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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDevelopment Plan Town of Southold 09/1969 HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE TOWN OF SOUTHOLD For SoutholcL planning has now become essential for main- taining its agricultural character. protecting natural and historic features which attract seasonal residents and tourists, preventing" obsolescence and deca:v, and preserv- ing the Tovvn's rich coastal resources. A large increase in population is predicted [or Suffolk Count}, by 1985. The Town with its 14.780 residents in 19(j(j, is bound to [eel the pressures of this growth. The question before the Town is whether it can meet the demands of new residential development, traffic, ancl commerce \vithout losing the rural character that Southolcl now enjo}'s. The ans\ver will be positive only if the Town plans its future by' establishLng ancl pursuing: the com- munity goals shared b:V its citiz;cns. It is important to understand that planning for cOllUllunit.v improvement is a continuing process. Although any area is always subject to unforeseen changes. the community without a plan may find itself the victim of such changes. With a plan a cOll1ll1uniL:v can adapt and take hetter advan- tage of changing conditions. THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN This leaflet presents a summar}' of the Development Plan for the Town of Southold, a t\vo-volume work prepared by the planning consultants \vorking with the Planning Board. Valuable background for the plan was provided by the Cornell Universit:v studies of agriculture. the economic base, recreation and fisheries. and the analysis of underground water resources by 1Vlalcolm Pirnie Engi- neers. Part T of this Plan contains the background st.udies cleal- ing \vith population composition, housing conditions, the local economy, and land use. It describes the goals and objectives of the Town1s planning program and contains a discussion of various means to carry out the proposals in the Plan. Part II contains the detailed proposals for achieving the objectives set forth in Part 1. It estab- lishes broad planning policy with respect to transpor- tation. future land uses and community facilities. The Plan proposals are graphically expressed on the Devel- opment Plan l\lap which is reproduced on the reverse side of this leaflet. \-Vhether proposals are precisel:v set forth or onl}' generall:y described and located. their interrelationships are significant. and these must be studied \viLh each new step in SoutholdTs growth. Beyond certain needs \vhich exist today the Development Plan sets no precise timetable for the achievement of all its recommendations but should rather serve as a guide to the location of various land uses and faciHtles as they develop in the future. HOMES The TO\\l1 of Southold is primaril:y a residential and agricultural community, and the Development Plan pro- poses that this character be maintained in the future. Over the next twent.v to thirty years the Town can be expected to grO\v from its present population to about ;}4, 000. Because buildable land is abundant. care must be taken to see that new homes are not developed in a random pattern destro.v- ing the agricultural economy and the countryside. The Development Plan proposes that. in general. intensive residential development be confined to the vacant lanel south of State Route 25 and a narrow strip on the north shore along Long Island Sound. Prime farm land lying north of Route 25 should be preserved for agricultural uses. and any development that might occur in this area limited to a very low density. (See Plan .l\lap) The AgTiculture-Residenee Area covering most of Southold's important agricultural land is located primarily north of Route 25. Housing types are limited to one family homes and density recom- mendations var:v from. 5 to 1 dwellings per net acre depending upon the availability of a public water system. Low and Suburban Density Residential Development is shown on the Development Plan primaril:y along the south shore and in a narrow strip along Long Island Sound. Housing t:'>1)es suggested here are limited to single f;:lmily houses, but a higher density than in the Agricuiture-Hesidence Areas. The densities [or these areas are 1 to 2 d\velling units per net acre depending lIpon the provision of a public water system. AGRICULTURE Approximately half of SouLhold1s 28.1;)0 acres of land are in agricultural use. The 19GG value of the total farm crop was in excess of eight million dollars. making South- olel one of the leading: dollar-value agricultural to\vns in 1\ew York State. If the Town LS to exert effective control over the development of agriculture and open lands, financial measures will have to be employed in addition to the normal regulator:y devices provided by zoning. The following are several ways which the Town ma.v consider in seeking to preserve its farm lands: I. Adjusting: tax assessments on the basis of periodic contract~. 2. Purchase of development right~. :}. Restriction of municipal services to areas proposed for inten~ive development in the plan. If the basic policy of ageicultural land preservation set forth in the Plan is adopted an intensive effort should be undertaken to de\'ise an appropriate program for the achievernent of thi~ aim. COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY Indu~trial Areas. :\Tore than ;')00 acres arc provided for light and heavy industrial uses in areas convenient to transportation routes. The largest is in the Cutchoque area north of the Railroad and ii.oute 27. Other substantial areas are west of ;vTattituck central district bet\veen the Hailroad and Houte 27 and qn area in Arshamomaque with frontage on the H.ailroad and Albertson Lane. It is expected Greenport Village \vill establish an industrial area on l\loores Lane within the expanded Village limits. The nature of the inuu::;trie::; attracted to these areas and the impact they have on residential areas and highwa\' traffic can be controlled through appropriate zoning rep;ulations. COMMERCIAL AREAS Retail develoIJment is primarily limitecl to business centers which are presentl:v in existence. The 1\lattituck Central Area is of 1na.1or importance since it is already subject to developmental pressures from growth spread- ing easD-vard from Riverhead. To strengthen the retail development of established business centers. conlmercial ribbon development should be discouraged along State Route 25 and absolutely prohibited along County Route 27. TRAFFIC CIRCULATION Street s.ystem proposals are desig11ed to satisf.y present deficiencies as \\'e11 as those which \vill surel.y develop as the result of the inevitable increase in traffic result~ ing from the population grO\vth and greater use of the automobile in the Town. The major goal of the Development Plan is a highway net- \vork that will eliminate present hazards and bottlenecks and accommodate the