HomeMy WebLinkAboutMaster Plan Update Background Studies 1984
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Master Plan
Update
Background
Studies
ZONING BOARD O~ Art'EALS
TOWN HALL
MAIN ROAD . S. R. 25
&OUllIOlJ)a NJ-l.IIlZl
Town of Southold,
New York
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Master Plan
Update
Background
Studies
Town of Southold,
Suffolk County,
New York
RECEiVLD bY
SDUTHOLD T ~if:i HANillr,G BOAfW
MdY j 1984
Raymond, Parish, Pine, & Weiner, Inc.
Planning ConsuItan Is
Tarrytown, New York
March 1984
DAlE
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Town of Southold, Suffolk County, New York
Southold Town Board
Francis Murphy, Supervisor
Raymond Edwards, Councilman
James Schondebare, Councilman
Paul Stoutenburgh, Councilman
Joseph L. Townsend, Jr., Councilman
William R. pell, III, former Supervisor
John J. Nickles, former Councilman
Lawrence Murdock, former Councilman
Southold Town Planning Board
Henry F. Raynor, Jr., Chairman
George Ritchie Latham, Jr., Member
Bennett Orlowski, Jr., Member
William F. Mullen, Jr., Member
James Wall, Member
Master Plan Workshop Committee
Agricultural Community
Cutchogue-New Suffolk
Chamber of Commerce
East End Real Estate
Greenport/Southold
Chamber of Commerce
League of Women Voters
Mattituck Chamber of Commerce
North Fork Environmental Council
Senior Citizens
Southold Police Department
Raymond, Parish, Pine and Weiner, Inc.
Planning Consultants
Tarrytown, New York
Andre (Bud) Cybulski
Richard J. Cron
Henry Drum
William B. Smith
Jean Tiedke
Peter Kren
Ruth Oliva
Peter DeBlasio
Lt. Stanley Droskowski
George M. Raymond, AIA, AICP, Chairman
Stuart Turner, AICP, Vice President
Deborah Parriott, Senior Associate
Paula Gilbert, Senior Planner
Elizabeth McGrath, Senior Environmental Planner
Jennifer Davis, Junior Planner
Donald Damron, Junior Planner
Sheila Rose, Junior Planner
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I I.
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IV.
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VII.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
DEVELOPMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
ECONOMICS, AGRICULTURE, POPULATION, HOUSING
COMMUNITY FACILITIES (INCLUDING SCHOOLS AND RECREATION)
AND CULTURAL, HISTORIC AND ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
TRANSPORTATION
WATER SUPPLY
ISSUES AND GOALS
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCE PERSONS
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*
MAPS PREPARED FOR MASTER PLAN UPDATE BACKGROUND STUDIES
**
Existing Land Use
Natural Resource Inventory**
Generalized Soils
Flood Hazard Area - (Map and Overlay)
Vacant and Agricultural Land
Agricultural Land
Existing Zoning
Pending Zoning Changes and Subdivision Application - (Overlay)
Community Facilities
Recreation and Open Space
Recreation Service Areas
Beach Service Areas
Historic and Cultural Sites
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Traffic Volumes
Traffic Controls on Major Routes
Traffic Accident
Airport Study
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Water and Sewer Service
Water Supply Areas - (Map and Overlay)
Vacant Land With Development Constraints - (Overlay)
Planning Factors
Mattituck Land Use
Mattituck Planning Factors
Mattituck Planning Issues
Cutchogue Land Use
Cutchogue Planning Factors
Cutchogue Planning Issues
Southold Land Use
Southold Planning Factors
Southold Planning Issues
Orient Land Use
Orient Planning Factors
Orient Planning Issues
*
All maps available in Planning Office, Town Halla
**
Copies included in Background Studies report.
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I. INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION
Formal and informal community planning efforts for the Town of
Southold have been ongoing for the last several decades. In 1967
a Comprehensive Development Plan was prepared by Raymond and May
Associates. Zoning amendments were subsequently adopted by the
Town Board and most portions of the original Plan were later
incorporated into a Development Plan prepared by the Town in
1978. During the early 1980's development pressures have in-
creased on the North Fork. At the same time concern for protect-
ing the Town's natural resources including its water supply,
began to intensify. These circumstances suggested that it was
timely to review the Town's planning objectives and existing
Plan.
In the fall of 1982, Raymond, Parish, Pine and Weiner, Inc. was
retained to assist in updating the Town's Comprehensive Develop-
ment Plan.
The updating of Southold's Comprehensive Plan is divided into
three basic phases. The first phase involved primarily data
gathering and identification and analysis of goals, issues,
opportunities and constraints to be considered in developing a
plan. Several background reports and maps were prepared to
describe and illustrate available information on and analyses of
existing conditions including: land use; natural resources;
water supply; the economy emphasizing agricultural, fishing, and
tourist industries, population and housing; community services
and facilities; transportation and historic features; planning
issues and Town planning goals.
This background report is essentially a compilation of the
memoranda prepared during Phase I of the Master Plan update with
some editorial changes and corrections. This material formed the
basis for the preparation of the Preliminary Plan by the Consul-
tants and reflects information as of the date of the various
memos unless noted otherwise.
Some updating of material has occurred during the public review
of the Preliminary Plan and it is anticipated that the Plan that
will be proposed by the Planning Board will reflect some more
current information.
The second phase is the preparation of the Plan itself. This
process includes the preparation of a Preliminary Plan by the
Consultants, Planning Board and Master Plan Workshop Committee, a
public review and discussion of the Preliminary Plan, and finally
development of a Plan by the Planning Board.
The third or implementation phase, involves preparation of the
tools necessary to implement the Plan. This includes an initial
review and revision to the land use regulations (including
zoning) and a program for public improvements and other public
actions necessary to carry out the agreed upon Plan.
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II. DEVELOPMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
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RPPW
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Raymond. Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003212/365-2666
Memorandum
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February 9, 1983
Revised April 15, 1983
TO:
Town of Southold Planning Board
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FROM: RPPW, Inc.
RE:
MASTER PLAN UPDATE - EXISTING LAND USE PATTERNS
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A major focus of the first phase of the planning process involves
an analysis of existing land use patterns in the Town.
Southold's location in respect to the remainder of Long Island
and the water, the pattern of its existing uses, environmental
factors (e.g. tidal marshes, wetlands and prime agricultural
land) and the prevalence of undeveloped areas which might be
developed, are important considerations which should be con-
sidered before going further. This memo is a brief synopsis of
these considerations. Map 1 illustrates the current land use
pattern.
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Existing Land Use Patterns
The Town of Southold encompasses 54 square miles (approximately
34,600 acres), including Fisher, Plum and Robins Islands (total-
ing approximately 3,800 acres) and the incorporated Village of
Greenport (approximately 580 acres). The unincorporated "main-
land" pOition of the Town encompasses approximately 29,500 acres
of land. Southold is long and narrow in shape; it extends 21
miles from its western border at Riverhead to the eastern tip at
Orient Point. Its greatest width is 5 miles; although generally
the western portions of the Town average 3 miles in width, while
east of Arshamomaque the Town is never wider than 1~ miles.
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This figure excludes the islands, the Village of Greenport and the inland and tidal water areas.
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The land in Southold is for the most part level or gently slop-
ing. The major exception is the northern shore, which is formed
by steep bluffs overlooking Long Island Sound (Nassau Point is
also hilly with some bluffs). This area is characterized by
wooded hills, with some homes on large wooded lots, but most in
small residential clusters. South of the bluffs, the land gently
slopes towards the marshes and wetlands on the southern shore.
Many of the creeks, inlets and ponds on the southern shore serve
as focal points for development, while the inland areas of the
Town are generally in agricultural use.
The two major east west roads in the Town are State Route 25,
(Main Road) paralleling the south shore and County Route 48
(North Road), running through the middle and northern portions of
the Town. The older communities in the Town (many existing since
the 17th Century) are located primarily along Route 25, beginning
with Laurel near the western edge of Southold and including
Mattituck, Cutchogue, peconic, Southold hamlet, the Village of
Greenport, and East Marion and Orient hamlets. Relatively recent
developments (by comparison), including numerous seasonal housing
areas, are found on the south shore, particularly in the New
Suffolk, Nassau Point, and Bayview vicinities, and on the less
rugged portions of the north shore.
As in 1967, the largest proportion of Town land is in agricul-
tural use or vacant. Approximately 40% of the Town's "mainland"
acreage (excluding Fishers Island, Robins Island, Plum Island and
the Village of Greenport) is used for agriculture. Four hun-
dred-forty of the approximately 12,000 acres in agricultural use
have been preserved through Phase I of the county's farmland
preservation program. The agricultural areas generally coincide
with the Class I and II prime agricultural soils found between
the bluffs of the northern shore and the creeks and marshes on
the southern shore.
Relatively small proportions of the Town are developed for
residential, commercial, industrial, marine commercial and
public/quasi-public uses. Residential uses (comprising approxi-
mately 15% percent of Southold is land area) are clustered around
the Town's creeks and inlets in the previously mentioned hamlets,
on the mostly non-agricultural peninsulas in peconic and Southold
Bays, and in scattered developments along the north shore bluffs.
Densities vary from one unit or less per acre in the agricultural
areas and in places on both shores to 5-10 units per acre in a
few of the older summer colonies. Most of the existing residen-
tial development appears to be at a density in between; i.e., 2-4
units per acre.
The housing stock is for the most part single family, but varies
greatly in age and style. Older, often historic, colonial and
victorian houses are found in the older hamlets; seasonal cot-
tages and houses are located along both north and south shores;
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and more recent subdivisions (many platted but only partially
developed) are scattered throughout the Town. Building condi-
tions in the Town are generally good, and, although occasional
houses in fair or poor condition exist, most are too scattered to
map.
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Non-residential/non-agricultural uses comprise approximately 10%
of the Town's land area. The largest commercial areas (outside
of Greenport) are found in the hamlets of Mattituck and Southold
which include a variety of commercial, service commercial,
office, industrial and public uses serving Town residents.
Smaller, local shopping areas are found in Cutchogue, Peconic,
East Marion and Orient. Marine commercial areas (boat yards ,
marinas, marine supply stores, etc.) are found along the numerous
creeks and inlets along the south shore and on Mattituck Creek,
with the largest concentrations occurring in the Arshamomaque
area.
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Industrial and heavy commercial uses are few, and scattered
throughout the Town. These consist mainly of agricultural
processing facilities, warehouses, contractors establishments and
distribution centers. The Long Island Oyster Farm in East Marion
is the Town's largest industrial use.
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Public and quasi-public uses include churches, schools, ceme-
teries, post offices and government uses, and are for the most
part located in the hamlets, as are most commercial uses. Parks
and recreation areas within the Town range in size from small
neighborhood parks to the 350 acre Orient State Park. These
include State, County, Town and district parks, golf courses,
nature preserves and camps.
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Seasonal residential uses in the Town encompass a wide variety of
housing types, including one room cabins, large victorian houses,
recent subdivision developments and motels. In many cases, it is
difficul t to distinguish seasonal from year-round housing; in
fact many seasonal houses, particularly those of recent vintage,
have the necessary heating and plumbing facilities to function as
year-round dwellings. Others, in individual ownership, could be
easily converted into year-round use, as has happened in many
former seasonal communities in the western part of the county.
Thus, for the purposes of long-term planning, most of these areas
have been considered as residential. There are some areas,
however, which have been considered as "seasonal residential"
including motels, inns, rental cottages (usually associated with
motels) and seasonal colonies in single ownership.
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Some properties including the Mattituck Airport and the Charles
Rose Landing Strip in Orient are included in the transporta-
tion/utilities category.
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3
Vacant Land
Thirty percent of the Town's land is presently vacant or under-
utilized. This category includes large vacant tracts, undevel-
oped subdivisions, infill lots, and undeveloped portions of large
lots. In many instances, vacant areas include tidal marshes,
wetlands or bluff and beach areas which make future development
either difficult or undesirable. These environmentally sensitive
lands and lands with development constraints are discussed in a
separate memorandum. The majority of the vacant non-agricultural
areas are found on the north and south shores (areas largely
unsuited for agriculture or exhibiting development constraints),
and in the Arshamomaque-West Greenport area.
The amount of vacant land in the Town has been calculated, based
on measurements divided into two categories: agricultural and
vacant, as identified through existing land use surveys. The
former category includes currently farmed agricultural lands as
determined from aerial photographs and field studies, excluding
the acreage of County Farmland Preservation lands, which were
measured separately. The vacant category includes large undevel-
oped areas and undeveloped portions of oversize (larger than
required by the zoning ordinance) lots that have access or are
adj acent to other undeveloped areas. Undeveloped lots wi thin
platted subdivisions (infill lots) were counted separately and
are listed in Tables 2-6.
The agricultural and vacant areas were further subdivided and
measured according to Southold's present zoning patterns. In
addition, within the vacant land areas exist areas with develop-
ment constraints, i.e. tidal marshes, freshwater wetlands, bluffs
and beaches. The acreage of these areas was calculated separate-
ly from the otherwise developable land.
The vacant and agricultural land measurements have been compared
to those prepared by Cornell University for use in a study of the
area's water supply being done by the firm ERM/Northeast.
Although the agricultural land measurements agree, the vacant
land figures are different. This results from differing objec-
tives and methodology. The emphasis of the ERM study is on
groundwater quality (and amount) in relation to land use; for
example, the concentrations of nitrates due to fertilization of
"managed" land areas (farms, lawns, golf courses, etc.) make them
quite different from "unmanaged" areas (forests, beaches, marsh-
es, etc.). As a result, the vacant land catagory in the ERM
study includes natural vegetation areas such as large parks,
camps, forested areas surrounding residences, and nature pre-
serves. However, from a land use point of view these areas are
classified as recreation and open space, residential, or public.
Thus, these areas are not included in the vacant acreage in the
RPPW calculations.
The vacant and agricultural land areas for the Town and for the
hydrogeologic zones are summarized on the following tables.
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Table 1
I Town of Southald
Vacant and Agricultural Land by Zoning Classification
(in Acres - Rounded)
I Zoning Classification
land Type A M M-l B B-1 C C-l Total
I Vacant Land:
Developable Land** 3,085 25 30 40 25 70 20 3,295
Tidal Marshes 895 10 10 915
I Freshwater Wetlands 390 10 400
Beaches/Bluffs 295 5 300
High Water Table/Slow
I Permeability (soils) 210 30 5 80 325
Steep Slopes (15-35%) 160 160
Total Vacant land 5,035 55 50 140 25 70 20 5,395
I Agricultural Land* 11,205 15 30 65 15 55 120 11,505
I Total Vacant and Agricultural land 16,240 70 80 205 40 125 140 16,900
* Excludes County Farmland Preservation Acreage Phase I (440)
I ** Water Budget Dot considered at this time.
I Table 2
Hydrogeologic Zone 2
Vacant and Agricultural Land
I (in Acres - Rounded)
Zoninq Classification
land Type A M M-l B 8-1 C C-l Total
I Vacant Land:
Developable Land* 485 15 15 20 535
I Tidal Marshes 15 15
Freshwater Wetlands 50 50
Beaches/Bluffs 35 35
High Water Table/Slow
I Permeability (soils 1 5 5
Steep Slopes (15-35%) 120 120
I Total Vacant land 710 15 15 20 760
Agricul tural Land*
1,945 30 50 2,025
I Total Vacant and Agricultural land 2,655 45 15 70 2,785
I * Water Budget Area not considered at this time.
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Table 3
Hydrogeologic ,Zone 3 I
Vacant and Agricultural Land
(1n Acres - Rounded)
Zoning Classification I
Land Type A M M-l B B-1 C C-l Total
Vacant Land: I
Developable Land** 1,440 15 10 30 5 1,500
Tidal Marshes 315 315
Freshwater Wetlands 175 175
Beaches/Bluffs 155 155 I
High Water Table/Slow
Permeability (soils) 80 80
Steep Slopes (15-35%) 40 40 I
Total Vacant Land 2,205 15 10 30 5 2,265
Agricultural Land* 7,870 15 30 35 15 5 100 8,070 I
Total Vacant and Agricultural Land 10,075 15 30 50 25 35 105 10,335
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. Excludes County Farmland Preservation Acreage Phase I (310 acres).
.. Water Budget not considered at this time. I
Table 4
Hydrogeologic Zone 4 I
Vacant and Agricultural Land
(in Acres - Rounded)
Zoning Classification I
Land Type A M M-l B 8-1 C C-l Total
Vacant Land: I
Developable Land* 875 25 30 10 20 15 975
Tidal Marshes 130 10 10 150
Freshwater Wetlands 145 10 155 I
Beaches/Bluffs 50 5 55
High Water Table/Slow
Permeability (soils) 65 30 5 80 180 I
Steep Slopes (15-35%)
Total Vacant Land 1,265 55 50 110 20 15 1,515
Agricultural Land 335 20 355 I
Total Vacant and Agricultural Land 1,600 55 50 110 20 35 1,870 I
. Water Budget not considered at this time.
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Table 5
Hydrogeologie Zone 5
Vacant and Agricultural Land
(in Acres - Rounded)
Land Type
Zoning Classification
A M M-l B B-1 C C-l Total
285 285
435 435
20 20
55 55
60 60
855 855
1,055 1,055
1,910 1,910
Vacant Land:
Developable Land**
Tidal Marshes
Freshwater Wetlands
Beaches/Bluffs
High Water Table/Slow
Permeability (soils)
Steep Slopes (15-35%)
Total Vacant Land
I Agr1cul tural Land*
Total Vacant and Agricultural Land
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* Excludes County Farmland Preservation Acreage Phase I (130 acres)~
** Water Budget not considered at this time.
Vacant Land Capacity
The potential additional residential capacity of Southold is
based on the three existing residential zoning districts:
*
A-Residential and Agricultural - 80,000 square feet minimum
Light Multiple Residence - 6,500 square feet per dwelling
unit with water and sewer.
