rafferty & John Wilton, 1998.
The Fishers Island Club and its Golf Links. The First Seventv-Five Years. Charles B. Ferguson
& Pierce Rafferty, 2002.
Comorehensive Survev of Historic Resources in the Town of South old and Fishers Island,
Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities, 1988..
Government Documents
Town Code, Town of Southold
Laserfiche archives, Town Clerk's Office
Consolidated Laws of New York:
htto:lloublic.leginfo.state.nv.us/menugetfcgi?COMMONOUER Y=LA WS
.
Local Government Handbook website
htto:llwww.dos.state.nv.us/lgss/oublist.htm
NYCOM website
htto:llwww.nvcom.org/
SOURCES
Education. Research and Environmental Protection
Christopher F. Smith, Director
Marine Science Division
Cornell University
Cooperative Extension, Suffolk County
423 Griffing Avenue,
Riverhead, NY 11901-3071
631 727-7850
Business Develooment Assistance
.
State University of New York's Small Business Development Center
Harriman Hall, Room 109
Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-3777
631-632-9070
www.stonybrook.edu.smallbusiness
Chapter 6: Bibliography and Sources
2
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
. Economic Development
New York State Economic Development Agency
http://www.nvlovessmalIbiz.com
Empire State Development Corporation
Restore NY Communities Initiatives
30 South Pearl Street
Albany, NY 12245
Housinl! Assistance
Tanya Palmore, Executive Director
North Fork Housing Alliance, Inc.
116 South Street
Greenport, NY 11944
(631) 477-1070
Environmental Resource Manal!ement and Grants
New York Department of State
Coastal Resources Department
http://www.dos.state.nv.us/aboutlcoastal.htm
. Governmental and Lel!al Information
NYS Department of State
Division of Local Government
41 State Street
Albany, NY 12231-0001 Telephone: (518) 473-3355
Fax: (518) 474-6572
E-mail: localgovCaldos.state.nv.us
Web-site: http://www.dos.state.ny.us/lgss/list9.html
Peter Q. Manning
Land Use Training Manager
New York State Department of State
Division of Local Government
41 State Street
Albany, NY 12231
ph: (518) 474-4769
fax: 474-6572
email: Peter.Manning@dos.state.ny.us
U.S. Department of Defense
Base Realignment and Closure
htto://www .defenselink.millbrac
.
Chapter 6: Bibliography and Sources 3
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
CHAPTER 7: APPENDIX
A. Minutes of Stakeholder Meetinl!:s
Fishers Island Fire House
July 13,2006
I-3:30pm
Present:
Stakeholders:
Others:
Judy Imbriglio, Audrey Noyes Ludemann, William C. Ridgway, Heather
Burnham, Peter Burr, Charles Stepanek, Pennie Sharp, Sarah Malinowski, Ken
Edwards, Meredith Harr.
Louisa Evans, Michael Laughlin, Ron Schongar, Leslie Goss Gruner, Suzanna
Doyle
Valerie Scopaz
Consultant:
I. Introductions
V. Scopaz introduced herself and spoke briefly about her professional background. Almost
everyone else present introduced themselves.
.
II. Brief Review of Goals & Objectives of Past Master Plans (1984, 1987 and 1994)
V. Scopaz gave a brief synopsis of the primary goals and recommendations of the 1987 Trust
for Public Land study and the 1994 Fishers Island Growth Plan. Some of the
recommendations were quite specific and have since been implemented. Other
recommendations were more general statements of vision or policy with no clear directive
contained within them.
III. Expectations for 2006 Update
Each stakeholder was asked to define his or her expectation or vision for the 2006 Master
Plan Update (MPU). The following concepts were voiced:
. A strategic plan to protect the natural environment from further degradation, to redress
existing environmental problems and to encourage land preservation.
. An inventory of factual information about the island, including, but not limited to:
o Business properties and structures
o Vacant building lots
o Build-out potential
o Demographic data and trends
o Year-round housing
o Environmental assessment
.
V. Scopaz explained that one aspect of the MPU will be a consolidation of all existing
information about Fishers Island, which will be scanned into the Town's Laser-fiche system.