greater traffic volumes anticipated in the future. To this end each thoroughfare in the Town has been identified either as a major street; a collector road (linking major and minor streets); or a minor street (giving direct access to homes and stores). Pro- posed standards for each type of street are set forth. and specific recom mendations arc made for raising existing and future streets to these standards. and the size and location of buildings. The Town's present ordinance is, in some instances not ade- quate to enable the Town to realize the aims of the proposed Plan. The new regulations recommended by the consultants have been reviewed by the Planning Board and the Town Board, and with such changes as may be appropriate will be submitted to the community at a public hearing prior to adoption. One of the Major streets proposed is a link between Routes 25 and 27 that would enable through traffic to by-pass the Village of Greenport. To solve this problem a by-pass is proposed west of the Village at Chapel Lane. Subdivision regulations are designed to insure high standards of residential development. A ne\v set of ~gulations were prepared by the planning con- sultants and after a public hearing, they were adopted by the Planning Board with the approval of the Town Board. Perhaps the most important collector street proposed is an extension of Sound View Avenue along the north shore. The Development Plan also proposed the exten- sion of Ackcrl:y Pond Lane to Sound Vicw Road. Both of these recomrnendations v,lOuld facilitate more direet access to and from the residential development and proposed parks and beaches on the Long Island Sound shore. A ne\\/ street plan for better traffic circulation in Southold is now being implimented, Official i\lap COMMUNITY FACILITIES An Official Map is a legal document which prevents building' in future or \videned streets, parks. and drainage-rights-of-way. In this way, the eventual cost of installing such improvements can be sub- stantially reduced. The first step is the adoption of a map shO\ving all existing streets, parks, and drainage areas. Based on the Development Plan proposals for these facilities. amendments to the Official Map should then be made. Recreation. The rural character of Southold has hereto- fore precluded the need for an extensive program for active and passive recreation. However. as the communit:y character becomes more suburban, and as family leisure time increases. ncw demands for recreation facilities \vill arise. The Plan proposes that a number of new parks be developed that will take advantage of the Town's extensive shore frontages. Beachfront recreation arcas should be developed in the vicinit:y of Mattituck inleL Peconic Inlet. at Cedar Beach, and in the vieinitj' of Hog Neck Ba:y. Both State and Federal aid is available to acquire park land. In addition. the State Park at Orient Point should be en- larged to include the salt marsh areas to the north. Capital Improvement Programming' \Vetland and Inlet Preservation. The Development Plan recommends the permanent retention and public control of wetland and inlet areas. The dredging of wetland basins can jeopardize the fresh water character of the underl\'ing aquifers. In addition, such dredging seriously contributes to salt water intrusion into fresh water storage areas. The Proposed Zoning Regulations prohibit developmental encroachment on "Wetland Areas" design- ated on the Proposed Official :\'lap. These areas can still be used for private purposes of an open nature which will not adversel~v affect the natural attributes of the wetlands and inlets. The Plan urges the Town to undertake a systematic procedure for preparing annual and long range programs for all improvements to be financed wholly or partly with '1'0\\111 funds. Under this pro- cedure a program is drawn up annuall:y for public improvements needed in the next six ~years. Priorities are then assig11ed to the projects, and a budget is adopted to finance the coming year's pro- jects. This process would enable the TO\vn to anticipate future expenses and to assure long-term pro.iect.~:i such as park acquisition and street improvements. Federal and State Aids Public Buildings. Plan include a new N e\v public buildings proposed by the TO\\11 Hall and Police Headquarters. New York State and the Federal Government pro- vide many assistance programs relating to specific communit,y improvements. These include park site acquisition, school construction, water supply and treatment facilities, housing for the elderly, and beautification. Under the Housing Act of HH9 as amended, the Federal Government. through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, assumes three- fourths of the net cost of rene\ving deteriorating areas in comrnunities of 50,000 population or smaller. The other fourth is shared equall:v by the State of New York and the localit:v. Communities may qualif:y for aid only if the:\-' have undertaken comprehensive planning programs and other measures to prevent future blight such as concentrated code enforcement. Public Utilities. Residential growth along the south and north snore is predicated upon the development of a public watcr supply system. Thc Grcenport \vater s}'stem should be gradually extended eastward along the main road to supply' water to East 1\larion and Orient. The areas along the southerly shore line, between Greenport and ::\lattituck, could be supplied by an extension of the Green- port System or by a ne\v system developed by the Town or by the Suffolk Count}' Water Authority. YOUR ROLE MAKING THE PLAN WORK The development Plan summarized here represents three :years of careful through and study b:y your Planning Board and its professional consultants. Now it is ready' to be considered by those it will most directly affect -- the citizens of Southold. Thc Planning Board urges :you to stud~/ the Plan and regL:jter your reactions and suggestions. Public meeting with opportunities for open discussion may be held. Only after such meetings and a revie\v of citizen opinion \....'ill the Planning Doard consider acceptance of the Plan as its official policy. The preparation and adoption of a Development Plan does not alone insure the development of the Town in accord- ance with the Plan's objectives and proposals. An important part of the planning program is that which describes \\'a,\'S of implementing its proposals. Some of the planning tools available to the 1'0\\11 are: Zoning and Subdivision Reg'ulations Bear in mind as :you review the Plan that it has no power to automatically bind present or future generations. It is essentially' an advisory document, a guide, and one that \vill have to be adapted to changing times. Acceptanc:e of the Plan does not necessarily assure its success. The citizens of Southold must provide the impetus and vigilance to carr}' the plan into action. Through 7.oning, a community can regulate the use of each parcel of land, the density of development.