General Multiple Residence - 6,500 square feet per dwelling
unit with water and sewer.
The potential additional capacity is based on the existing vacant
and agricultural land in the Town (see Tables 1-5). Assumptions
used in determining what land is available for development are:
1) Lands not suitable for development include tidal
marshes, freshwater wetlands, and beaches and bluffs.
*
TWo acre zoning adopted hy the Town Board on May 20, 1983.
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2) At this time, lands both within and outside of the
Water Budget area have been included as being suitable.
3) At this time, soil considerations, depth to water table
and septic system suitability factors have not been
considered.
Developable land within Zone A is assumed to have a potential of
approximately .45 units per acre (this factor is less than
one-half unit per acre because of the land necessary for
streets). Developable lands zoned M and M-l are assumed, for the
purposes of this analysis, to have a potential of approximately 6
units per acre, although the suitable density must be determined
by the location of each site and the availability of utilities.
In addition to vacant land areas, the Town also includes a large
number of infill lots (undeveloped lots in developed areas) and
platted but unbuilt subdivisions. These have been tabulated
separately from the larger vacant areas.
The tables below summarize the potential additional capacity
under two different assumptions:
1) only vacant non-agricultural land in the Town is
developed;
2) both vacant and agricultural lands are developed.
Under these assumptions, the total potential additional units
range from 4,360 if the agricultural land is retained, to 9,310
if it is totally developed. This would result in an additional
population in the Town of between 10,900 and 23,275 (assuming an
average of 2.5 persons per household) .
Table 6
Vacant (Non-Agricultural) Land Capacity.
A (Agricultural/Residential)
M/M-l (Multi-Family)
Total
Vacant Potential
Acres # Units Units
Hydrogeologic Zone
Vacant
Acres
(No Constraints
Established)
# Infill
Units
Total
Potential
Units
# Uni ts**
(Vacant Acreage)
2 610 275 225 500 0 500
3 1,570 705 1,495 2,200 0 2,200
4 690 310 445 755 95 570 1,325
5 275 125 --.2!Q 335 0 335
TOTAL 3,145 1,415 2,375 3,790 95 570 4,360
* Figures rounded to nearest 5.
** Figures changed to reflect two acre zoning, adopted by Town Board on May 20, 1983.
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Table 7
Vacant/Agricultural Land capacity.
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A (Agricultural/Residential)
M/M-l (Multi-Family)
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Hydrogeologic Zone
Vacant
Acres
(No Constraints
Established)
# Units**
(Vacant Acreage)
# Infill
Un! ts
Total
Potential
Units
Vacant
Acres
Total
Potential
# Units Uni ts
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2 2,555 1,150 225 1,375 0 0 1,375
3 9,460 4,260 1,495 5,755 45 270 6,025
4 1,290 580 445 1,025 10 60 1,085
5 1,365 615 210 825 0 0 825
TOTAL 14,670 6,605 2,375 8,980 55 330 9,310
. Figures rounded to nearest 5.
** Figures changed to reflect two acre zoning, adopted by Town Board on May 20, 1983e
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Litfle
Peconic Bay
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Southold II
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Great
Peconic
Boy
GENERALIZED
EXISTING LAND USE
lf (Q) ~ [rfl (Q) ~ ~ @ OJ] lr G={) (Q) QJQ)
SUFFOLK COUNTY NEW YORK
ROBINS
ISLAND
~ Single Family Residential'
~'.'J".'.'.("l U . "'. . .
:';'";"";~,,,,, multI rOml1y ResidentIal
_ Seasonal Residential
_ Commercial
IIIIIIIII Murine Commercial
_ Industrial
~)i,lf4'~ Public /Ouasi - Public
~ Recreation and Open Space
=A .,..
~ (loCumire
~ Transportation and UlIldies
I Vacant
I
_ PLAII '-TE
JIA.......MIIIM.PM..'IUCIt,INC,..~_~ll!W:lOI'IIIENTtXI8.l.T.I."ffS- ,_TOWIt,_'Ia'lC
,
\
\
.~
Sources:
R PPW. Ine field v.<lrk. September 1982 en I
L1RPB land use map 1981.
* Includes scattered 2 and 3 fomtly buildings
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/
I Bay
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Island
'--
"';,COUNTY i?Oun
:'rltHJ' ,o-farbG/
/
__ 1", '<"HO\r?/
;;-__C/~N__ OF SO.Y.~--c.\'lO
q,.-N OF SHELTER ISl-
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(jardiners
SHELTER
ISLAND
/
FISHERS
ISLAND
Sound
Boy
"---
n'~
o 1600
~_M I
,"00
--.L
fEET
4600
6400
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RPPW
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Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631,9003212/365,2666
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Memorandum
March 30, 1983
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TO: Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
RE: ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY
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The attached Environmental Inventory analyzes the various en-
vironmental conditions and natural features of Southold, and
assesses their role in future development in the Town. This
inventory includes a description of the major natural features in
the Town, and an analysis of their important ecological roles.
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Environmental Inventory of Southold
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l. Geology and Topography
2. Soils
3 . Hydrology
4. Wetlands
5. Coastal Features
6. Marine Life
7. Vegetation and Wildlife
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1.
Geology and Topography
The topography of Long Island is a function primarily of the
Wisconsin glaciation, which ended approximately 12,000 to
15,000 years ago. During this glaciation, sheets of ice
advanced and retreated across the island, forming moraines
and outwash plains. The Harbor Hill moraine, which extends
through the Town of Southold and is the younger of the two
moraines on Long Island, consists of unsorted rock, sand,
and gravel deposited by the glacier during an equilibrium
period. This moraine, portions of which have been eroded by
wave action, forms the hilly, irregular topography of
Southold's north shore.
Elevations in Southold range from sea level to 160 feet
above msl, though the majority of the Town is at an ele-
vation less than 50 feet msl. As a result of the Harbor
Hill moraine, the greatest topographical variety is found
along the north shore, which is characterized by hills and
bluffs. The highest elevations and steepest slopes are
found along the north shore in the western end of Southold.
A peak elevation of 160 feet msl is found at the Mattituck
Hills, while the Oregon Hills have a peak elevation of 120
feet msl. This area of the shoreline also contains the
steepest bluffs, with slopes exceeding 50 percent in some
areas. Very steep bluffs and high elevations are also found
at the east end of the Town in the vicinity of Browns Hill.
The topography of the remainder of the Town is more level,
though it remains somewhat irregular, with small hills and
gentle slopes. This area is part of the outwash plain,
formed by meltwater streams from the glacier. The southern
shoreline, adjacent to Great Peconic Bay, Little Peconic
Bay, and Gardiners Bay, is generally characterized by gentle
slopes, though there are some bluffs in the vicinity of
Nassau Point and in Indian Neck.
The topography of Robins Island and Fishers Island is also
characteristic of the morainic deposits in the area. Both
islands have very irregular topography, with many hills and
some steep bluffs.
In terms of development, the topography of some areas of
Southold does present limitations on site preparation. The
irregular, hummocky topography of the moraines requires
cutting and filling for development (which might affect
natural drainage patterns), while the compactness of the
glacial till makes excavation difficult. Very steep slopes,
such as those on bluffs, preclude development; the topogra-
phy of the outwash plains, however, presents few limitations
on development, except near the shoreline.
1
2.
Soils
The Town of Southold encompasses three broad soil associ-
ations: (1) the Carver and Plymouth sands - Riverhead
association, which includes deep, well-drained soils found
on morainic topography; (2) the Haven-Riverhead association,
which includes deep, well-drained soils found on outwash
plains; and (3) the dune land-tidal marsh-beach association.
A detailed soil map, showing the individual soil series, is
available at Town Hall. Table 1 is a chart of the general
soil characteristics for each of the soil series. It should
be noted that the soil information included here is gener-
alized, and that field investigations are necessary for an
accurate analysis of the soil at any given site.
As can be seen on the soils map, some of the most commonly
occurring soils in Southold are the Haven loam and Riverhead
sandy loam, which are found in many of the interior areas of
the the Town. Interspersed with these soils are many areas
of Plymouth loamy and gravelly loamy sand, along with Carver
and Plymouth sands. Montauk fine sandy loam is found in
many areas along the north shore, adjacent to the beaches
and bluffs. Near Greenport there is a large area of
Canadice silt loam, which is the only soil in Suffolk County
formed in clay material that was deposited in glacial ponds.
The various tidal marsh and beach associations are common
along the Town's shoreline and adjacent to the tidal creeks.
In terms of development suitability, most areas other than
those with mucky soils, very high water tables, or steep
slopes are suitable for homesites. However, many of the
soils in the Town are more limiting in terms of their
suitability for sewage disposal fields. The Montauk, Scio,
Canadice, and Raynham soils are among those with slow
permeabili ty, which is not sui table for a septic field.
Many of the common soils in the Town, such as Carver,
Plymouth, Haven and Riverhead, have rapid permeability,
which is acceptable for a sewage disposal field. However,
if the disposal site is located near a well, lake, or
stream, there is a pollution hazard.
Many of the soils in Southold are suitable for a variety of
agricultural purposes. The Haven loam with a slope of 0-2
percent, which covers much of the interior of the Town, has
been rated as a Class I soil in the Suffolk County Soil
Survey. This capability classification means that there are
few limitations restricting the use of the Haven loam for
agricultural purposes. A number of soils in the Town have
been rated as Class II, with only moderate limitations in
choice of plants and moderate requirements for conservation
techniques. These Class II soils include Haven loam (2-6
percent slope), Montauk fine sandy loam (0-8 percent slope),
Riverhead sandy loam (0-8 percent slope) and Scio silt loam
(0-6 percent slope). Southold also contains a variety of
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soils which are not suitable for agricultural purposes, such
as the Carver and Plymouth sands, Berryland mucky sand, and
the beaches, dunes, and muck areas.
3.
Hydrology
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Long Island, including the mainland portions of the Town of
Southold, depends almost exclusively on groundwater for its
water supply. This groundwater supply is replenished by
rainwater and the return of water to the underground
aquifers after it is used. Many factors have contributed to
the degradation of the quality of this water supply includ-
ing contamination from chemicals and salt water intrusion.
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Because ground water is now the sole source of water supply,
the location and intensity of development as it relates to
water source, water use characteristics of various activ-
ities, policies regarding central water and sewer systems
are particularly important planning issues.
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During the past 15 years, several studies were completed to
analyze the quantity and quality of available water. The
current ERM Study which has summarized research and data
from the previous studies and includes up-to-date informa-
tion on water quality and water contours (which are used to
estimate location and depth of aquifers) has been utilized
as the primary source for this section on hydrology.
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Geology
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The major geologic units in the Town are the Raritan forma-
tion, the Matawan Group (Magothy formation aquifer) and
Pleistocene deposits (including the upper glacial aquifer
which is principal water source in Southold).
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The bedrock of the precambrian age which underlies the Town
at depths of 500 feet or more below sea level has no value
as an aquifer. Above the bedrock surface is the Raritan
formation of the Late Cretaceous age which consists of a
Lloyd sand layer under a Raritan clay layer. This formation
contains only salt water within the Town of Southold.
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l(al Malcolm Pirnie, Investigation of Water Resources, June 1967.
(b) Holzmacher, McClendon and Murrell, Comprehensive Public Water Supply Study, Suffolk County,
New York, 1970.
(c) ERM-Northeast/Carnp Dresser and McKee, North Fork Water Supply Plan, Draft, December 1982.
(Final copy of report available in April 1983).
(d) In addition, the Cornell Center for Environmental Research as well as the Suffolk County
Department of Health Services have both been conducting specific studies of water quality
and pesticide contamination.
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The Magothy formation is also a Late Cretaceous deposit
generally consisting of lenses of clay, silt and clayey sand
in its upper sections and coarse sand and gravel in its
basal portion. The Magothy is the major source of public
water supply in the towns of Suffolk County west of
Southold, but the Magothy is only available for supply in
the Town of Southold west of Mattituck Creek. East of the
Mattituck Inlet this aquifer is salty.
The glacial Pleistocene deposits are the most important
source of water in the Town of Southold. The predominant
type of glacial deposit in the Town is outwash composed of
clean sand and gravel. The till, the other major deposit,
is found along the north shore of the Town and consists of
unsorted clay, silt, sand, gravel and boulders. The pres-
ence of a clay layer in the outwash areas, which acts to
inhibit the intrusion of salt water in these areas, has been
found in well log data from Mattituck to Greenport.
The ERM report, like the Holzmacher and Malcolm Pirnie
studizs divided the Town of Southold into four water supply
areas including: Zone 2 which ends at the western side of
the Mattituck Inlet where the freshwater portion of the
Magothy terminates; and Zones 3, 4, 5 which each contain an
isolated relatively thin fresh groundwater lens. Zone 3
extends from Mattituck Inlet to Arshamomaque Pond, Zone 4
extends from Arshamomaque Pond to Dam Pond and Zone 5
includes the area east of Dam Pond.
Water Quality
The thin fresh groundwater lenses underlying portions of the
Town of Southold can provide a limited water supply and are
subject to saltwater intrusion and chemical contamination.
The depth of fresh groundwater in an area of the Town can be
estimated by applying a formula called the Ghyben-Herzberg
formula which states that the depth of fresh water below sea
level is forty times the height of freshwater above sea
level.
ERM estimated the amount of water that might be available
for a public water supply, i.e. from those areas that have
water tables at least two feet above sea level. The ERM
report gave only very general information on amounts of
water available in areas with less than two feet of fresh
water above sea level (primarily those areas closer to the
major water bodies, i.e. the Long Island Sound and the
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The Town of Riverhead water supply was also analyzed by ERM which placed western Riverhead in
Zone 1 and Riverhead Town east of the Hamlet in Zone 2 together with western Southold.
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Peconic and Gardiners Bays).3 That report did indicate that
improper well location and over pumping can cause lateral
and vertical salt water intrusion. Moreover because of
limited dilution capacity it can take a long time (perhaps
100 years) for any contaminants to flush out of the aquifer.
The Suffolk County Department of Health has substantiated
through extensive testing that the upper glacial aquifer is
contaminated in many areas by nitrates and organic pesti-
cides and herbicides, the latter primarily from agricultural
uses. Thus, while the supply of fresh water is quite
limi ted, the amount of uncontaminated ground water is
substantially more limited. Moreover, although the future
total Town requirement for fresh water may change depending
on the amount and type of agricultural uses, the need for
potable fresh water will surely increase.
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Present and future land uses and patterns in the Town of
Southold will affect the rate of recharge of the aquifers,
the extent and location of withdrawal of fresh ground water
and the amount of contamination of the water supply. Given
the Town's hydrology it will be important for the Plan to
incorporate areas sui table for rainfall recharge and to
examine proposed residential, agricultural, commercial and
industrial uses for their impact on groundwater supplies.
Furthermore, methods for treatment of contaminated water
available for use by individuals and communities will have
to be considered.
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A discussion of water supply as it relates to development
potential is addressed in a separate memo.
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Fishers Island Hydrology
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Information on Fishers Island hydrology is based largely on
the Malcolm Pirnie report of 1967, the subsequent H2M report
of the early 1970's and discussions with a Fishers Island
Water Works official. The ERM Northeast report was not used
since the study area only included mainland portions of
Southold.
The geology of Fishers Island differs substantially from
other portions of the Town of Southold in that large por-
tions of the Island are hilly, some areas rising to 160 feet
above sea level, and the land is relatively impermeable.
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Most of the precipitation that falls on the Island flows to
one of the freshwater ponds or directly to the shoreline.
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A subsequent report has been prepared by ERM-Northeast: Analysis of Available Groundwater
Supply - Town of Southold, May 1983.
5
Two of the ponds receiving this surface water, Barlow Pond
and Middle Farms Pond, are used as the primary source of the
Fishers Island water supply; however, in the last few years
only Barlow Pond has been used. The water levels in these
ponds when full are generally only a few feet above sea
level. Like underground sources, the ponds can be subject
to salt water intrusion from overpurnping, but this has not
been a problem in recent years.
After the drought of 1965-66 two small shallow wells were
dug into the glacial aquifer northwest of Middle Farms Pond.
Water from this source has not been extensively used both
because of its high iron content and because the supply from
the ponds has been adequate.
4.
Wetlands
A. Tidal Wetlands
Tidal wetlands, or salt marshes, are grassy coastal
floodplains which contain, or are periodically inun-
dated by, salt or brackish water. Tidal wetlands,
which are found along many creeks and inlets in
Southold, are an important coastal resource which
perform the following functions:
Marine Food Production - tidal wetlands are one of
the most productive ecosystems in the world; they
have a very high concentration of nutrients.
Two-thirds of all commercially harvested fish and
shellfish depend on the marsh-estuarine system at
some time in their life cycle.
Wildlife Habit - tidal wetlands are important as
breeding, nesting, and feeding grounds.
Flood and Storm Control - tidal wetlands serve as
a natural buffer, protecting upland and developed
areas from storm tides and absorbing wave damage.
Recreation - tidal wetlands provide many opportun-
ities for hunting, fishing, birdwatching, etc.
Pollution Control - tidal wetlands serve as an
important basin in which some organic pollutants
are chemically and biologically converted into
useful nutrients.
Sedimentation - tidal wetlands absorb silt and
organic matter, which otherwise would obstruct
channels and harbors.
Tidal wetlands have been defined in the New York
Environmental Conservation Law Section 25-0103 as
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"those areas which border on or lie beneath tidal
waters, such as, but not limited to, banks, bogs, salt
marsh, swamps, meadows, flats or other low lands
subject to tidal action, including those areas now or
formerly connected to tidal waters..." Specific zones
within tidal wetlands are further defined by the types
of vegetation they support.