Scanned documents, including maps, will be burned onto CDs, that will be brought to the
Island for use by anyone wanting to research public documents pertaining to Fishers Island.
Currently the Town's internal computer network does not extend to Fishers Island. Staffin
the Planning Department have been asked to search for reports pertaining to Fishers Island
and to have them Laser-fiched into the system. Mere has been asked to find and sort through
Chapter 7: Appendix
I
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
old reports and maps and create a list which will be compared with the existing information
already archived into Laser-fiche. A list of reports that have been archived already was
passed around and amended. VS will see to it that this document is located and archived.
IV.
Identification & discussion of :
.
a. Key Issues of Concern (An asterisk * notes an issue applicable in more than
one category.)
1. Social:
I. There is insufficient affordable housing on the Island for year-
round residents, but no one is sure how much housing is needed.
2. There is interest is creating a community center, but there also is
uncertainty as to the specific needs it would serve, and the
services it should offer. Agreement has been reached on its
location in Building 98; the owner of which, FIDCO, has agreed
to let it be used as a center. About $1.8 million of the roughly
$2.5 milliou ueeded has already been raised.
3. There are questions as to whether the year-round population
declining or just in a state of flux.
4. There are concerns about the long-term viability ofthe year-
round community given the current state of affairs, e.g. lack of
affordable housing, increasing seasonal population, loss of
housing in West End to seasonal population, limited business
opportunities. *
ii. Economic
I. There are concerns about the long-term viability of the year-
round community given the current state of affairs, e.g. lack of
affordable housing, increasing seasonal population, loss of
housing in West End to seasonal population, limited business
opportunities. *
2. Utility costs (electricity particularly) are high.
3. More information is needed about the Island's businesses, its
economy and the general business climate. Little information is
available about home occupations, tenants on Town-owned
property managed by the Ferry District, and under-utilized or
vacant business properties.
4. Is Island in danger oflosing some businesses?
111. Physical
I. Maintenance of physical infrastructure such as roads and
sidewalks should be improved.
2. There is uncertainty about how much new growth the existing
utility infrastructure (e.g. electricity, water, sewer, ferry) could
absorb before additional capital investment would be necessary.
3. How many vacant lots could be built on? Or further subdivided?
4. There is some concern about the potential loss of historical
structures and sites as new development or redevelopment
occurs.
5. What is ultimate disposition of US Navy property? Could part
of site be used for affordable housing?*
IV. Environmental
.
Chapter 7: Appendix
2
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
I. There seems to be an increase in the presence of invasive
species.
2. The quality of the natural environment seems to be declining.
3. Land preservation needs to be continued and encouraged.
v. Governmental
I. Can Fishers Island manage its future without interference from
"the mainland"?
2. Better coordination and representation is needed. There is no
representation on the Zoning Board of Appeals or the Board of
Trustees.
3. The management of property owned by Southold Town suffers
from lack of vision and transparency.
4. The Island is not well-perceived by outsiders due to recent
negative publicity.
5. What is ultimate disposition of US Navy property? Could part
of site be used for affordable housing?"
.
b. Unrealized Opportnnities
1. Social
I. There is a good sense of community on Fishers Island that could
be strengthened.
2. The sense of safety should not be jeopardized.
3. There are significant human resources (talent, expertise, passion)
that could be tapped.
ii. Economic
I. The Island has not been "ruined" by tourism.
iii. Physical
I. The Island possesses public buildings, structures and land worth
maintaining and rehabilitating.
iv. Environmental
1. The Island's environment is still in good shape and the problems
that have surfaced can be addressed.
2. The potential for ecologically-sensitive use of public property
has not been explored.
v. Governmental
I. The Island's zoning has prevented the influx of hotels and other
resort or tourist designations.
2. The historic structures associated with Fort Wright are worth
protecting.
c. Potential Solutions & Strategies
i. Policy & Legislation
11. Planning & Design
111. Capital Investment & Budgeting
iv. Other
.