The vegetation in a tidal wetland is determined by
elevation and the frequency with which tidal flooding
occurs. The lowest portion of a tidal wetland, which
is below mean high tide and is flooded daily, is
dominated by salt marsh cordgrass (Spartina alterni-
flora). The upper slope, which may be flooded ten days
out of a month, is dominated by salt marsh hay
(Spartina patens) and spike grass (Distichlis spicata).
The highest elevations within the tidal wetland, which
are flooded only during storm tides, are dominated by
black grass (Juncus gerardi). Other common plants in
the high marsh area include cattails (Typha latifolia
and T. angustiofolia), groundsel bush (Baccharis
halmifolial and the reed Phragmites communis.
Phragmi tes, a common reed which is often associated
with disturbed or altered wetlands, is usually abundant
in areas which have been built up above the mean high
tide level, or in areas with limited sources of salt
water.
A 1972 publication entitled "The Marine Wetlands of
Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York," prepared by the
Marine Sciences Research Center at SUNY-Stony Brook,
includes an inventory of tidal wetlands in Southold.
At the time of this survey, a total of 1,091 acres in
the Town consisted of tidal wetlands. This survey
identified 34 individual wetland areas, the majority of
which were dominated by Spartina alterniflora. Most of
these wetlands also supported varying amounts of
Phragmites.
Among the largest tidal wetlands in Southold are those
in the Long Beach Bay/Hallocks Bay area. At the time
of the 1972 survey, the tidal wetlands on the north
shore of Long Beach Bay and those within Orient State
Park encompassed approximately 370 acres. The dominant
plants in this wetland system are Spartina patens and
Distichlis spicata. Another fairly large wetland in
this area is located along the Orient Causeway and
along the edges of Dam Pond. This wetland area in-
cludes approximately 43 acres, and the dominant plant
is Spartina alterniflora.
Another fairly extensive wetland system is located in
the Cutchogue Harbor area, and encompasses marshes
along the edges of Wickham Creek, East Creek, Mud
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Creek, and Broadwater and Haywater Coves. The dominant
plants in this wetland, which totals approximately 140
acres, are Spartina alterniflora and Distichlis
spicata. Spartina alterniflora is also the dominant
plant in the extensive wetlands (150 acres) surrounding
Downs Creek and West Creek, off the Great Peconic Bay.
Towards the western end of the Town there is a large
wetland system along Mattituck Inlet and Creek. This
tidal wetland, which covers approximately 45 acres, is
dominated by Spartina al terniflora. There are many
other tidal wetlands scattered throughout the Town
along the tidal inlets and creeks. Though many of
these wetlands are only a few acres in size, they still
perform many valuable ecological roles.
DEC has inventoried all the tidal wetlands in Southold,
and classified them according to the type of vegetation
they support. These wetland classifications are as
follows:
Intertidal Marsh (IM) - this is the area generally
lying between the daily tides. It is dominated by
Spartina alterniflora and produces the most
primary nutrients.
Coastal Fresh (FM) - these areas are uncommon in
New York, and are found primarily where freshwater
run-off is backed up by daily tides. They are
usually bordered by rushes, cattails, and brackish
water cordgrass, as well as by pickerel weed and
marsh roses. This type of wetland is highly
productive and has extremely high value for
wildlife.
High Marsh or Salt Meadow (HM) - this wetland zone
is generally above the daily tidal flow, and is
regularly flooded about ten days out of the month,
and during storm tides. The high marsh is dom-
inated by Spartina patens and Distichlis spicata.
It is moderately productive, has some value for
wildlife, and forms an important buffer between
uplands and estuarine waters.
Coastal Shoals, Bars and Mudflats (SM) - these
include areas that are exposed at low tide and are
not covered with rooted vegetation. However, this
zone may merge with normally flooded, shallow
waters which support widgeon grass and/or eel
grass.
Inshore Waters (Littoral Zone - LZ) - consists of
shallow bay bottoms, less than twelve feet in
depth at mean low water. These areas support eel
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and widgeon grasses and are highly productive and
of great value to waterfowl. Inshore fisheries
are largely dependent on the littoral zone, and it
provides the finest shellfishing.
Formerly Connected Tidal Wetlands (FC) - wetlands
which have been partially shut off from normal
tidal flows or are in the process of being shut
off. The original marine plant community still
dominates, although the zone may be lightly
infiltrated with the common reed. These areas
remain a part of the marine food web.
The largest wetlands in the mainland portion of
Southold, which were previously mentioned on the basis
of their listing in the 1972 survey, will also be
described in terms of their DEC classifications.
The largest wetland system in the mainland portion of
the Town is that surrounding Long Beach Bay. The
wetlands on the Long Beach peninsula consist primarily
of high marsh areas, which are flooded by the daily
tides about 10 days out of the month, and are dominated
by Spartina patens and Distichlis spicata. These high
marsh areas are interspersed with some lower areas that
have been classified as intertidal marshes and mud-
flats.
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The wetlands along the north side of Long Beach Bay are
primarily high marsh zones, edged with narrow bands of
intertidal marsh along the bay. Long Beach Bay itself
has been classified as a coastal bar/or mudflat. On
the west side of the bay along the Brown I s Point
peninsula, most of the wetlands are considered high
marsh, with only narrow bands of intertidal marsh. In
the Peter's Neck area, which is near Orient Harbor,
most of the marsh area has been classified as a former-
ly connected tidal wetland.
As classified by DEC, the Orient Causeway wetland
system consists of large areas of mudflats and inter-
tidal marsh surrounded by areas of high marsh. The
high marsh areas are located adjacent to the Causeway,
and also along the north side of the beach which faces
Orient Harbor. The adjacent Dam Pond is classified
primarily as a littoral zone, though it also includes
large mudflats. The northern portion of the pond is
bordered by a beach, though the rest of the pond is
bordered by an intertidal marsh zone and limited areas
of high marsh.
In the Cutchogue area the various tidal creeks are
primarily classified as mudflats, with narrow channels
of littoral zone where the water is deeper. The
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wetland areas adjacent to these creeks consist primari-
ly of intertidal marsh zones, with limited areas of
high marsh. To the west, along Downs Creek and West
Creek, DEC has classified extensive areas as mudflats
and intertidal marsh.
Along Mattituck Inlet and Creek, the wetlands consist
of both intertidal marshes and high marshes, while the
creek itself is classified as a littoral zone. There
are also some areas of dredge spoil located within this
wetland system.
On Fishers Island the primary marsh areas are located
near Hay Harbor and West Harbor, particularly in the
peninsula areas where both intertidal and high marsh or
salt meadow areas can be found. The harbor areas
themselves are classified as littoral zones. Addition-
al areas of intertidal marsh and high marsh are locat-
ed: slightly east of West Harbor, along the east side
of Beach Pond, and at scattered sites near East Harbor.
Some intertidal marsh is also located along Barleyfield
Cove and on eastern portions near Chocomont Cove.
There are also two sections of formerly connected tidal
wetlands on Fishers Island, the larger one north of
Barlow Pond and the smaller one near East Harbor.
Coastal shoals, bars and mudflats are found in the
coastal waters surrounding most portions of the island.
The largest exception to this is the area on both sides
of the Ferry dock on the western portion of Fishers
Island.
The tidal wetlands in Southold are valuable natural
features which should be preserved. These include both
the large wetland systems which have been described,
and the many small individual wetlands which are
scattered throughout the Town. Tidal wetlands are
extremely productive ecosystems which perform many
important roles, such as marine food production, flood
control, and the provision of wildlife habitat. For
these reasons the Town's tidal wetlands should not be
al tered, and should be preserved in their natural
condition. The preservation of these wetlands may also
generate development constraints on adj acent lands,
where development could adversely impact the wetlands.
Moreover, creeks and wetlands should be protected from
road runoff and pollution that can alter the ecosystem
of the wetlands.
B.
Freshwater Wetlands
Freshwater wetlands, which are found in scattered
locations throughout the Town of Southold, are impor-
tant natural features which perform a variety of
ecological roles. Freshwater wetlands are a major
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factor in flood control, acting as storage basins and
reducing flood crests and erosive capacities. These
wetlands are vital to the hydrologic cycle in that they
help to recharge groundwater, and they also act as
natural pollution control systems by filtering out many
potentially harmful materials. Freshwater wetlands are
also an important component of food webs, and they
support a diversity of plants and animals.
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Freshwater wetlands which encompass at least 12.4 acres
are state-designated wetlands, and are currently
subject to regulation by the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The State defini-
tion of a freshwater wetland is based on vegetation,
with various species of trees, shrubs, emergent vege-
tation, floating vegetation, etc. considered wetland
indicators. (The following paragraphs include the New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation
definition of freshwater wetlands taken from Article 24
which specifies the varieties of plants that may be
found in the freshwater wetlands of the Town of
Southold and of the State.)
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"Freshwater wetlands" means lands and waters of
the State as shown on the freshwater wetlands map
which contain any or all of the following:
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(a) lands and submerged lands commonly called
marshes, swamps, sloughs, bogs, and flats
supporting aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetation
of the following types:
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wetland trees, which depend upon sea-
sonal or permanent flooding or suffi-
ciently water-logged soils to give them
a competitive advantage over other
trees; including, among others, red
maple (Acer rubrurn) willows (Salix
spp.), black spruce (Picea mariana);
swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), red
ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), black ash
(Fraxinus nigra), silver maple (Acer
saccharinurn), American elm (Ulmus
americana), and Larch (Larix laricina);
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wetland shrubs, which depend upon
seasonal or permanent flooding or
sufficiently water-logged soils to give
them a competitive advantage over other
shrubs; including, among others, alder
(Alnus spp.), buttonbush (Cephalanthus
occidentalis), bog rosemary (Andromeda
glaucophylla), dogwoods (Cornus spp.),
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and leatherleaf
calyculata);
(Chamaedaphne
emergent vegetation, including, among
others, cattails (Typha spp.) , pickerel-
weed (pontederia cordata), bulrushes
(Scirpus spp.) , arrow arum (peltandra
virginica) , arrowheads (Sagittaria
spp.) , reed (Phragmites communis),
wildrice (Zizania aquatica), bur-reeds
(Sparganium spp.) , purple loosestrife
(Lythrum salicaria), swamp loosestrife
(De condon verticillatus), and water
plantain (Alisma plantago-aquatica);
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rooted, floating-leaved vegetation;
including, among others, water lily
(Nymphaea odorata), water shield
(Brasenia schreberi), and spatterdock
(Nuphar spp.);
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free-floating vegetation; including,
among others, duckweed (Lemna spp.) , big
duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza), and
watermeal (Wolffia spp.);
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wet meadow vegetation, which depends
upon seasonal or permanent flooding or
sufficiently water-logged soils to give
it a competitive advantage over other
open land vegetation; including, among
others, sedges (Carex spp.) , rushes
(Juncus spp.), cattails (Typha spp.),
rice-cut-grass (Leersia oryzoides), reed
canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea),
swamp loosestrife (Decodon
verticil latus) , and spikerush
(Eleocharis spp.);
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bog mat vegetation; including, among
others, sphagnum mosses (Sphagnum spp.) ,
bog rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla),
leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata),
pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea), and
cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon and
Va oxyCOCCOS);
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submergent vegetation; including, among
others, pondweeds (potamogeton spp.) ,
naiads (Najas spp.) , bladderworts
(Utricularia spp. ) , wild celery
(Vallisneria americana), coontail
(Ceratophyllum demersum), watermilfoils
(Myriophyllum spp.), muskgrass (Chara
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spp.) , stonewort (Nitella spp.), water
weeds (Elodea spp.) , and water smartweed
(polygonurn amphibium);
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(b) lands and submerged lands containing remnants
of any vegetation that is not aquatic or
semi-aquatic that has died because of wet
conditions over a sufficiently long period,
provided that such wet conditions do not
exceed a maximum seasonal water depth of six
feet and provided further that such condi-
tions can be expected to persist indefinite-
ly, barring human intervention;
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(c) lands and waters substantially enclosed by
aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetation as set
forth in paragraph (a) or by dead vegetation
as set forth in paragraph (b), the regulation
of which is necessary to protect and preserve
the aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation; and
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(d) the waters overlying the areas set forth in
(a) and (b) and the lands underlying (c).
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The areas
designated
western to
and parcels of land that are currently
by the DEC as freshwater wetlands (from the
the eastern part of the Town) are:
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Laurel Lake and surrounding areas, some of which
are in State or Town ownership.
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An area located about 1,500 feet east of Laurel
Lake between County Route 48 and the Long Island
Railroad tracks.
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An area east of Bray Avenue and north of Peconic
Bay Boulevard, much of which is held by the Nature
Conservancy.
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Marratooka Lake and adjacent areas, primarily to
the north, most of which are in Nature Conser-
vancy, Matti tuck-Cutchogue School District or
Mattituck Park District ownership.
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An area north of West Creek and northwest of New
Suffolk, primarily on the west of New Suffolk
Road, but with a smaller portion on the east side
of the road. Portions of these wetlands are
included in the Suffolk County Farmland Preserva-
tion Program.
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Great Pond north of Sound View Avenue and east of
Kenny's Road which is part of the adjacent County
park.
An area in Southold east of Boisseau Avenue, west
of Laurel Avenue and north of the Long Island
Railroad right-of-way.
A portion of wetlands and pond southeast of
Arshamamoque Pond, between the Long Island Rail-
road right-of-way and State Route 25.
A large area west of Greenport between County
Route 48 on the north and State Route 25 on the
south, and between Albertson Lane on the west and
Chapel Lane on the east.
Much of the Moores Woods/Moores Drain/Silver Lake
area of Greenport with most wetland portions
indicated within the Village and some in the Town.
An area in the southwest corner of the inter-
section of Route 25 and Route 48, just north of
the Village of Greenport.
Marion Lake and surrounding lands.
Two wetland areas in the western portion of Plum
Island near the harbor.
On Fishers Island, three interconnected areas
south of Peninsula Avenue and west of Isabella
Beach, areas wi thin and in proximity to Barlow
Pond, Middle Farms Pond and Treasure Pond as well
as an area in the eastern end of the island near
southern portions of the golf course.
The DEC freshwater wetlands map will be finalized after
the above named sites are presented by the DEC to the
Town and public at a public hearing anticipated to be
in the summer of 1984. There may be additions to or
deletions from the above-mentioned list of sites, based
on the DEC's consideration of public input.
5.
Coastal Features
Coastal
bluffs.
geologic
sediment
features in southold include beaches, dunes, and
These features have been produced by a variety of
and physical processes, including glaciation,
transportation and deposition, and wave action.
The beaches in Southold
adjacent to Long Island
adjacent to the bays.
are located along the north shore,
Sound, and along the south shore,
These beaches have been formed
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through the deposition of sediment, and their size and shape
may change as the rates of deposition and erosion vary. The
beaches on the north shore are very gravelly and cobbly,
while the beaches on the bays are usually sandy, with
varying amounts of gravel mixed in.
Beaches rim almost the entire coastline of Southold, with
the exception of some wetland areas and developed areas.
The largest portion of coastline without beaches is the
north shore of Long Beach Bay, most of which is edged with
tidal wetlands.
Dunes are wind-deposited mounds of sand located landward of
beaches, and usually supporting a stabilizing growth of
beach grass. On Long Island, dunes are most common along
the barrier beaches of the South Fork. Along the North
Fork, where many beaches are backed by bluffs of glacial
formation, dunes are not as common. There are three areas
in the Town with dune formations. The most extensive of
these is the area near Great Pond along the north shore.
Addi tional dune areas are scattered through Orient Beach
State Park, and there is also a short segment of dunes at
the western end of Fishers Island, facing Block Island
Sound.
Bluffs are a common coastal feature along the north shore of
the Town, and also along the Fishers Island shoreline.
These bluffs are steeply sloping landforms composed of
glacial till deposited as part of the Harbor Hill moraine.
These bluffs, which may have slopes exceeding 50 percent,
are subject to erosion by wave action. It is estimated that
the rate of erosion of these north shore bluffs ranges from
one to three feet per year. Because of their steep slope
and susceptibility to erosion, the bluffs are not suitable
for development.
Beaches and dunes are also environmentally sensitive land-
forms which should be preserved. Beaches and dunes are
subject to flooding from tidal action, and therefore are not
suitable for development. In addition, beaches and dunes
are not static landforms, but are constantly changing and
responding to the forces of wave and wind action. Where as
in the past houses have been built too close to the dunes
and beaches, this practice must be discouraged.
6.
Marine Life
The marine waters in and around the Town of Southold support
a variety of fish and shellfish. These fish and shellfish
are important not only as natural resources, but also as the
basis of the Town I s commercial and recreational fishing
industry.
15
Shellfish found in the Southold area include hard clams,
soft clams, oysters, bay scallops, mussels and conchs. The
hard shell clam lives near the surface of sandy or muddy
substrates, while the soft-shell clam remains buried at
deeper levels. The eastern oyster requires a hard substrate
for attachment, as does the blue mussel, which attaches to
rocks in the tidal zone with its byssus (a bundle of strong
threads). Bay scallops spend their early stages of life
attached to hard surfaces, though as adults they are free-
swimming.
Some locations within the Town which support these shellfish
include Long Beach Bay, which contains hard clams, soft
clams, and bay scallops, and Orient Harbor, which has bay
scallops. Hard clams are also found in a number of tidal
inlets, including Arshamomaque Pond, Corey Creek, and Goose
Creek.
A wide variety of finfish are found around Long Island and
in Long Island's many bays. These finfish include both
offshore species, and species which are found in shallow
nearshore areas or in estuarine waters. Some of the most
commonly harvested finfish species are described in the
following paragraphs.
The blackback flounder (winter flounder) and fluke (summer
flounder) are both members of the flatfish family. These
fish can lay flat against the ocean (or bay) floor and alter
their skin color to blend in with the background and avoid
predators. The winter flounder migrates to inshore areas
during late autumn, while the summer flounder migrates
inshore between late spring and early fall.
Another popular fish is the blackfish, or tautog, which is
found near rocky shores, piers and breakwaters, where it
feeds on barnacles, mussels, and clams. These fish migrate
to shallow waters during the spring, and in winter move to
somewhat deeper water.
Bluefish are migratory fish which travel in schools, and
which may be found in areas with turbulent water. Other
schooling fish are the Atlantic mackerel, which is found in
Long Island waters during the spring and fall, and pollock,
which is also found in nearshore waters during the spring
and fall.
Porgies, or scup, are a popular species with recreational
fishermen. The population of porgies has increased greatly
in the New York area in recent years, as has the population
of black sea bass. Like black fish , black sea bass are
attracted to rocky areas, breakwaters, and shellfish beds.
Another species whose population in Long Island waters has
increased recently is the weakfish, one of the few gamefish
species that spawn in local Long Island waters.
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A species sought by recreational as well as commercial
fishermen in the Town is the striped bass. This fish is
anadromous which means that it lives in salt water, but
returns to freshwater to spawn. Because of widespread
pollution of rivers in New York and Connecticut that might
be and/or are spawning grounds for this species, conser-
vationists and the New York State DEC are interested in
taking steps to limit the catches of commercial fishermen by
such means as increasing the requirements regarding the
length of fish that can legally be harvested in order to
reduce the decline of the striped bass population.
7.
Vegetation and Wildlife
Vegetation
There are a wide variety of plant communities in Southold,
ranging from aquatic tidal communities to upland forests.
The occurrence of these different communities is determined
basically by elevation (and tidal influence) and the type of
substrate (sand, marine sediments, glacial drift). The
major plant communities found in Southold consist of the
following: beach and sand dune community; low salt marsh;
high salt marsh; transitional shrub community; and the
upland forest.
Vegetation in the beach environment is very limited, with
only a few tufts of beach grass found along the higher areas
of the beach. The dune area supports more vegetation, but
plant growth is still limited by the shifting sands, salt
spray, and occasional tidal floods. Beach grass, which is
the dominant plant in the dune system, has an extensive root
system which is a major factor in the growth and stabili-
zation of dunes. Other plants common in the dune system
include beach plum, beach pea, poison ivy and sea rocket.
The tidal wetland, or salt marsh community, can be divided
into two general groups: the low salt marsh, and the high
salt marsh. The low marsh is subject to daily tidal flood-
ing, and the dominant plant is Spartina alterniflora. The
high marsh, which receives less frequent tidal flooding, is
dominated by Spartina patens and Juncus gerardi.
The transitional zone between marsh areas and upland areas
generally contains a variety of plant species. In the lower
reaches of this zone, which may be subject to an occasion-
ally storm tide, common plants include marsh elder, and a
variety of grasses. In the higher reaches of this zone
common plants include groundsel bush, bayberry, and other
shrubs.
There are no extensive forests in Southold, but there are
many smaller forest areas scattered through the Town.
Forests on the morainic deposits along the northern edge of
17
the Town commonly consist of red oak, white oak, and black
oak, along with some yellow poplar, red maple, and black
cherry. Common understory species include huckleberry,
sassafrass, dogwood, and mountain laurel.
Common trees on the outwash plain include white oak, hicko-
ry, white aspen, scarlett oak and, in the sandier areas,
scrub oak and pitch pine. Common understory plants include
huckleberry, greenbrier, sumac, and, in the sandier areas,
common grasses and poison ivy.
The forested areas of the Town are important as groundwater
recharge areas, are useful as windbreaks by reducing wind-
caused soil erosion and have benefits in maintaining air
quality.
The different plant communities found in Southold are not,
in themselves, limiting to development. However, taken as a
whole with the coastal features they are associated with,
some of them do present severe constraints on development.
As previously mentioned, both the wetlands and the
beach/dune areas are very sensitive coastal features which
should be preserved in their natural state.
Wildlife
The different vegetation types occurring in the Town of
Southold support a variety of mammals. Among the most
common are the eastern cottontail and the raccoon, both of
which are found in a variety of habitats, including woods,
wetlands, and dunes. Gray squirrels are also common, though
they are found primarily in areas with deciduous trees. The
red fox is fairly abundant, living primarily in woods,
shrubs, and dune areas. White-tailed deer are common in
those areas of the Town where there is sufficient vegetation
for cover. Other mammals occurring in Southold include
moles, opposum, shrews, mice and bats.
There are a number of mammals which were common in Southold
in the early part of the century, but which have become rare
in recent decades. These include the woodchuck, muskrat,
mink, and striped skunk.
The Town of Southold supports a rich variety of birdlife,
including both nesting and migratory species (the Town is
located wi thin the Atlantic Flyway, a major eastern mi-
gration route). Types of birds occurring in Southold
include shorebirds, wading birds, raptors, waterfowl, and
perching birds.
Birds which often breed in the Town of Southold and espe-
cially in the Orient area (see NYSDEC list of significant
habitats later in this section for other nesting areas)
during the late spring and summer include herons
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(yellow-crowned and black-crowned night herons), great and
snowy egrets, osprey, glossy ibises, rails (clapper), gulls,
terns (roseate, least and common) and plovers (piping).
Non- breeding birds which may be sighted during the summer
include double-crested cormorants, oldsquaws, and
white-winged scoters.
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A large number and variety of birds are present in Southold
during the winter, especially in Orient Beach State Park,
Cedar Beach, Nassau Point, . Robins Island and Fishers Island.
Species present include loons, grebes, cormorants, swans,
mallards, black ducks, scoters, and mergansers, along with
some hawks (sharp-shinned, red-tailed, and rough-legged),
kestrels, and merlins. Other birds common at this time of
year include gulls (great black-backed, ring-billed,
herring, and Bonaparte's) and owls (barn, screech, great-
horned and short-eared).
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The NYSDEC lists species of wildlife that are endangered,
threatened and of special concern in New York State (many of
these species are found in the areas of significant habitats
discussed below). Of those native species considered
"endangered", i.e. in danger of extirpation or extinction in
New York, the tiger salamander, least tern and roseate tern
can be found in Southold. Of those native species con-
sidered "threatened", i.e. likely to become an endangered
species within the foreseeable future in New York, osprey,
northern harrier, piping plover and common tern may be found
in portions of the Town.
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The DEC lists a third category of "special concern" species
which are not yet considered endangered or threatened, but
for which documented concern exists. The species found in
Southold placed in this category include: spotted
salamander, spotted turtle, diamondback terrapin, eastern
hognose snake, least bittern, upland sandpiper, common barn
owl, short-eared owl, common night hawk, eastern bluebird,
grasshopper sparrow and vesper sparrow.
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The NYSDEC has indicated that there are several areas of the
Town on their preliminary list of Significant wildlife
Habi tats. These include Robins Island, a section of
Southold near the mouths of Town Creek and Jockey Creek,
Conkling Point, Hallocks Bay and Orient Point Marshes, and
sections of Fishers Island and small nearby islands, Plum
Island and Great Gull and Little Gull Islands. The follow-
ing wildlife, particularly birdlife, are included in the DEC
lists for each habitat:
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Robins Island:
black crowned night heron colony;
snowy egret breeding area;
yellow crowned night herons breeding area;
common and roseate terns breeding colony; and
osprey breeding colony.
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Southold (Town and Jockey Creeks) :
common tern nesting colony;
roseate tern nesting colony; and
black skimmer nesting colony.
Conkling Point:
least tern nesting colony.
Hallocks Bay and Orient Point Marshes:
osprey breeding colony;
sharptailed and seaside sparrows nesting area;
clapper rails nesting area;
diamond-backed terrapin; amd
brant.
Fishers Island: at Stony Beach -
common terns nesting colony;
herring gulls nesting colony;
at Beach Pond -
least tern nesting colony;
on Islands off Fishers Island -
herring gulls nesting colony and
great black backed gull nesting colony.
Plum Island - nesting colonies for:
snowy egret
black-crowned night heron;
great egret;
little blue heron;
louisiana heron;
glossy ibis;
herring gull;
great black-backed gull;
osprey;
green heron;
least bittern; and
spotted turtle;
box turtle;
musk turtle;
snapping turtle;
painted turtle;
red-backed salamander;
spotted salamander;
black duck;
gadewall;
mallard;
wood duck;
green-winged teal;
canada goose;
red-tailed hawk;
rough-legged hawk;
broad winged hawk;
marsh hawk (harrier); and
muskrat.
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Great Gull and Little Gull Islands:
roseate tern nesting colony;
common tern nesting colony.
21
Map
Symbol
Soil Map Legend
Mapping Unit Name
I
Depth to
Seasonal H1gh
Water Table
Table I
General 5011 Characteristics
Town of Southold
2
Permeabili ty
Soil Characteristics
3
Agricultural
Capability Class
4
Septic Field
Limitations
5
Limitations
for Home Sites
Be
Severe: high water
Bd
Ern
Ca
CpA
CpC
CpE
CuB
CuC
De
-
-
Beaches
Berryland mucky sand
Bridgehampton silt
loam, graded
Canadice silt loam
Carver and Plymouth
Sands, 0-3% slopes
Carver and Plymouth
Sands, 3-15% slopes
Carver and Plymouth
Sands, 15-35% slopes
Cut and fill land,
sloping gently
Cut and fill land,
sloping
Deerfleld sand
-
-
-
-
at Surface
o-~ ft.
greater than
3 ft.
~-l~ ft.
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
NA
NA
1~-2 ft.
-
-
NA
Rapid
Rapid
Slow
Rapid
Rapid
Rapid
NA
NA
Rapid
-
-
VIII
VII
NA
VII
VII
VII
NA
NA
III
-
-
Severe: high water
severe: prolonged high
water table, O-~ ft.
below surface
Slight
Severe: high water
table
Slight/pollution hazard
Slight to moderate: Slopes!
pollution hazard
Severe: slopes/ pollution
hazard
Slight
Moderate: slopes
Moderate: seasonal high
water table
-
-
-
-
Severe: prolonged
higb water table
Sligbt
Severe
Sligbt
Slight to moderate:
slopes
Severe: slope
Sligbt
Moderate: slopes
Moderate: seasonal
high water table
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
SolI Map Legend SolI Characteristics
I
Depth to 3 4 5
Map Seasonal High Agricultural Septic Field Limitations
2
Symbol Mapping Unit Name Water Table Permeabi 11 ty Capability Class Limitations for Home Sites
Do Dune land "4 ft. VIII Moderate: water table Variable
within 4 ft. of surface
in places
Es Escarpments NA VIII Variable Variable
Fd Fill land, dredged "4 ft. NA Moderate: watertable within Variable
material 4 ft. of surface in places
Fs Fill land, sandy high NA Severe: high water table Severe: high water
table
Gp Gravel pits Variab Ie Rapid NA Variable Variable
HaA Haven loam, 0,..2% slopes greater than Rapid I Slight/pollution hazard Slight/unsuitable:
4 ft. high agricultural
value
HaB Haven loam, 2-6% slopes greater than Rapid II Slight/pollution hazard Slight/unsuitable:
4 ft. high agricultural
value
HaC Haven loam, 6-}2% slopes greater than Rapid III Moderate: slope/pollution Moderate: slope
4 ft. hazard
He Haven loam, thick greater than Rapid II Severe: may become flooded Severe: may become
surface layer 4 ft. during prolonged wet periods flooded during
prolonged wet
periods
Ma Made land Variab Ie Variable NA Variable Variable
MfA Montauk fine sandy loam, greater than Slow-moderate II Severe: moderately slow Slight/unsuitable:
0-3% slopes 2 ft. permeability agricultural value
MfB Montauk fine sandy loam, greater than Slow-moderate II Severe: moderately slow Slight/unsuitable:
3-8% slopes 2 ft. permeability agricultural value
Map
Symbol
MfC
MkA
MkB
MkC
Mu
PIA
PIB
PIC
PmB3
PlnC3
Ra
Rc
RdA
-
-
Soil Map Legend
Mapping Unit Name
Montauk fine sandy loam,
8-15% slopes
Montauk silt loam,
0-3% slopes
Montauk silt loam,
3-8% slopes
Montauk silt loam,
8-15% slopes
Muck
Plymouth loamy sand,
0-3% slopes
Plymouth loamy sand,
3-8% slopes
Plymouth loamy sand,
8-15% slopes
Plymouth gravelly loamy
sand, 3-8% slopes, eroded
Plymouth gravelly loamy
8-15% slopes, eroded
Raynham loam
Recharge basin
Rlverhead sandy loam,
0-3% slopes
-
-
-
-
I
Depth to
Seasonal High
Water Table
greater than
2 ft.
greater than
2 ft.
greater than
2 ft.
greater than
2 ft.
at Surface
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
~-l~ ft.
Variable
greater than
4 ft:
-
-
2
Permeability
Slow-moderate
Slow-moderate
Slow-moderate
Slow-moderate
Slow
Rapid
Rapid
Rapid
Rapid
Rapid
Slow
Rapid
MOderate-rapid
-
-
3
Agricultural
Capability Class
-
III
I
II
III
VII
III
III
IV
VII
VII
NA
II
-
Soil Characteristics
4
Septic Field
Limitations
Severe: moderately slow
permeability
Severe: moderately slow
permeability
Severe: moderately slow
permeability
Severe: moderately slow
permeability
Severe
Slight/pollution hazard
Slight/pollution hazard
Moderate: slope
Slight/pollution hazard
Moderate slope/pollution
hazard
Severe: moderate slow
permeability; seasonal
high water table
NA
Slight-moderate/may be
pollution hazard
-
-
-
-
5
Limitations
for Home Sites
Moderate: slopes
Slight/high
agricultural value
Slight/high
agricultural value
Moderate: slopes
Severe
Slight
Slight
Moderate: slope
Slight
Moderate: slope
Severe: seasonal
high water table
NA
Slight/high
agricultural value
-
-
-
-
Map
Symbol
RdB
RdC
Rhb
ReB
ReC
RpE
ScB
SdA
SdB
Su
TIn
Ur
lid
lie
-
-
-
-
So11 Map Legend
Mapping Unit Name
Rlverhead sandy loam,
3-8% slopes
Riverhead sandy loam,
8-15% slopes
Rlverhead & Haven salls,
graded, 0-8% slopes
Rlverhead very stony,
sandy loam, 3-8% slopes
Riverhead very stony,
sandy loam, 8-15% slopes
Riverhead and Plymouth
very bouldery soils,
15-35% slopes
Seta silt loam, till
substratum, 2-6% slopes
Seta silt loam, sandy
substratum, 0-2% slopes
Seta silt loam, sandy
substratum, 2-6% slopes
Sudbury sandy loam
Tidal marsh
Urban land
Walpole sandy loam
Wareham sandy loam
-
-
I
Depth to
Seasonal HIgh
Water Table
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
greater than
4 ft.
1~-2 ft.
1~-2 ft.
1~-2 ft.
1~-2 ft.
at Surface
Variable
~-I~
~-I~
-
-
2
PermeahiUty
MOderate-rapid
Moderate-rapid
Rapid
Rapid
Rapid
Rapid
Slow
Rapid
Rapid
Rapid
Variable
-
-
-
3
Agricultural
Capability Class
II
III
NA
VI
VI
VII
II
I!
I!
NA
NA
II!
IV
-
-
-
Soil Characteristics
4
Septic Field
Limitations
Slight-moderate/may be
pollution hazard
Moderate: slope
Slight
Slight/may be pollution
hazard
Moderate: Slopes/may be
pollution hazard
Severe: slopes
Severe: moderate slow
permeability in substratum
Moderate: seasonal high
water table
Moderate: seasonal high
water table
Moderate: seasonal high
water table
Severe: high water
Variable
Severe: seasonal high
water table
Severe: seasonal high
water table
-
-
-
-
5
Limitations
for Home Sites
Slight/high
agricultural value
Moderate: slope
Slight
Slight
Moderate: slopes
Severe: slopes
Moderate: seasonal
high water table
Moderate: seasonal
high water table
Moderate: seasonal
high water table
Moderate: seasonal
high water table
Severe: high water
Variable
Severe: seasonal
high water table
Severe: seasonal
high water table
I
NATURAL RESOURCE
INVENTORY
1f (Q) ~ [K!] (QJ [F
I
Long
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--".-
~r2;;;/J0.f~7({<
I
11
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.7
Southold
II
I
\1
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,
Great
Pecomc
Bay
Little
Pecomc
Boy
I
~ Tidal Marsh
I
- Freshwater ~tland
U"'WI'''~n. Bluffs
I
SUFFOLK
COUNTY
~@(UJ 'IT G=G@~[Q)
NEW YORK
r:~J Beaches
I
l,'.,'.,f,;'~j Dunes
I
MAsn.R PLAN UPDATE
~._,f'lN[._II.,",-I'\._IUIO~nllEW;lJ'll'M:NTlXH!U..T.NTS - 'NlIrI'TOWI'I._'fCIIlI
ll;''';;')~ Maritime
Vegerotion
Source.. Long Ishnd Reginal Pfaming Board, I
- Town of SouthoId cn:I N'YS DEe
Wetlands M1,as
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III. ECONOMICS, AGRICULTURE, POPULATION, HOUSING
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RPPW
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Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 While Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003212/365-2666
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Memorandum
June 10, 1983
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TO: Town of Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
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RE: ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
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An overview of Southold's economy is an integral part of the
basis for the Town's Plan. The characteristics of the Town's
economy; its strengths, weaknesses, degree of stability and
potential growth, all have implications for land use, service
needs, tax base, jobs and the quality of life in the Town.