The consensus of the group was to table this discussion until more information could
be collected, reviewed and discussed. A short list of information that the
Stakeholders would like to see follows:
Chapter 7: Appendix
3
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
. Map of vacant properties and an assessment of build-out potential.
. List of business-zoned properties and uses.
. List ofleases on Town-owned land by the Ferry District.
. Summary of lease income from Town-owned land to the Ferry District.
. Past and proj ected school population trends.
. Census data on (and analysis of) year-round population.
. Status of electric and water utility capacity and ability to absorb more
growth.
V.
Next Steps
a. Interviews & Interviewees
i. The Stakeholders agreed to hold a series of interviews with the
following:
I. School district superintendent and school board president
2. Ferry district commissioners and manager
3. Water district manager
4. Electric / telephone company manager
ii. V. Scopaz will prepare an initial list of questions for the interviewees
to answer. These questions will be sent to the stakeholders via e-mail for the
stakeholders to rework and add to, to their satisfaction. The questions will be
sent to the interviewees two weeks in advance with a cover letter.
.
b. Field Work
i. M. Harr will continue assist Valerie with transportation and other
research.
c. Communications Protocols
i. M. Harr will take care of administrative details on the Island until her
departure in late August.
ii. Questions can be e-mailed directly to V. Scopaz.
d. Timetable - Completion of the Update: within four to five months
e. V. Scopaz will move forward with the following tasks in preparation for next
meeting:
i. Census data: research and analysis
ii. Property cards for business-zoned and Town properties
iii. Records management protocols from Town Clerk's Office
iv. Arrange for archiving of SPLIA files, and other material as found
v. Obtain update on status of updating ofSPLIA records on Fishers Island
vi. Vacant lands map with zoning, wetlands, steep slopes and other layers
as relevant and available.
f. M. Harr to compile a list of interviewees and their contact information.
g. Next Stakeholder meeting will be Thursday, August 1711> from 12 noon to 5 pm.
h. Tentative location: FI School. If school is unavailable, M. Harr will decide on
an alternative location.
Prepared by: V. Scopaz
July 14, 2006
.
Chapter 7: Appendix
4
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
Fishers Island School, Library
August 17, 2006
12 - 4:30 pm
Present:
Stakeholders:
.
Others:
Consultant:
I.
II.
III.
.
IV.
.
Judy Imbriglio, Audrey Ludemann, William C. Ridgway, Heather Burnham,
Peter Burr, Charles Stepanek, Pennie Sharp, Ken Edwards, Meredith Harr.
(Sarah Malinowski sent regrets due to urgent family matter.)
Louisa Evans, Chippy duPont, Bob Wall, Peter Brinckerhoff, Jeanne Schultz
Valerie Scopaz
Introductions
Not needed.
Brief Review of Goals & Objectives of Current Master Plan Update
Ignored as this was a typographical error on Valerie's part!
Presentations & Interviews
Chippy du Pont engaged with us in a detailed conversation and discussion about how
the Ferry District is run and their perspective on a number of different issues
regarding the management of Town-owned land. He will provide us with written
material in response.
Bob Wall also gave us tremendous insight into the workings of the island's utility
companies (water, electric, telephone). He submitted some material but indicated he
would be providing us with additional information.
Both men said they would make themselves available at subsequent meetings to
discuss issues further or to ask more questions.
Jeanne Schultz gave a general overview of the school's current programs and its
long-range plans. She also agreed to provide the Stakeholders with a copy of the
long-range plan once it is completed sometime this fall, as this report will contain
many of the answers to the questions we had asked.
Carol Giles was pulled into the meeting briefly to discuss her role in the last Census
(2000) and her concerns about its accuracy.
Recap and Next Steps
a. Historical Preservation and Landmark List
1. Updating the existing SPLIA list is going to require a concerted effort of
interested islanders who are willing to work with Jim Grathwohl, Chair
of the Southold Town Landmarks Commission. This update will take
some time and will not be completed in time to be included in this
Update. However, the groundwork has been laid for incorporating
updated information into the Town's database.
b. Archival Efforts
1. The material that was collected during Fathers' Day is being scanned
into the Town's database. Pierce Rafferty has agreed to obtain copies of
certain maps and aerial photographs for the Town. Everyone was urged
to keep an eye out for material that should be included into the database.