Economic activities influence the amount of land needed to
accommodate each use, services that are necessary, environmental
protection measures, tax base, employment and housing and the
transportation system. The objective of this memorandum is to
evaluate the different sectors of the Town's economy and to
understand and illustrate the planning implications of various
economic trends.
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The economy of a community is often analyzed in terms of "base,"
basic or export industries and non-basic or local market activ-
ities. The "base industries" are those economic activities which
produce goods and services that are sold to the consumers who
reside outside the Town. These "base industries" bring outside
money into the local economy, thus in turn stimulating local
retail and service activities. In Southold, the major economic
base activities include agriculture, commercial fishing, and
tourism and recreation (including seasonal residential activity).
Southold's economy is almost entirely composed of these base
industries, although there is a small amount of industrial
activity in the Town. The health of these base industries is
related to regional and national trends, national subsidies (e.g.
the subsidizing of Canadian potato farmers or European fisherman
by their respective governments) and the town's competitive
advantages or disadvantages related to marketing, location,
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climate and natural resources. Thus, Southold' s economy is
dependent on a number of factors beyond local control.
The other component of the Town's economy is at the local level.
The sale of goods and services are generally considered local
activities, with their products and services primarily consumed
within the surrounding area. The extent of the local retail and
service sector is generally determined by the population of the
area served. In Southold the service area is limited by geogra-
phy (e.g. the Town's location at the eastern end of Long Island);
thus there is little potential for increasing the geographical
size of the local service area. Some aspects of the service
sector, including major employers such as government (including
County government in nearby Riverhead) and hospitals in Greenport
and Riverhead, and real estate are partially dependent on County
growth.
The seasonal character of the Town results in a blending of the
"base" and local economies to a certain extent, with seasonal
residents and tourists directly supporting local retail and
service establishments during the summer months. This increases
the activity of the Town's local economy, but also intensifies
the direct dependence of local businesses on an outside market.
The major components of the Town's economy, both the "base
industries" and local activities, are discussed below. This
discussion traces development trends, attempts to determine what
segments of the economy are likely to grow or contract, examines
potential employment opportunities, analyzes factors likely to
increase economic activity (and thus livelihood), and considers
the land use and planning implications of the growth of specific
industries. It should be noted that recent economic data for
many aspects of the Town's economic base is limited. The Town
may wish, therefore, to encourage detailed studies of various
facets of the economy, such as recreation, recreational and
commercial fishing, boating and agriculture.
COMMERCIAL FISHING
The commercial fishing industry is a major component of
southold's economic base, and planning and policy decisions
should encourage and protect the health of the industry. There
are essentially two types of commercial fishing, shallow water
and deepwater; each of which has differing requirements in terms
of land use and support facilities. Species of fish landed in
Nassau-Suffolk ports are classified as estuarine (e.g. hard clam
and bay scallop), coastal (e.g. oyster and grey sea trout),
coastal oceanic (e. g. lobster, scup, butter fish , bluefish and
blackback flounder) oceanic (e.g. whiting, cod and sea scallop),
oceanic coastal (e.g. surf clam and squid) and anadromous (e.g.
stripped bass). Generally, estuarine species are harvested with
shallow water boats and equipment while deepwater vessels are
2
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used to catch non-estuarine species, (the major exception is
oystering, which is considered shallow water fishing).
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Deepwater fishing (finfishing and coastal oceanic shellfishing)
occurs primarily offshore in the waters of Long Island Sound,
Gardiner's Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Commercial finfishing in
the waters near Southold produces a great variety of species.
The most sizeable catches from Long Island Sound include Scup
(porgy), Grey Sea Trout, Butterfish, Bluefish and Atlantic
Mackeral, while large quantities of Stripped Bass, Blackback
Flounder, Scup, Grey Sea Trout, Atlantic Mackeral, Butterfish,
Bluefish and Menhaden are caught in the Gardener's/Peconic Bays
region. In addition, approximately one-half of the lobsters
landed in Nassau-Suffolk ports are taken from Long Island Sound.
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Deepwater fishing uses large, deep draft vessels which require
port frcilities with deep channels and safe, easy access to deep
water. Greenport, and to a lesser extent Mattituck, are the
existing deepwater fishing harbors in Southold. In 1979 there
were 41 commercial fishing vessels with ratings of five tons or
more using Greenport Harbor. Of these, 17 were in resident use,
while the remai~der (24 transient vessels) had their home ports
in other areas. Most of the fishing vessels (both resident and
transient) using Greenport Harbor are deepwater fishing vessels.
In addition, according to a 1977 study, there were six commercial
fishing vessels using Mattituck Harbor (all resident).
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Shallow water fishing occurs primarily in the local estuaries
such as Peconic Bay and Great South Bay, and along the shorelines
of deeper water bodies, such as Long Island Sound. Access to
deepwater is not a problem since most activity occurs near the
shore, and the shallow draft boats can be docked in marinas or in
the many creeks on the Town's south shore.
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The shellfishing industry in Southold is large and diverse. The
Gardiner's and Peconic Bay areas produce nearly 100% of all bay
scallops, over 70% of oysters, sea mussels and conchs and over
one-fifth of all soft clams dug regionally. Nearby Long Island
Sound waters are also large producers of soft clams and oysters.
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In 1982, the Town issued 515 commercial shellfishing permits
(compared to 490 in 1981), while the State Department of Environ-
mental Conservation issued 765 permits for commercial shell-
fishing in Southold. (As noted by the LIRPB, there is a discrep-
ancy here, indicating that not all fishermen are obtaining the
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1
LIRPB, A Marine Fisheries Subplan for Nassau-Suffolk Counties, September 15, 1978, p.23.
2
LIRPB, Waterfront Development Opportunities in the Village of Greenport, October 1, 1980, p.16.
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required Town permits.) It should also be noted that these
figures exclude permits for large commercial operations, such as
the Long Island Oyster Farm. In spite of the discrepancies, it
is possible to gain from the licensing figures an understanding
of the extent and the impact of shallow water fishing on the Town
and its residents.
Shellfishing is a comparatively delicate industry, as overland
run off and general pollutants can have a disastrous effect on
the volume and quality of shellfish output. For this reason,
both water quality and fishing policies in the Peconic Bays area
are critical to the maintenance of this industry in Southold. At
present, most of the shell fishing waters near the Town are open
for shellfishing with the exception of small portions of
Arshamamoque Pond, Cutchogue Harbor, Matti tuck Bay, Stirling
Basin and Long Island Sound areas.
Recent health problems, which adversely affected shellfish sales,
have arisen from poachers taking tainted clams from uncertified
(polluted) waters. Although it is believed that the clams were
not taken from Suffolk waters, the resulting illness scares in
late summer and again in December 1982, had a significant impact
on the volume of sales, especially of clams and oysters. To
date, the market has been quick to recover, but many fear that a
substantial decline in the market is inevitable if the problem
reoccurs.
Proposed measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future
were discussed at a January 1983 State Senate hearing on the
problem and include increased permit fees to fund greater en-
forcement of permit requirements, increased poaching penalties,
required tagging or labeling to identify the location of the
harvest, and improved food inspection procedures. It is hoped
that such actions will regain public confidence by insuring high
quality.
The economic benefits of the fishing industry to the Town and the
County as a whole are extensive. In 1982, 84 percent of the
finfish and 71 percent of the shellfish landed in New York State
were landed in Suffolk County ports. The dockside values of the
finfish and shellfish landed in the County were $12.1 million and
$26.9 million, respectively (see Table 1). Furthermore, during
1982 at least 325,000 bushels of shellfish were commercially
landed in Southold alone, with an estimated dockside value of $4
million (this is an underestimate; since oyster harvest figures
include only major operations, such as Long Island Oyster farms
and not independent bayman, and other shellfish are also general-
ly under-reported). The majority of the shellfish landed were
oysters (approximately 90,000 bushels at the major operations)
and Bay Scallops (approximately 230,000 bushels).
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Table 1
SUffolk County and New York Landings, 1982, Dockside Amounts and Values*
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Suffolk Couoty..
pounds dollars
New York State
pounds dollars
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finfish
shellfish
Total
19,851,000
8,607,000
28,458,000
$12,103,000
$26,905,000
$39,008,000
23,508,000
12,089,000
35,597,000
$14,023,000
$31,261,000
$45,284,000
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* These figures are 1n all probability underestimated; further, wholesale
value 1s estimated to be 20% higher than the dockside value.
** Preliminary flqures4
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Source: National Marine Fisheries Service.
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Income to fishermen is just a portion of the economic impact of
the industry. Businesses using the fisherman's products, food
processors, wholesalers, transporters, and suppliers are among
those also involved in the industrY3 A 1976 study of Rhode
Island's Commercial Fishing Industry estimated that for each
$100 of commercial fish landed, $424 was generated in economic
activity, excluding retail activities, resulting in an economic
multiplier of 4.24.
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The Long Island Regional Planning Board in its Marine Fisheries
Subplan for Nassau and Suffolk Counties used a more conservative
factor of 4.0 to estimate the industry's impact on the State's
economy. When this more conservative factor is applied to the
1982 landings data for Suffolk County, the impact of the County's
fishing industry on the State's economy in 1982 was estimated to
be approximately $156 million.
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A study to determine the direct community impact of commercial
fisheries resulted in a multiplier of 2.79 -- that is for every
$100 in landings, $279 will be gfnerated in local economic
activity (excluding retail sales). Thus, using a conservative
factor of 2.5, the County's commercial fishing industry has an
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3
Callahan, Dennis W. and Rohert A. Comerford. 1976. Modified Regional Input-OUtput Analysis of
Rhode Island's Commercial Fishing and Related Activities. COllege of Business Administration,
University of Rhode Island, Kingston. 1976.
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Morton, David W. An Intersection Study of Transactions 1n Small Fishing, Farming and Summer
Recreation Region, 1976.
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impact of approximately $97.5 million on the Suffolk economy.
Using this method, the impact on Southold's economy from shell-
fishing alone for 1982 is estimated to be over $10 million (based
on the estimated 325,000 bushels landed at Southold docks) .
Thus, it is apparent that commercial fishing is a vital part of
the Town's economy. However, there are problems facing the
industry which threaten its economic viability. These include:
Shellfish poaching, including poaching in uncertified
waters and resultant illnesses.
The conflicts which have arisen in recent years between
commercial fisherman and other waterfront uses in the
harbor areas, which have resulted in the displacement
of some commercial fishing vessels. This is especially
critical in deepwater harbors, such as Greenport, since
deepwater fishing vessels are limited to these areas.
In addition, Mattituck Inlet has inadequate land areas
for docking, parking and packing.
The lack of sufficient fish processing facilities,
which is an impediment to the expansion of the industry
in the County.
The overfishing of certain species, particularly
shellfish, has resulted in employment fluctuations and
economic uncertainty which is detrimental to the
industry.
Competition from foreign fisherman and depletion of
fish stocks near U.S. shores have been problems in the
past. Although the area of U.S. jurisdiction over
fishing resources was increased to 200 miles off shore
in 1977 in the hopes that such an action would help to
increase domestic catches and thus improve the indus-
try's ability to compete, the U.S. fishing industry
remains at a competitive disadvantage. This is in part
because many foreign ships have on-boat processing,
which gives them a competitive advantage. In addition,
foreign fisherman harvest many species not widely
marketed in the U.S. (e.g. squid). This results in a
potential for U.S. exports to foreign markets which is
largely untapped.
Town regulations that prohibit individual shallow water
fishermen from storing commercial gear on their prop-
erties (usually zoned residential) which has served to
limit opportunities for small commercial fishing
operations.
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Potential water pollution problems could limit harvest-
able shellfish in the area, thus harming the industry.
Mariculture
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Mariculture can be defined as the culturing of marine plant and
animal life under controlled conditions. It may be undertaken
within both the private and public sectors, and on Long Island
has focused mainly on the culturing of oysters and hard clams.
In Southold, the underwater lands in the Peconic and Gardiner's
Bays have been the primary focus of present and proposed mari-
culture activities, although there may be a potential for off-
bottom culturing of oysters, hard clams, scallops and surf clams
in Long Island Sound. Sea Grant has proposed that this idea be
researched to det~rmine its viability; however, the project has
yet to be funded.
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To date, there has been limited public activity in mariculture.
One currently operable program for shellfish culturing is under
the auspices of th% New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC). The first permit granted by DEC as part of
this program for off-bottom shellfish culturing was issued on
July 6, 1982 for farming clams on a five acre state owned parcel
just off Fishers Island. In addition, town creek and bay waters
have also been used for experimental clam seeding.
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However, the prime shellfishing areas of Peconic and Gardiner's
Bays are largely under Suffolk County jurisdiction however,
public mariculture activities in this area have been stalled for
a number of years. Ownership and control of the lands in peconic
and Gardner's Bays is both private and public. Approximately
8,700 acr7s of bay bottom are controlled by private shellfishing
concerns. The harbors, bays and creeks surrounding the bays are
generally owned and controlled by the Town. The remainder of the
underwater land in the bays has been ceded to Suffolk County
(Chapter 990 of the Laws of New York State, 1969) for shellfish
management and cultivation. The County's rights to lease or use
the land, however, are contingent upon the completion of a survey
of the underwater area (incorporating Town boundary lines,
ordinary high water mark and a line 1,000 feet below mean high
water, location of existing grants, easements, etc. and privately
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Early in 1984 the Town approved a $1,000 expenditure to start a seed scallop program in Town
waters.
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Temporary Marine Area Use Assignment.
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LIRPB, Assessment of Existlnq Mariculture Activities in the Long Island Coastal Zone and
Potential for Future Growth, 1979, p.13.
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owned lands, areas where bay scallop are produced and harvested,
structures on shore used for navigation, and proposed plots for
leasing) and the enactment of a local law to govern the leasing
of shellfish lands. The high cost of the required survey has
resulted in delaying the program to date. However, when the
survey and regulations are complete the county may lease under-
water land to county residents for the purpose of shellfish
cultivation, in plots containing 50 acres or more, for a term of
10 years. Areas where bay scallops are regularly produced and
harvested and lands within 1,000 feet of the high water mark are
to be exempt from leasing.
The proposed program has been opposed by local baymen, who fear
that very large tracts of underwater land will be leased, exclud-
ing them from traditional fishing areas and that large firms will
gain an unfair economic advantage. Thus, the structuring of the
program to permit the traditional "wild" fishing sources, as well
as mariculture activities, is of vital importance.
To date, most of the mariculture activity in the waters near
Southold has been in the private sector. As early as the 1890's,
seed oysters from Connecticut were planted in Gardiner's and
Peconic Bays, and today this area is the largest oyster producing
area in the State (although oyster8production in the state has
declined drastically since 1900). The oysters grown and
harvested in the area's waters are of exceptionally high quality,
used largely for the half shell trade, and thus demand high
prices on the market. Two firms in Southold, The Long Island
Oyster Farms and Shelter Island Oyster Company have underwater
holdings in peconic and Gardiner's Bays. As of 1979, however,
Shelter Island Oyster Company was not planting or harvesting
shellfish. In addition to its underwater Bay land, Long Island
Oyster Farms also has a hatchery off Eatons Neck in Huntington.
Although mariculture is an important part of the Suffolk County
(and Southold) economy, little has been done to expand its
potential, in part, as a result of the delays in implementing the
County lease program. It should be noted that there is also the
potential of expanding finfish mariculture activities as well as
those aquaculture activities involving seaweed. However, the
potential for increased mariculture activities in the Southold
area is enormous, in large part as a result of the relatively
clean environment and the direct and indirect benefits to the
local economy in terms of markets, sales, jobs, support indus-
tries, etc., are great. Thus, it would be to the Town's advan-
tage to encourage appropriate mariculture activities as a vital
part of its economic base.
8
Ibid., p.55.
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AGRICULTURE
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Agriculture is also a dominant feature of Southold's economy.
Farming occupies more acreage (approximately 12,000 acres) than
any other land use and generates a large portion of the Town's
business income. According to the 1978 census of agriculture,
the market value of agricultural products sold in Suffolk County
was over $77 million; an average of $99,000 per farm. Assuming
Southold accounted for approximately one quarter of the County's
51,800 acres at that time, the market value of agricultural
products from the Town was an estimated $18 million. (A new
census of agriculture is currently being prepared, and should be
available in late summer, 1983). A detailed discussion of
agricul ture in the Town is found in the memorandum entitled
"Analysis of Agriculture (Revised)", dated April 15, 1983;
prepared as a part of the planning program.
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Over the past few decades, the agricultural economy in Southold
has undergone a number of changes. While the amount of land used
for farming has declined relatively little (approximately 6%)
since the 1967 master plan, the nature of agriculture in the Town
has changed a great deal. Potato acreage has declined approxi-
mately 10% per year in recent years, while vineyards, horsefarms,
nurseries and vegetable farms have been increasing. Potato
farming has been increasingly unprofitable; prices have declined
from $9 per hundred weight in 1980 to $4 in 1982, with the result
that many potato farmers had a return of approximately one half
their costs. At the same time, profits for vegetables, fruits
and wine grapes have been increasing.
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These changes imply a great deal of shifting within the agri-
cultural economy. While potato farmers are largely residents who
own or lease the land they farm, many of the more recent vine-
yards and horsefarms are farmed by managers employed by absentee
owners. In addition, these more recent, less traditional forms
of agriculture require more labor: jobs range from highly
skilled and trained managers, veterinarians, vinters, and cleri-
cal staff to grooms, greenhouse and field workers. Although some
positions (especially field jobs) are seasonal, many are year-
round. In addition, there are potential residual impacts created
by the need for more grain crops (horse farms), wineries (vine-
yards), distribution services (vegetable farms, nurseries and
vineyards), and educational services (courses in horse farming
and wine grape farming for example), among others. According to
the 1980 Census, 5.6% of the Town's labor force (371 people) were
employed in the agriculture and fishing industries, compared to
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8.7% of the Labor force in 1970.9 However, although employment
in agriculture has declined in recent years, it appears likely
that new opportunities in the agriculture industry will arise as
the non-traditional forms of agriculture continue to expand.
In general, the types of agriculture which have been increasingly
successful are those which use the land most intensively (e.g.
vegetable farming and nurseries) greatly benefit from the
region's climate (e.g. horsefarms), or both (vineyards and fruit
growers). Southold has a great attraction to vinefera grape and
fruit growers (who depend upon a mild climate) and to horse farms
and nursery operators (who, while not dependent upon the climate,
greatly benefit from it). These uses also utilize less water
than traditional potato farms. In marketing the Town for agri-
culture, it would be useful to emphasize these factors.
In recent years, the pressure for conversion of agricultural land
to non-agricultural uses (usually residential) in Southold has
been slower than might have been anticipated. This a result of a
lack of development pressures brought about by the poor economy,
the availability of housing nearer the western portions of
Suffolk, and the availability of affordable seasonal houses on
the South Fork. However, some of these factors appear to be
changing. The improving economy and higher South Fork prices
makes the North Fork more attractive to seasonal home owners.
These developments, combined with the marginal economics of many
of the area's farmers (particularly of more traditional crops),
indicates that there will probably be increasing pressure to
convert prime agricultural land, particularly close to the water,
to other uses. This may be exacerbated by the fact that an
estimated 60% of the Town's farmland is owned by private inves-
tors and rented to farmers. Thus, if the agricultural industry
is to continue as a major economic force in the Town, new efforts
in agricultural preservation will be necessary. Such efforts
might include the establishment of a Town development rights
acquisition program to supplement the County's program, programs
to enable existing farmers to begin growing non-traditional
crops, experimentation in alternative crops and farming methods,
expanded use of the preferential assessment aspects of the
Agricul tural District Act, planning and zoning that emphasize
agricultural land use and very low density, mandatory clustering
of development in areas of prime agricultural land, and the
marketing of Southold as a prime agricultural area (particularly
for the less traditional uses previously discussed) .
9
The 1970 and 1980 categories are are not entirely comparable, since in 1980 mining was included
in the "agriculture, forestry and fishing" category. However, since mining is not a major
industry in the town, the comparison between the 1970 and 1980 data is considered to be
accurate.
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TOURISM AND RECREATION
The third major component of Southold's economic base is tourism
and recreation. The Town abounds in recreational facilities,
many reflecting its seafaring heritage, and is also a popular
summer home area. The small, historic villages, set in the
pastoral Southold landscape are a further attraction to visitors
and summer residents. The Town's population doubles during the
summer months, and the resulting generated income is felt in
every sector of the economy.
Swimming, boating and recreational fishin~Oare deemed the great-
est recreational attractions of the Town. In Southold, there
are seven Town beaches (excluding park district beaches), one
Suffolk County beach, and one New York State beach. On a busy
summer Sunday, Orient State Park may serve up to 2000 people
(this happens approximately three times a year) .
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Southold is located in one of the biggest recreational boating
markets in the United States. The recreati~~al boating industry
has grown by over 50% in the past 10 years and water sports
equipment sales are following close behind. A recent University
of Rhode Island study determined that for every $1 in ~at and
marine sales, another $1.20 is generated elsewhere. (A
similar study has been proposed by Sea Grant for the Nassau-
Suffolk Area, but has yet to be funded).
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There are 25 marinas in the Town (most located in Mattituck,
Southold and Greenport), with almost 1,800 boat slips and moor-
ings. Other facilities include two boat yards (without slips),
numerous restaurants with docking and both commercial (marina)
and Town boat ramps (see Table 2). In spite of the number of
marinas, there are current shortages of boat slips, docking
spaces and moorings, particularly for large boats. This situa-
tion is relatively recent, as in prior years the facilities were
considered reasonably adequate. However, the recent increase in
seasonal residents and vacationers has resulted in a greatly
increased demand for marina facilities. The growing shortages
are compounded by development pressures to convert present
marinas to residential uses.
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10
L1 Tourism and Convention Commission.
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Greenport Chamber of Commerce
12
Rorholm, Niels and David Burrage, Preliminary Report on a study of the Economic Impact of the
R.I. Boating Industry, 1983.
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Table 2
Boating and Fishing Facilities 1
Marinas and Boat yards Fishing Stations
Boat Restaurants
Number Number of Number Number of Launching with
Slips Rental Boats Ramps Docking
Mattituck 6 320 1 40 2 Commerci~l 1
2 Public
CUtchoque 2 114 1 Commercial
New Suffolk 2 74 2 40 1 Public 1
Peconic 3 Public
Southo1d 3
6 580 1 100 6 Public 1
4 5
Greenport 7 580 1 Commercial 4
2 Public
East Marion 2 Public
1 Commercial
orient 2 115 1 40 2 Commercial 1
2 Public
Total 25 1,783 5 220 7 Commercial 8
18 Public
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1
Excludes charter and party fishing boats
2
Includes town, park district and county ramps
3
Includes 20 moorings
4
In addition there are 2 boat yards and shipyards with dOCking, but no slips
5
Includes 12 moorings
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Source: Boating Almanac, 1983 edition; Long Island Recreation and
Visitors Guide, 1982-83 edition.
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A major problem of the marina business (as with other tourist and I
recreational facilities in Southold) is its seasonality. Most
marinas flourish during the summer months, then rely on that
income to survive the winter. Some winter time revenue is I
generated from storage and maintenance, but not a substantial
amount. A major portion of many marinas' winter income is
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generated from recreational fishing. A few marina owners have
also found it profitable to remain open during the winter months
for commercial fishing boats, but this is generally not feasible,
because of the lack of patrons (most fishing boats require year-
round docking facilities).
Recreational fishing is also a major activity in the Town. With
Southold's mild winters, many second home owners and vacationers
come for the weekend to relax and fish. There are at least five
fishing stations, renting approximately 220 boats (see Table 2).
In addition there are numerous fishing charter and party boats
operating out of Mattituck, Southold and Greenport. Many other
fishermen fish from piers, bulkheads and jetties, while others
own their own boats.
According to the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation, there are 61,000 licensed freshwater fishermen in
Nassau-Suffolk, and an estimated three million saltwater fisher-
men in the State of New York. Since saltwater fishing activity
in the State occurs primarily in the Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester
and New York City waters (the Great Lakes are freshwater), it can
be assumed that a sizeable proportion of the saltwater fishermen
are active in Suffolk County. Shell fishing is also popular
year-round, and is one of Southold's great attractions. Non-
commercial permits must be issued to all residents over the age
of 14 who shellfish. In 1982, 2,253 of these permits were issued
as well as 91 temporary visitor permits (which require a one week
residency prior to application).
As with the other facets of Southold's base economy, information
available on the economic impacts of recreational fishing is
limited. However, the National Marine Fisheries Service estimat-
ed that in 1970 the average annual expenditure for area fishermen
on equipment, food, lodging, and transportation was $144. (This
would amount to approximately $200 in 1982 dollars.) The DEC
estimate for the dollar value of expenditures by marine fishermen
in 1980 (using the more conservative figure of $144) is approxi-
mately $442 million. Using the 1982 estimate of $200, this
amount is approximately $614 million. The full economic impact
of recreational fishing is impossible to gauge, because of the
lack of information about recreational fishermen. However, it is
evident that the impact on the local economy is substantial.
Because of the Town's natural resources and beauty, Southold is
very attractive to vacationers, and is popular as a vacation and
second home community. During the summer months, part-time
residents add considerably to the economy, primarily through the
purchase of local goods and services. An idea of the extent and
impact of this community can be seen by the number of seasonal
and second homes in the Town (see Table 3). According to the
1980 Census of population and housing, nearly 1/3 of the Town's
housing (3,135 units) is in this category. The lowest proportion
13
of vacation housing is found in Mattituck (21%), while one-half
of the housing in the East Marion/Orient/Fishers Island Census
tract is seasonal. While the amount of seasonal housing has
increased 17 percent since 1970, when 2,660 units in the Town
were classified as seasonal or second homes; the proportion of
seasonal housing to the total number of units in the Town has
remained the same. Thus, the number of seasonal and year-round
units have increased at approximately the same rate. However,
recent trends in real estate activity and rising costs indicate
that Southold will become increasingly popular as a summer home
area in future years, as a result of higher prices and limited
development opportunities in the South Fork.
Table 3
1
Seasonal Housing/Second Homes
Total Seasonal/Second
Housing Homes
units # %
Laure 1 575 220 38%
Mattituck 1,910 405 21%
CUtchogue-New Suffolk 1,560 430 27%
Peconlc 600 185 31%
Southold 2,870 780 27%
Greenport West 1,030 295 29%
East Marion/Orient 1,220 540 44%
Fishers Island 425 280 66%
Total Unincorporated Town 10,190 3,135 31%
1
Figures rounded
Source: U.S. Census, 1980.
In addition to seasonal homes, the Town (including Greenport
Village) offers 25 hotels and motels with accommodations for an
estimated 1,500 people (see Table 4). As can be seen from Table
4, three quarters of the hotel and motel units in the Town are
seasonal, i.e. open only during the summer months. In the past
few years, some of the hotels have begun to keep winter hours; a
very positive sign for the Town's economy. Another trend seen on
the South Fork, and to some extent anticipated in Southold, is
the conversion of motel units to condominium units. This has
been met with mixed reactions; some view such conversions as a
14
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change of use and feel that hotel and motel rooms designed for
transient use will not be suitable for more permanent use in
terms of size and facilities; thus requiring major renovations
(e.g. kitchen facilities, etc.). This would involve building
codes and permits, and could be costly to enforce. Others
contend that such conversions are merely a change in ownership.
Table 4
Hotels and Motels
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Total Establishments
Seasonal Establishments
Percent of
Number of Total
Establishments Establishments
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Number of Number of Estimated
Establishments Units Capacity
Mattituck 2 33 68
Cutchogue 1 60 150
Southald 4 157 344
Greenport 10 220 663
East Marion 6 63 277
Orient 1 8 40
Fishers Is land 1 12 24
Total 25 553 1,566
Source: LIRPB, Commercial Development Analysis, 1982.
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2 100%
1 100%
3 75%
6 60%
6 100%
1 100%
0
19 76%
In summary, tourism and recreation is a thriving part of the
Town I s economy, and all indications are that it will become
increasingly important in the future. For this reason, future
development in the tourism and recreation industry should be
carefully guided to insure that the qualities that make Southold
desirable are maintained. Programs and regulations should be
directed towards insuring both the health of the industry and the
character of the Town which is, after all, the reason that the
Town is attractive.
COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY
Commercial activity in Southold has been steadily improving over
the past decade. The nationwide recession has not apparently
affected the local commercial economy of the Town to the extent
that it has in other areas. However, commercial activity and
sales are limited in the Town, due partly to the size of
Southold, but more importantly due to the seasonal character of
the Town.
15
Commercial businesses involved in the tourist, agricultural and
fishing industries account for much of the activity in the Town.
Marine commercial areas including boat yards , marinas, fishing
stations, boating supply stores, etc., are found throughout the
Town along the South shore. Heavy commercial activity in the
Town includes fish and agricultural processing operations as well
as distribution centers and storage facilities. The hotel/motel
and restaurant industries also make up a significant portion of
the Town's commercial activity.
The largest general and service commercial areas in the Town
(outside of Greenport) are located in Mattituck and Southold.
(The closest major retail center is Riverhead.) The Long Island
Regional Planning Board has also classified these areas as
tourist oriented cen"1::rl business districts, along with the
Village of Greenport. In addition, Cutchogue is classified
as a Community Central Business District. Each area includes a
variety of commercial uses, including retail, service, light
industrial and marine commercial establishments. A 1982 report
indicated that the Mattituck, Southold, Cutchogue and Greenport
business dif4ricts had approximately 189 stores (the majority in
Greenport) . Since only the establishments in each hamlet's
center were included, this figure excludes stores in the small
shopping centers and individual shops along the roads outside of
the centers, and the small commercial concentrations in other
communities (e.g. New Suffolk, East Marion and Orient). The
Mattituck, Cutchogue and Southold Central Business districts are
significant retail centers with between 21 and 28 stores each.
At the time of the survey, Mattituck was the only Central Busi-
ness district with vacant retail space with three of 28 stores
unoccupied.
13
LIRPB, Commercial Development Analysis - 1982.
14
Ibid., p.84.
16
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Table 5
Number of Stores in Southald Business Districts
Mattituck
CUtchoque
Southold
Greenport
TOTAL
Number of Number Percent
Stores Vacant Vacant
28 3 10.7
21 0 0
24 0 0
116 4 3.4
189 7 3.7
Source: LIRPB, Commercial Development Analysis - 19826
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Shopping centers in the Town (outside of the hamlet centers) are
limited. The Mattituck Shopping Center is the only center in
Southold large enough to be considered a community shopping
center. (A community shopping center usually includes a variety
or junior department store and has at least 100,000 square feet
of area.) There are 18 stores covering 121,800 square feet of
retail floor space in the Mattituck Shopping Center. Laurel and
Cutchogue each have a neighborhood shopping center (a grouping of
convenience and personal service stores with under 100,000 square
feet of space), with a combined area of approximately 82,000
square feet of floor space. The Cutchogue Center (Key Food) has
a total of 8 stores and 41,600 square feet. The Laurel Center,
with 5 stores and 40,800 square feet, was vacant at the time of
the survey and remains so.
As a rule, luxury items and recreational spending are the first
to be eliminated when economies falter. In the relative sense,
Southold has proven to be the exception to this rule. Because of
Southold's recreational attractiveness, its popularity as a
second home and recreation center has been great and is expected
to grow. Restaurants, hotels, movie theaters and sporting good
stores have l~ctually gained a portion of per capita
expenditures. Evidence of these changing buying habits is not
only linked to part-time residents and vacationers, but also to
the changing structure of the family. The relative growth of
retired residents, single-parent families and the tendency for
young couples to delay parenthood and have fewer children all
influence buying patterns.
15
LILCO.
17
The implication of these trends is related to commercial activity
and the distribution of family expenditures. Indications are
that durable goods and sales of items such as furniture and
appliances are down within the Town. This is in part because
second home residents generally furnish their new homes from
pre-owned furnishings; and because of the decline in new home
buildings. This also emphasizes the contrasting income levels of
year-round residents and summer residents. Part-time residents
and vacationers also tend to spend far more on luxury items,
specialty items, recreation and in restaurants than do permanent
residents. Thus, the types of commercial activity which will
succeed in Southold in the years to come are dependent to some
extent on the degree of seasonality in the Town.
REAL ESTATEl6
The real estate market should be considered a major sector of
Southold's economy. The Town's numerous communities create a
high level of demand for land and housing. Suburbanization of
the bi-county area during the 30's and 40's did not greatly
affect demand in Southold, however, more recent trends have. As
towns nearer to the metropolitan center became saturated,
development moved further out. Because the Town of Southold is
more than the comfortable commuting distance to and from New York
Ci ty, this suburbanization has not been felt directly in
Southold. The move of corporate headquarters and the industrial
development that followed the suburban boom to Nassau County
created some additional demands, however. In the past decade,
Long Island's residential development has occurred almost
exclusively in Suffolk County.
An additional force has increased the demand for real estate in
Southold. The commercialization and the increasing cost of
homeownership in the Hamptons and Montauk has diminished the
desire and the ability of many to become property owners on the
South Fork of Long Island. The result has been an increase in
residential real estate activity and development on the North
Fork. Since 1956, 110 major subdivisions (4+ lots) have been
created in Southold with a total of nearly 3,000 parcels.
Southold's real estate transactions have become almost
exclusively residential or for future residential development as
the Town has become a popular resort and second home area.
Housing costs have sky rocketed, and are still increasing, but
the area remains more affordable than the South Fork. Coupled
with a high volume of sales, this trend means good business in
the real estate market.
16
This section added subsequent to original memorandum.
18
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Area realtors indicate that sales are better than ever and they
expect them to continue rising. New housing construction has
fluctuated somewhat over the past decade, but appears to be again
on the upswing. More importantly, it appears that the average
price per home has more than doubled in 10 years. According to
values listed on building permit applications, the average price
of a new home in 1972 was $27,276 in Southold whereas in 1981,
this figure had reached $58,354. While these values are probably
lower in most cases than market prices, they do reflect real
estate trends in the Town. Moreover, the Southold construction
values as compared to the housing component of the Consumer Price
Index (PCI), an important indicator of the Real Estate Market,
show that construction values in Southold have been equal to or
greater than the PCI for the New York-New Jersey area for the
last five years.
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Although the construction has been very active over the past
decade, 58% of major subdivision plots parceled since 1950 are
vacant. The price of new construction and the selling value of
homes is reflected in the high turnover rate of existing homes,
which is a strength of the real estate market in Southold.
With the changing trends, turnover of agricultural land is not as
uncommon as it used to be. The increasing interest in the grape
growing industry on Long Island along with land speculation has
brought buyers for those prime agricultural lands. Vineyard
acreage is expected to double in the next year, and if the trends
continue as expected, land prices will increase.
In summary, the economic activity produced in Southold from real
estate sales is important to the Town. Not only do real estate
sales employ local residents, but the real estate market brings
greater revenues into the Town and stimulates investment. With
the Town's diversifying character and changing land use and the
pressure of second home development and agricultural land sales,
there will be increasing pressure to balance the pros and cons of
development as it relates to the desirability of maintaining the
character and scale of the Town.
Other Commercial/Industrial Activity
Other commercial and industrial activities in the Town are
relatively few. Approximately 22% of the nearly 500 industrially
zoned acres in Southold is used for industry, while another 16%
is used for commercial purposes (see Table 6). Over one-half of
the Town's industriffly zoned land is used for agriculture (37%)
or is vacant (19%).