Chapter 7: Appendix
5
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
c. Additional Interviews
i. The Stakeholders decided that Walsh Park Benevolent Association and
FIDCO representatives are going to be invited to the next meeting.
Questions will be sent out to Stakeholders for their review before they
are sent to these two organizations.
ii. Valerie mentioned that she had met with the Director of the Library's
Board, and the library staff and found that meeting most helpful and
informative.
lll. If additional interviews are desired there will be time to set them up for
the next meeting.
d. Field Work
1. Valerie will need to spend at least three days on the island in September
in order to complete field work, research, solicit Stakeholder input and
revise draft material that will be submitted to the Stakeholders in
advance.
ii. We reviewed additional maps that had been prepared by the Town's GIS
staff. Several errors were noted, including the lack of adequate keys and
legends on some of the maps. Valerie will address them with John
Sepenoski.
111. The Vacant and Further Subdividable Land Map generated a lot of
discussion. It shows a considerable amount ofland under FIDCO control
as being potentially buildable. Part of this is due to insufficient
understanding of how some of this land may be encumbered or protected
against further development. Also, the map did not seem to accurately
reflect land with conservation easements under control of Ferguson
Museum.
I. Heather and Penni agreed to work with Pierce Rafferty to obtain
an accurate listing and map of all properties owned by the
Ferguson Museum or on which the Museum holds easements
protecting against further development. This information will
be fed into the Build-out Analysis as well as a revised Vacant
and Further Subdividable Land map.
2. Valerie and Ken agreed to frame questions for FIDCO as to the
degree of protection that exists on FIDCO's remaining vacant
land.
IV. After the meeting ended and I was packing up, Charlie heard Valerie
thinking aloud about how to gather more information about the island's
business needs and he volunteered to expand a list she had started on
island businesses. He agreed to contact Ken and others on the committee
to review his work.
c. Next Meeting was set for Wednesday, September 27th.
a. Location to be determined.
b. Valerie will stay on the island for three or four days in order to facilitate
the writing of the report and the work of the stakeholders.
c. Mere will be leaving the island for about four months beginning in
September and will not be available to assist the Stakeholders or the
consultant with meeting preparation and other coordination efforts.
.
.
Prepared on August 28, 2006 by Valerie Marie Scopaz, AICP.
Chapter 7: Appendix
6
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
B. Stakeholder Questions
August 17, 2006 Stakeholder Meeting: Questions for Fishers Island Ferry District
These questions indicate the type of information needed for the inventory section of the Master
Plan Update. This information will be used to develop realistic goals and implementation
strategies for the Fishers Island community over the next decade. Accordingly, written
documentation in answer to these questions would be much appreciated:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
. 9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
.
What amount (and percentage) of the Town-owned land and structures managed by
the Ferry District are leased to individuals and businesses?
a. Is there a map?
What are the terms of the leases? (For example, monthly? Yearly? Open-ended?)
What terms are attached to the use of property and/or buildings, e.g. waste disposal
(of tires. derelict machinery, etc.), outside storage of material, and environmental
protection of the land?
Are the leases in the form of written contracts? Or hand-shake agreements?
What is the yearly income derived from leases of Town-owned land and structures?
To what purpose does the District use yearly income from leases?
Does the District budget include money to maintain non-ferry related buildings and
properties?
What criteria are used to determine to whom land/structures will be leased?
a. Is there a cap on the amount of land/structures that may be leased?
Does demand exceed supply? (Is there a waiting list of people wanting to lease?)
Who oversees use of waterfront properties by the public?
What measures are in place for clean-up of leased properties and properties
accessible to the public, such as pier side fishing, overnight fishing on Race Point and
other shoreline access points?
How does the Ferry District manage the airport?
Does FI Ferry desire to continue oversight and control of non-ferry related
land/buildings?
What are the long-range plans for the unused land and buildings that the Ferry
District controls?
Over the years, various organizations and individuals have queried the Ferry District
about the possibility of overnight berth of a vessel on the Island for several reasons,
one being to further improve a recently improved ferry schedule, and another that
crew members might be drawn to live on the island, send their children to school, etc.
Has this option been dismissed on a permanent basis or is this an idea that could be
revisited?
16. Would the district be willing to survey island businesses and determine ifthere are
any constraints/detriments to business operations that could easily be resolved by a
change in district policy/rules?
17. How many jobs does the ferry district provide the community? What number and
percentage of those jobs are filled by full time residents of the island?
18. Who may vote for District Commissioners? What are the terms of office? Are there
term limits?
Chapter 7: Appendix
7
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
September 27, 2006 Stakebolder Meeting: Questions for Fisbers Island Development
Corporation
1. How many resideutiallots within the Olmstead Plan are currently developed?
2. How many residential lots (and which) within the Olmstead Plan are undeveloped?
a. How many of these lots (and which) are buildable and not owned by FIDCO?
b. What is FlDCO's policy towards the merging and un-merging oflots?
3. How many lots (and which) will never be developed due to euviromuental constraints,
aesthetic concerns, and/or covenants and restrictions prohibiting their development?
a. Include land set aside for water supply purposes and other infrastructure
purposes.
4. Does FIDCO have (or propose to have) further preservation of undeveloped, buildable
lots? If so, which lots??
5. What other land uses does FIDCO permit within its jurisdiction: e.g. country club, golf
course, beach, sports clubs, etc.?
6. How many year round and part time jobs does FlDCO provide within the community?
7. What percentage of its work force lives locally and what percentage commutes?
8. Are there plans for an increase in year round employment opportunities that might attract
families to the island?
9. Were an increase in employment opportunity anticipated, would FIDCO be in a position
to assist in developing permanent, affordable housing?
August 17, 2006 Stakeholder Meeting: Questions for Fisbers Island School District
.
These questions indicate the type of information needed for the inventory section of the Master
Plan Update. This information will be used to develop realistic goals and implementation
strategies for the Fishers Island community over the next decade. Accordingly, written
documentation would be much appreciated:
.
I. What has been the historic trend in the school population at FI School since 1950?
2. Since the inception of the Magnet Program, what has been the ratio of Magnet to Island
students. Is there a number/threshold of island students at which, if reached, would
precipitate discontinuation of the magnet program?
3. What is projected trend in school population for the next five years?
4. What long-range planning goals have been adopted by the School Board?
5. What is the largest number of students that could be accommodated in the existing school
building?
6. Does the school own additional structures on the grounds that may be suitable for future
school uses?
7. What additional land does the school own and what are the future plans for those
properties?
8. Is there sufficient land to allow for physical expansion of the school in the future?
9. What actions have been taken (and are being taken) to improve educational opportunities
for Island students?
10. What programs could be hosted, but aren't; e.g. team sports, enrichment programs, etc.?
II. Why aren't these programs in place; e.g. transportation obstacles, lack of teachers, low
numbers of students, insufficient Internet access, etc.?
12. Who may vote for school district officials? What are the terms of office? Are there term
limits?
Chapter 7: Appendix
8
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
13. What types of support would you like to see from the community (e.g. financial, moral,
mentoring, logistical, etc.)
14. How many jobs does the school district provide the community? What number and
percentage of those jobs are filled by full-time residents of the island?
IS. What are the School's plans for distance learning?
16. What opportunities does the School provide for adult education, now and in the future?
August 17, 2006 Stakeholder Meeting: Questions for Fishers Island Utility Company
(includes water, electric and telephone services)
These questions indicate the type of information needed for the inventory section of the Master
Plan Update. This information will be used to develop realistic goals and implementation
strategies for the Fishers Island community over the next decade. Accordingly, written
documentation would be much appreciated.
.
Electricity
I. What is the trend in electricity consumption on the Island relative to population since
1950?
a. To what degree is this trend affected by new construction and lifestyle changes /
amenities?
2. What is the projected trend for the next several years?
a. Are newer homes requiring greater drains on the system relative to older
residences?
3. What is the rate structure for electrical service?
a. Is it different relative to seasonality of demand or proportion of drain on the
system?