17
LIRPB, Industrial Location Analysis - 1980, p. 125.
19
Table 6
Town of Southold*
Industrially Zoned Land
Current Use:
Industrial
Acres Percent
Residential
Acres Percent
Commercial
Acres Percent
Cutchoque 12.1 8.6 .8 .6
East Marion 20.5 32.6 .3 .5
Mattituck 29.1 23.4 .8 .6 5.2 4.2
New Suffolk .8 5.1 10.5 66.5 2.4 15.2
Peconic 4.4 88.0
Southo1d 32.8 33.2 48.0 48.6 2.9 6.9
West Greenport 4.7 15.8 19.0 63.8
Fishers Island 2.2 24.2 2.1 23.1 1.2 13.2
TOTAL 106.6 21.9 80.1 16.5 13.1 2.7
* Unincorporated Area.
Source: LIRPB, Industrial Location Analysis - 1980.
Agricultural
Acres Percent
Public, Utility,
Transportation
and Other
Acres Percent
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Total
Industrl1Y
Zoned d
(Acres)
140.3r-
62.8
124.41
15.8
5.0
98.8
29.81
9.1
4861
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Of the businesses located on the Town's industrially zoned land, 1
the most prevalent include those dealing with transportation
equipment (4), motor fr~~ht transporting and warehousing (10) 1
and wholesale trade (8). In all probability a number of these
operations are involved with the agricultural and/or commercial
fishing industries.
18LIRPB, Industrial Location Analysis - 1980, p. 130.
Vacant
Acres Percent
117.4 83.7
10.0 7.1
9.2 14.6 32.8 52.2
33.6 27
.9 5.7 1.2 7.6
.6 12.0
2.6 2.6 5.6 5.7
6.1 20.5
1.4 15.4 2.2 24.2
14.7 3.1 91.5 18.8
55.7 44.8
7.0 7.0
180.0
37.0
20
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Table 7
Industrially Zoned Lane
Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing Firms
Town of Southold
The major limitations on commercial and industrial growth in the
Town are distance -- the distance from markets, from a labor pool
of sufficient size, from major transportation routes (including
highways and airports), and from the Nassau-Suffolk commercial-
office area and New York City -- and its location at the end of
Long Island, which precludes through traffic. (These same
factors, however, have contributed to Southold's success as a
tourist and seasonal home area, as well as to agricultural
preservation.) It is likely that the Town's distance and lo-
cation will continue to discourage large industrial or office
development in the Town; however, as previously mentioned, there
may be potential for small computer-based and similar businesses.
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Number
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Construction, contractors 2
Apparel and finished products (fabric) 1
Chemicals and allied products 2
Stone, clay, grass and concrete products 1
Machinery (except electrical) 1
Electrical and electronic machinery,
equipment and supplies 1
Transportation equipment 4
Motor freight transportation and
warehousing 10
Transportation services (including
water and air) 2
Wholesale trade (durable and non-durable
goods) 8
Building materials, hardware, garden
supply, etc. 3
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TOTAL 35
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Source: LIRPB, Industrial Location Analysis - 1980
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CONCLUSION
Total
Square Feet
Total
Employees
3,000
4,000
34,000
6,000
30,000
NA
3
18
30
76
9,000
77,000
15
67
49,000
17
8,000
NA
51,000
136
49,000
NA
320,000
362
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The health of the Town's major base industries (agriculture,
fishing and seasonal residences and tourism) is paramount to the
economic vitality of Southold. Therefore, an important part of
the Plan will involve the policies and recommendations relating
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21
to these industries. Because of the great seasonality in the
economy of Southold, these base industries should be supported
and enhanced to enable maximum productivity. At the same time,
expansion in these industries must be carefully planned and
regulated, if the low density, non-urban character of the Town is
to be maintained. Promising industries such as maricul ture,
horse farming and grape growing should be promoted.
Although the seasonal components of the economy should be sup-
ported, they should not be completely relied upon. Efforts to
develop year-round economic activities should be encouraged, in
order to develop an economy that is not solely based on seasonal
income. This may involve promoting year-round activities in
existing industries, particularly the fishing and tourist indus-
tries, as well as attracting new industries in the Town. The
recent developments in the computer industry, for example make it
possible for people working out of their homes or in small remote
offices to be part of a large, decentralized operation.
The expansion of potential local commercial activity will be
limited by the size of the population served. Thus, expansion of
the tourist and seasonal home segment of the community, for
example, would result in a growth of local retail and service
facilities, (largely on a seasonal basis, however). Methods of
stabilizing the local economy, including the encouragement of
year-round operations within the framework of agreed upon plan-
ning goals should be given high priority.
22
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RPPW
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Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003212/365-2666
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Memorandum
April 15, 1983
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TO: Town of Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
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RE: ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURE
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INTRODUCTION
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Agriculture is the largest land use in Southold, and historically
it has been one of the dominant features of the Town's economy.
Approximately 12,000 acres in the Town are used for agriculture,
a decrease of approximately 6% since the 1967 Master Plan. Forty
percent of the Town's farm land is farmer owned, while 60% is
owned by private investors and rented to farmers.
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Although the decrease in the amount of land used for agriculture
has been relatively small, the nature of agriculture in the Town
(and in the county as a whole) has been changing at an accelerat-
ing rate. Recent years have seen an approximate 10 percent
annual decrease in potato acreage, with increases in vegetable
crops (particularly cauliflower), nurseries, horse farms and
vineyards. These changes have occurred largely in response to
changing markets and the rising production costs and declining
prices of certain crops.
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However, in spite of recent changes and the traditional strength
of the area, the future of many farms in the Town may be threat-
ened by a number of problems including higher production costs,
lower product sale prices, marketing problems, the limitations on
use of necessary pesticides and fertilizers (i.e. Temik) and the
possibili ty of additional limitations, increasing development
pressures, the escalation of land values, and the inability of
many farmers to change crops given the large investment in
equipment and high labor costs.
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Present efforts to encourage agricultural preservation, particu-
larly the Suffolk County Farmland Preservation Program, coupled
with the relative lack of development pressures during recent
years have resulted in the preservation of almost all of the
Town's extensive agricultural area. However, the lack of devel-
opment pressures is not expected to last; in fact, during recent
months there has been a substantial increase in the number of
proposed subdivision plats filed and in applications for mul-
ti-family rezoning. In addition, the economic problems faced by
many farmers require that preservation efforts be re-evaluated in
terms of both long term goals and effectiveness. While agricul-
tural land might be preserved without such re-evaluation or
redirection, there is no assurance that it will continue to be
farmed; and in fact, if farming is not economically viable, the
land will become non-agricultural open space. While the preser-
vation of open space is desirable, if the Town's objective is
also to preserve agriculture as an important element of the
Southold economy and lifestyle, additional actions may be neces-
sary. The nature of existing agricultural uses in the Town,
current trends, problems and agricultural preservation efforts
are reviewed in this memorandum, while the next phase of work
will explore the extent to which agriculture should be preserved
and possible programs and actions which might be used to accom-
plish this.
EXISTING AGRICULTURE IN SOUTHOLD
Approximately 40% of Southold I s "mainland" acreage (excluding
Fishers, Robins and Plum Islands) is used for agriculture. The
following table sllIl1j1larizes the Town I s agricultural acreage by
hydrogeologic zones and by zoning categories. Although most
agricultural land is within the residential-agricultural zoning
district, approximately 300 acres are zoned for multi-family,
commercial or industrial uses. In addition, 440 acres of prime
agricultural land are preserved through Phase I of the Suffolk
County farmland preservation program, while acquisition of the
development rights of anoth~* 1,130 acres has been considered for
the program's second phase.
.
Hydrogeologic zones are defined in North Fork Water Study and they are discussed further in the
memorandum on water supply dated September 1983.
..
As of February 1, 1984 development rights to about 100 acres have been acquired in Southold in
Phase II of the County program.
2
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Table 1
Agricultural Areas
(in acres - rounded to nearest 5)
Hydrogeologic
Zone
Zoning Classification
M/M-l B/B-l
Multi-Family Commercial
Phase I
County Farmland
Preservation
Program
Total
A
Res./Agric.
C/C-l
Industrial
2: Riverhead Town boundary -
Mattituck Creek
3: Mattituck Creek - Arshamomaque
4: Arshamomaque - Dam Pond
5: Dam Pond - Orient Point
1,945
7,870
335
1,055
30
50
50 2,025
105 310 8,380
20 355
130 1,185
175 440 11,945
45
Total
11,205
45
80
Approximately 70% of the 12,000 acres used for agriculture in the
town are within hydrogeologic zone three, located between Matti-
tuck Creek and Arshamomaque Pond. This area, encompassing the
widest part of Southold, features a large, cohesive block of
agricultural land between the north shore bluffs and dunes and
the south shore residential hamlets. At the other extreme;
hydrogeologic zone four, which is the location of Greenport
Village and East Marion hamlet and contains a relatively high
proportion of poor agricultural soils, encompasses approximately
350 acres of farmland.
Most of the agricultural soils in the Town have been classified
as prime (soil capability Classes I and II) by the U. S. Soil
Conservation Service (SCS). These soils are of the Haven-
Riverhead Association, and are deep, well drained, medium to
moderately coarse textured and are relatively free of stones.
Although naturally low in fertility, these are highly productive
soils when fertilized. However, the same features that mRke
Haven-Riverhead soils prime agricultural soils (e. g. the good
drainage, good depth to the water table, and relatively low
erosion hazard) make them highly desirable for residential
development, thus increasing the pressures for conversion from
agricultural to residential use. This is particularly evident in
the Orient Point area (largely comprised of Class I soils) and
the East Marion area. At present, however, most of Southold's
Class I and II soils remain in agricultural use.
Approximately one half (6,000 acres) of the Town's farmland is
used to grow potatoes. Other crops grown include vegetables such
as cauliflower, cabbage, sweet corn, peppers, cucumbers, spinach,
tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, onions, lettuce and melons. In
addition, other acreage is used for growing sod, nursery stock
(trees and shrubs), and fruit (primarily peaches, apples and
3
strawberries). A relatively recent trend has seen the addition
of horse farms, stables and vineyards. A brief discussion of the
major types of agriculture in Southold appears below.
Potato Farming
During the 1982 growing season, approximately 6,000 of the Town's
agricultural acres were in potato production. As in the rest of
the county, the acreage used for potatoes in Southold has been
declining annually, and is expected to decrease further this
year. (A 10% decline in potato acreage is again predicted for
the county as a whole.)
Potatoes grown on Long Island are usually marketed through potato
brokers, and from there may be distributed to wholesale markets
(such as Hunts Point) and chain stores in the mid-Atlantic states
region. A major problem facing many Long Island potato farmers
has been the declining price of potatoes at the brokers. Prices
have declined from $9 per hundred weight in 1980 to $5.50 in 1981
to $3.50-$4.00 in 1982. At the same time, the cost per acre to
grow potatoes has risen*from $1,000 per acre to $1,500 per acre
during the same period. Thus, the returns for the season for
many potato farmers were approximately half the cost of growing
the potatoes. This was doubly frustrating since the declining
prices apparently resulted from government subsidies granted to
Canadian farmers and an overabundance of western potatoes, rather
than problems with the Long Island crop. (An indication of the
variable market for agricultural products is the fact that as of
Spring 1983, prices for potatoes appeared to be rising, due to
apparent shortages in the Florida crop.)
Many potato farmers are reluctant to switch to other crops,
because of the large investment for specialized machines and
buildings necessary for potato farming (which could no longer be
used). In addition, growing vegetables and grapes (which re-
quires all pruning to be done by hand), requires more intensive
labor, thus driving the production costs up.
Southold farmers are confronted with problems related to pesti-
cides and nitrate leaching. Because of the rapid soil permeabil-
ity, pesticides and fertilizers used in agriculture (as well as
other chemicals used on lawns, etc.) are passed down to the
aquifer before they can be filtered out (see the memorandum on
water for a more detailed discussion of this). Aquifer pollution
*
Article in Tbe News Review, November 25, 1982.
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*
resulted in the banning of the use of Temik, a pesticide used by
potato farmers to control the Colorado potato beetle, in 1979.
Use of the most effective pesticides in the future is dependent
upon clearance from the New York Department of Environmental
Conservation.
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However, in spite of the problems, it is likely that potato
farming will continue to be an important part of Southold I s
agriculture, although probably not as extensive as in the past.
Research into new techniques (such as recent studies into the
problem of nitrate pollution by Cornell University) suggest that
by modifying current fertilization practices, nitrate pollution
could p~ lowered significantly, with limited adverse affects on
crops.
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Vegetable Farming
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Vegetable farming has been increasing steadily over recent years.
In Southold there are presently 2,500 acres planted in vegeta-
bles; approximately 20% of the Town's agricultural land. Cauli-
flower and cabbage are the most prevalent vegetable crops (ac-
counting for 2000 acres and 1700 acres respectively County-wide
in 1982). Farms growing cabbage usually get two crops per year.
Cauliflower is often grown as a second crop after the harvesting
of potatoes. The relatively cool (aOOF or below) summer weather
makes Suffolk County ideal for growing cauliflower, and the
County is reputed to produce the best late cauliflower in the
country. Other vegetables grown in the area include sweet corn,
snap beans, peppers, cucumbers, spinach, tomatoes, squash,
onions, lettuce and pumpkins.
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Generally, vegetable crops have done fairly well in recent years.
The major exception in 1982 was cabbage, which suffered from
depressed prices and low demand brought about by nationwide
overproduction. Prices for cauliflower, on the other hand,
averaged approximately $2, a 75 per acre, which resulted in an
average profit per acre of $375 (production and marketing costs
averaged approximately $2,500 per acre.)
A major problem faced by vegetable farmers is the difficulty of
obtaining adequate labor. Since the work is largely seasonal;
labor intensive farms, including vegetable farms, usually rely on
migrant farm workers. However, it is increasingly difficult to
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*
In January 1984 the pesticide Vydate was withdrawn from the market because of levels of water
contamination, leaving the questions of Colorado beetle and nematode control unanswered.
**
Cornell University: Center for Environmental Research, Effect of Timing and Rate of
Fertilization on Potato Growth and Nitrate Leaching to Ground Water, August 1982.
I
5
hire the necessary workers, and the Town no longer permits the
building of migrant housing.
Marketing is another problem that vegetable farmers must contend
with. Currently, cauliflower and cabbage are usually sold
through the Long Island Cauliflower Auction in Riverhead, while
sweet corn, other vegetables and fruits are sold at road side
stands and by some individual farmers to supermarkets. Very
little produce is sold directly through the Hunts Point Market
because of the relatively high (15%) consignment fee and the
preference of the market to use produce from states with a
year-round growing season, such as California. The limited
marketing opportunities for vegetables other than cabbage and
cauliflower, combined with the labor difficulties, may be dis-
couraging greater vegetable farming in the area.
Plans to expand the markets for Long Island produce include the
possible establishment of farmers markets in Long Island to
provide an outlet for small vegetable farmers (one day a week),
the establishment of a Long Island regional market to facilitate
distribution to Nassau-Suffolk food outlets, and investigating
the potential of serving southern New England via the Orient
Point ferry. Such improvements in marketing might make it
possible to somewhat increase the amount of vegetables profitably
grown in the area.
Vineyards
Vineyards are becoming an increasingly important factor in
Southold's agricultural industry. Since the first North Fork
vineyard (Hargrave) was started 11 years ago, the acreage used
for growing wine grapes has increased to approximately 400 acres
(320 acres in Southold), with the addition of another 200-300
acres anticipated in 1983. Approximately 185 acres are expected
to be in production in 1983 (it takes three years for the vines
to come into production). The grapes grown on the North Fork are
vinifera grapes -- the European species of wine grapes including
varieties such as cabernet, chardonnay, pinot noir, reisling and
gewarztraminer. Existing vineyards on the North Fork range in
size from less than 15 acres to approximately 90 acres, while
most are between 30-50 acres. Most of the North Fork wine grape
vineyards have been started by former non-farmers on land previ-
ously held by speculators for development. (It is interesting to
note that only two of the parcels now occupied by vineyards were
included in the Town's agricultural district at its inception in
1979). Thus, the establishment of vineyards' has assured the
continued agricultural use of land that may originally have been
purchased for eventual development, while involving new people in
the Town's agricultural industry.
The North Fork appears to have an ideal climate for growing
vinifera grapes. Because of the surrounding water, winters tend
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to be more mild (temperatures seldom fall below 10%F) and summers
more temperate (with temperatures seldom above 90%F). Spring
arrives some two weeks later than in Nassau and Westchester
Counties, thus reducing the chance of frost after budbreak. Once
started, the growing season is long, lasting to the first killing
frost (usually around November). This means that the vines can
have up to two months after harvest in September to restore the
reserves of carbohydrates necessary to survive the winter.
Because of its unique climate, the North Fork east of Riverhead
is the best vinifera area in New York (west of Riverhead the
climate is enough cooler to make the growing of vinifera grapes
risky and upstate the climate severely limits vinifera produc-
tion). The well drained, neutral Haven-Riverhead soils are also
well suited to grape production. Mineralization, which can
adversely affect the flavor of the fruit, is largely absent.
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Most of the area's wine grape growers have been selling their
grapes to wineries in Massachusetts or upstate New York. In
1982, prices averaged around $1,400 per ton, compared to $650 per
ton for Napa Valley vinifera grapes. This partially reflects the
high quality of the North Fork grapes which have an ideal sug-
ar/acid balance.