4. What is general condition of existing facilities, vehicles, and generating/delivery
systems?
5. What is the primary source of the electricity?
6. What is the on-island generating capacity of the electric plant, if any?
7. What is the next big project that would require further rate increases?
8. Does the company have any expansion plans for the future, either in terms of service or
physical infrastructure and buildings?
9. Given current capacity and usage trends, how much additional population growth can be
accommodated by the existing system?
a. If possible, provide separate estimates for year-round and seasonal populations.
10. Does the company have any plans to explore alternative sources of electricity to
supplement the current source(s)?
II. What is the ownership and management structure of the Electric Company?
12. How many year roundjobs does the Electric Company provide to the community?
13. Are there plans for an increase in year round employment opportunities that might attract
families to the island?
14. Were an increase in employment opportunity anticipated, would the Electric Company
develop housing for these people?
.
Chapter 7: Appendix
9
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
.
Water
I. What is the trend in water consumption on the Island relative to population since 1950?
a. also earlier when hotels existed?
2. What is the projected trend for the next several years?
a. To what extent is this trend affected by changes in water demand by new
construction and lifestyle changes / amenities?
3. What is the existing level of service being provided? (E.g. numbers of customer, (year-
round and seasonal), gallons pumped per day.)
4. Given current consumption trends, what additional increase in population can the existing
infrastructure accommodate?
a. Provide separate estimates for year round and seasonal populations.
5. Does the company have any expansion plans for the future, either in terms of service or
physical infrastructure and buildings?
6. What measures does the company currently take (or plan to take) to protect the water
supply?
7. What restrictions, if any, are there on the addition of new private wells and swimming
pools.
a. What is the Company's position on the future impact ofthese wells and pools on
the resource?
8. Is there a different rate structure for volume customers? Business customers? Year-
round and seasonal customers?
9. What is the ownership and management structure ofthe Water Company?
10. How many year round jobs does the Water Company provide to the community?
II. Are there plans for an increase in year round employment opportunities that might attract
families to the island?
12. Were an increase in employment opportunity anticipated, would the Water Company
develop housing for these people?
.
Telephone
I. What is the trend in telephone usage on the Island relative to population since 1950?
2. What is the projected trend for the next several years?
a. To what extent is this trend affected by changes in demand by new construction
and lifestyles?
3. What is the existing level of service being provided? (E.g. numbers of customer, break-
out by year-round from seasonal)
4. What additional level of service can the existing infrastructure accommodate?
a. Provide separate estimates for year round and seasonal populations.
5. Does the company have any expansion plans for the future in terms of level of service,
physical infrastructure and buildings? Do these plans include improved Internet access?
Wireless access?
6. Is there a different rate structure for volume customers? Business customers? Year-
round and seasonal customers?
7. What is the ownership and management structure of the Telephone Company?
8. How many year round jobs does the Telephone Company provide to the community?
9. Are there plans for an increase in year round employment opportunities that might attract
families to the island?
Chapter 7: Appendix
10
Fishers Island Strategic Plan: 2007-2017
.
10. Were an increase in employment opportunity anticipated, would the Telephone
Company develop housing for these people?
11. Would the Telephone Company be willing to survey business owners about constraints to
operations due to policies and rate determinations, lack of consistent communications,
etc.?
September 27, 2006 Stakeholder Meeting: Questions for Walsh Park Benevolent Corp.
1. How many affordable housing units are owned (or managed) by WPBC and what
population do they serve?
a. rental
b. owner-occupied.
2. What criteria are used to determine who can live in WPBC housing?
3. How does WPBC underwrite or subsidize rental and owner-occupied housing?
4. What management guidelines are tenants and owners expected to abide by?
5. Is there an appeals process for tenants and owners to ask for variances from the
management guidelines or from rulings by management?
6. What are WPBC's supply and demand projections for the next 20 years, and what are the
underlying assumptions for those projections?
7. Does WPBC have specific properties on its "wish list" that would be suitable for
affordable housing purposes?
a. privately held,
b. FIDCO held, and
c. Town owned land.
.
.
Chapter 7: Appendix
11