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At present the Town has one operating winery (Hargrave) with a
second (Lenz) to begin operation this year. The Hargrave wines
are "estate bottled" -- i.e. the winery solely uses grapes from
its own vineyard. Current Southold zoning requires that the
grapes used in wine bottled at wineries located in the A -
agricultural-residential zone be primarily from the winery 's
vineyard. In addition, in order to be labeled as Long Island
wine, Federal regulations require that 75% of the grapes used be
from Long Island. Many grape growers feel that these provisions
will help to insure the high quality of Long Island wines by
encouraging Estate bottling and/or the use of high quality local
grapes when other grapes are used. The insurance of high quality
is of vi tal importance to the area's grape growers and wine
industry, since it would be impossible to compete with California
vineyards and wineries on a mass basis (there are over 100
wineries in the Napa Valley and vineyards can be as large as 2000
acres in size).
Despite the potential for improvement and expansion of the Town's
agricultural economy as a result of the growth in vineyards and
wineries, there are some problems that should be recognized. A
major factor is the high cost of establishing a vineyard. Costs
can run as high as $8,500 per acre (excluding the cost of the
land) plus another $1,500 per acre for a highly efficient trickle
irrigation system. The high initial cost is compounded by the
fact that there is no return for three years, until the first
harvest is possible.
7
The high initial cost of establishing wine grapes may also
discourage local farmers from changing from less economically
viable crops to vineyards. The high cost for existing farmers is
intensified by the need for smaller farm equipment (e.g. trac-
tors), since many farm machines, such as those used for potato
farming, are too large to be usable. Another deterrent is
undoubtedly a lack of knowledge about a different agricultural
process. For this reason the Long Island Grape Growers Asso-
ciation has advocated establishing courses in grape growing on
both secondary school and adult education levels.
Another potential problem, as the acres in grape production
expand, may be an increase in the diseases and insects which
attack grapes. Although these can be controlled by chemicals,
the widespread use of pesticides might result in problems similar
to those in potato farming.
The relative recent origin of vinifera grape vineyards forms
another question in terms of their long term success. Most
Southold vineyards are too recent to know if they will be suc-
cessful in the long run, given potential problems such as hail
storms, seasonal hurricanes, the availability of sufficient labor
and permitted pesticide use; although the vineyards existing at
the time of the 1976 hurricane survived (with good management)
and today are prospering. Further, grape growing (like vegeta-
bles) is highly labor intensive. Because of the relatively small
number of vineyards, there has been no real labor shortage to
date. However, as the number and size of vineyards increase, the
availability of labor may be a serious problem.
In spite of the problems, the outlook for vinifera grape growing
on the North Fork appears to be excellent. The continued growth
and success of North Fork vineyards may help the area's agricul-
tural industry adapt to changing markets and demands and thus
prosper.
Horse Farms
Horse farms are another rapidly growing form of agriculture in
Suffolk County, and appear to be becoming an important factor in
Southold as well. There are basically three types of horse farm
establishments in the area: thoroughbred farms and standardbred
farms for racing horses and stables for show and pleasure horses.
The stables which keep pleasure horses for riding and show horses
(dressage) are part of a long established business on Long
Island. In Southold, two stables (Hidden Lake in Southold and
Strawberry Fields in Mattituck) specialize in show and pleasure
horses. There is a relatively constant demand for stables of
this type, since riding is a popular activity in the area.
However, a great increase in pleasure stables in the Town is not
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anticipated, since the large profits associated with the racing
industry are not generated by these operations.
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Most thoroughbred and standardbred horse farms are relatively
recent arrivals in Suffolk County. Many operations were started
during the past 5-10 years, in large part as a result of New York
State incentives encouraging race horse breeding (initially
passed in 1972 and revised in 1976). Incentives include in-
creased prize money for winning horses bred in New York and prize
money for the owners of New York mares. At present, there are 41
thoroughbred farms in Suffolk County, the second highest number
of thoroughbred farms among counties in the State. Southold is
the location of one thoroughbred farm (Daybreak in Mattituck) and
a portion of the Big E farm (mostly in Riverhead). Of the six
standardbred farms in Long Island (raising trotters or pacers),
three are on the eastern end and one, Iris Acres, is in Southold
(Mattituck). The horse farms in the North Fork area specialize
in breeding and raising horses which are eventually sold to
owners or trainers for racing.
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Two major factors (in addition to the State incentives) have
contributed to the growth of race horse farms on Long Island, the
temperate climate, particularly the mild winters, and proximity
to main race tracks such as Belmont and Acqueduct.
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Horse farms can generate direct employment opportunities (e.g.
managers, veterinarians, secretaries, and grooms). Like other
forms of agriculture horse farms also may have some secondary
economic benefits. These include increased demand for hay, feed
and straw, horse transport businesses, and lumber for fencing and
buildings. Although some horse farms grow a portion of their own
feed, hay, and straw, many depend on outside sources, creating
potential opportunities for other local farmers.
The potential for increased thoroughbred and standardbred farms
in Southold appears promising although it may be too early to
predict a large increase in horse farms. However, the North
Fork's numerous benefits (e.g. climate, prime agricultural land,
and attractive location) combined with the growth of the horse
racing industry on the Island, may result in new horse farms in
Southold.
Nursery Stock and Floriculture
The production of nursery stock and flowers (floriculture) is
another important part of Suffolk County agriculture. While most
of the Suffolk nurseries are located in Riverhead or Brookhaven,
approximately 10-15% of the County's 3,500 acres used for growing
nursery stock are in Southold. Generally, wholesale nurseries
have been moving east from Huntington and Babylon as these areas
have become more developed. Nursery products include numerous
shrubs, shade trees, evergreens and ornamental trees. These are
9
marketed locally through independent retai 1 garden centers,
retail outlets associated with the nursery in the western portion
of the County and landscape contractors, as well as shipped to
upstate New York and other nearby states. There appears to be
some potential for nursery expansion in Southold; however exten-
sive growth may be limited by the presence of equally suitable,
but less expensive land in Riverhead and possibly Brookhaven.
The production of flowers is also an important part of the
Suffolk County agricultural industry. Most of the County's
floriculture operations are in the central portions of Suffolk;
however there appears to be an increasing number in Southold
particularly in the Mattituck and Peconic areas. Most of the
flowers and plants, including cut flowers (e.g. chrysanthemums,
roses and orchids), potted plants (e.g. geraniums, azaleas and
house plants) and bedding plants for use in gardens, are grown in
climate controlled greenhouses. Economically, the floriculture
industry is healthy. Most flowers grown on Long Island are
marketed in the metropolitan area (through retail florists, chain
stores and garden stores), although a proportion of plants are
shipped upstate or out of state. In addition, the industry
offers year-round employment opportunities. A relatively recent
change in the Southold zoning ordinance permitting greenhouses
as-of- right in the A-Agricultural-Residential district may help
to encourage continued expansion of the floriculture industry in
the Town.
Fruit Farming
Frui ts grown in Suffolk County include high quality apples,
peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and table grapes.
The major fruit produced in the County is peaches (approximately
500 acres) followed by apples (250 acres) and strawberries (250
acres). Nearly all the fruit grown in Suffolk County is sold at
roadside stands. The climatic conditions that make the North
Fork an excellent vinifera area also make it highly suited for
growing fruit, particularly peaches. (Like vinifera grapes,
peaches are very sensitive to late frosts, and therefore cannot
be safely grown in many areas of the state.) Thus, there may be
good potential for increasing the acreage in peaches as well as
other fruits.
Sod Farms
Although sod farms total about 3,000 acres County-wide, most are
located in the Towns of Riverhead and Brookhaven. The Town of
Southold currently has one sod farm, but this number may increase
slightly if the present trend towards diversified agriculture
continues. While sod farming is economically sound, there are a
number of factors which may limit its expansion in Southold.
These include the high capital investment in the form of equip-
ment and trucks, the relatively high cost of land (compared to
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Riverhead and Brookhaven), the high water usage required to grow
sod, and possible restrictions on necessary pesticides and
fungicides.
AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES
Preservation of farmland in Suffolk County has been a major issue
in the County for a number of years. In 1950, there were approx-
imately 123,000 agricultural acres in the county. In 1979 this
figure had declined to 50,000 acres, the result of the suburbani-
zation of the western portions of the county. At the same time,
increasing pressures on south fork agricultural land was evident
as seasonal residential use boomed. Southold, particularly the
non coastal areas, has not been impacted by major development
pressures as yet, in part a result of the slowing development in
other portions of the county.
However, this trend can not be expected to last. A number of
factors including a economic recovery in Long Island's housing
industry, the high cost of development on the south fork, the
picturesque nature of the Town, its location near the water, and
the availability of developable land will in all probability
result in increasing development pressures in the future.
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Suffolk County Purchase of Development Rights Program
In 1974, Suffolk County began Phase I of its farmland preser-
vation program, as a response to development pressures in the
western and central portions of the county. This program in-
volves the acquisition of the development rights of prime farm
land. In other words, when the development rights are sold, the
owner retains ownership and possession of the land and the right
to use or sell the land for agricultural purposes. (The owner
could also leave the land fallow). Suffolk County holds the
development rights in perpetuity; if the County should wish to
sell the rights, the sale would have to be approved by the voters
in a county wide referendum. In addition, the parcels cannot be
subdivided for sale without approval of the County Legislature,
except when divided among heirs in a will.
Fifteen parcels encompassing 443 acres are preserved through
Phase I of this program in Southold. Another 1,130 acres are
proposed for development rights acquisition in Phase II; howeve~
this phase has been delayed by funding problems for over a year.
In addition, some land owners feel that the county appraisals are
unrealistically low, and should be reviewed and updated.
.
As of February 1, 1984, development rights to about 100 acres in Southald have been acquired in
Phase II of the County's program.
11
The Farmland Preservation Program was not intended to, and could
not preserve all the farmland in the County. Although there have
been some problems, on the whole the program has been successful
in acquiring and preserving threatened agricultural parcels. It
is hoped that this will stabilize the county's prime agricultural
areas. Several towns have established their own development
rights acquisition program to supplement the County's efforts,
particularly as a response to increasing land values. Southold
is also exploring th~ feasibility and desirability of a Town
preservation program.
New York State Agricultural District Act
Another program designed to encourage the preservation of farm-
land is the State Agricultural District Act (1971), which enables
the creation of agricultural districts to provide tax relief and
other benefits. Agricultural Districts are established for an
eight year period, after which they may be renewed. The Southold
agricultural district was created in 1979 and encompasses approx-
imately 3,000 acres of farmland.
Owners of farmland within agricultural districts can benefit from
several measures:
o farmland is eligible for property tax assessment at
agricultural value instead of market value (owners must
apply for the special assessment annually);
o a public agency's right to acquire farmland by condem-
nation is restricted;
o the imposition of special tax levies on farmland for
water, sewer lights and drainage (non-farm) is limited;
and
o local government may not enact ordinances that restrict
farm structures or practices beyond normal health and
safety requirements.
Although the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural use
within an agricultural district is not prohibited, owners who
convert must pay rollback taxes for ~ve years if an agricultural
value assessment has been granted. Because agricultural
*
In November 1983 Southald voters approved a $1475 million Town bond program to purchase
development rights on agricultural land.
**
Cooperative Extension Association of Suffolk County, Farmland Owners Guide to Farmland
Preservation.
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assessments in Southold have been traditionally low, the poten-
tial tax benefits have not been that evident to date. This may
change in the future, however, as development pressures increase
the value of marketable land. Thus, the Agricultural District
could be of increasing value and importance to the Town as a
means of preserving agricultural land.
Other Preservation Techniques
Other techniques which might be used in Southold, but have not
been used to date, are Cluster Developments and Transfer of
Development Rights (TOR). Under clustering, the dwelling units
permitted by zoning on a parcel are clustered on a portion of the
parcel thus preserving a large block of open space. Clustering
is permitted under Section 281 of the Town Law, adopted by all
Suffolk County towns including Southold.
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The transferring of development rights from one parcel
is aiother way in which farm land might be preserved.
tion of the Cooperative Extension Service describes
follows:
to another
A publica-
TOR as
Under a TOR program, the Town planning board designates
sending areas (those lands on which development should be
restricted or prevented) and receiving areas (those lands
capable of sustaining intensive development) and assigns to
each a specific number of development rights. The owners of
the parcels in the sending areas may sell their development
rights directly to the owners of the lands in the receiving
areas. The program is voluntary on the part of the landown-
ers, but each transfer transaction must be approved by the
planning board.
The lands in the sending areas from which development rights
are transferred will subsequently be assessed at their
agricul tural value for property and estate tax purposes.
The owners will also have liquidated their assets and
received payment for their development rights without having
to develop the land.
This description of the concept is somewhat over-simplified and
it will be more complex to plan for and implement such a program.
This will be addressed as the planning program proceeds further.
In addition to the agricultural preservation techniques already
discussed and the Town of Southold farmland preservation program
to supplement the County program which would involve the
*
Farmland Owners Guide to Farmland Preservation.
13
establishment of a trust to be used to purchase development
rights or possibly help fund other preservation efforts, zoning
and outright land acquisition are also available tools.
CONCLUSION
Agriculture in Southold is an increasingly complex business. The
diversification experienced over recent years has resulted in new
potential for agricultural growth and economic stability. New
forms of agriculture, such as vineyards and horse farms, and new
techniques of fertilization and irrigation all increase the
potential for a thriving agricultural economy in Southold in the
future. Diversification is also likely to reduce agriculture's
demands on the limited water supply, which is an important
consideration.
Problems do remain. These include economic problems experienced
by farmers of traditional area crops (e.g. potatoes and cab-
bages), possible pesticide and fertilizer bans, and increasing
development pressures.
Issues concerning agricultural land preservation -- the amount of
land that can or should be preserved and its location, the
importance of maintaining agriculture to provide food supply, the
potential problem of preserving open space rather than agricul-
tural uses if agriculture is not economically viable, and the
various methods that may be used in farmland preservation are
pertinent in the evaluation of the Town Plan.
14
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RPPW
Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003212/365-2666
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Memorandum
July 25, 1983
TO: Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
RE: ANALYSIS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING
INTRODUCTION
The pattern and type of a community's development and the type
and amount of facilities to service it is in many respects a
reflection of the size and characteristics of the population.
The Master Plan has to reflect the needs and the aspirations of
the people in the community. Therefore, it is important to
understand the characteristics of the population and the trends
that are occurring or are likely to take place.
Housing is a fundamental need of the population and after agri-
cultural use is the single largest land use activity. The type,
size, value and distribution and even condition of residential
development is generally reflective of the population character-
istics.
What occurs with regard to trends in population and housing is
affected by regional or external factors as well as by policies
and programs established by the Town to meet its goals. These
factors are variable and affect the future population. The
population projections included here reflect the Long Island
Regional Planning Department's estimates of future growth and are
based on their evaluation of trends and factors influencing
population, such as development potential with regard to land and
water quality. These projections are simply one of a set of
possibilities and are used as a base point.
In developing the Master Plan, the Town will establish a policy
regarding how much and what kind of development is desired.
REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE
The Nassau-Suffolk region grew rapidly during the 1950' sand
1960's. As Nassau became saturated, the western Suffolk towns
started to experience major suburban development, both in terms
of population and jobs. Eastern Suffolk, being largely agricul-
tural and seasonal in character, has not grown as much and has a
large proportion of older and part-time residents. This situa-
tion is due in part to its distance from the region's center and
its natural setting.
In recent years the trends have closed the gap in population size
that exists between Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Suffolk Coun-
ty's population (including residents of the Town of Southold who
comprise 1.5% of the County total population) has continued a
steady increase, while the population of Nassau County over the
past decade has actually declined. Shifts in population are
creating a new set of development pressures, problems and options
in eastern Suffolk County. Along with other eastern Suffolk
towns, Southold is experiencing this development pressure. In
addition, the agricultural character, recreation options, prox-
imity to New York City and overall attractive environment are
expected to continue attracting new residents and visitors to
Southold.
TOWN PERSPECTIVE
During the decade of the 70's, the total population of the Town
went from 16,804 to 19,172, an increase of 2,368 or 14%. This
figure actually included an increase of 2,576 persons in the
uninc~rporated area of the Town (from 14,323 in 1970 to 16,899 in
1980) which represents an increase of 18%, and a decrease of 208
persons in the Village of GreEPport from 2,481 to 2,273. 1982
population estimates by LILCO show that the entire Town of
Southold's population including the Village of Greenport, has
reached 19,492, 320 more than 1980 Census c~unts and Long Island
Regional Planning Board (LIRPB) projections indicate that a 24%
increase is to be expected by 1995, which will be felt primarily
in the unincorporated portions of Southold. This would bring the
total year-round population to about 21,000 in the unincorporated
area.
Although the population in the Town, hereafter referring only to
the unincorporated portions of Southold, has continually in-
creased, these increases have not been of the magnitude once
expected. The sluggish economy, increased energy costs affecting
1
All numbers utilized in this analysis are taken from 1970 and 1980 Census data except where
otherwise indicated. Data from the 1980 Census reports are considered as current data and are
discussed in the present tense. All tables in this memo are based directly on this U.S. Census
data except where the bi-County data 1s given for Nassau-Suffolk which was compiled from the
Census by the Long Island Regional Planning Board.
2
Population Survey 1982: Current Population Estimates for Nassau and Suffolk Counties, Long
Island Lighting Company (LILeD).
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3rnterlm Population Projections, 208 Technical Advisory Committee/Long Island Regional Planning I
Board, November 19814
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travel and commuting costs, and the slowdown in the housing and
building industries have acted as major growth deterrents. The
farmland preservation efforts in Suffolk County and New York
State have also somewhat reduced the amount of developable land
in the Town, as well as other portions of the County.
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During the summer months, the population in the Town increases
significantly. The summer population increase is estimated at
over 110% of the year-rounf population or approximately 20,000
persons on a peak weekend, creating a summertime population of
about 36,900 (summer 1980) for the Town. This summertime
population creates great variations in the economy and promotes a
seasonal housing market the eastern portion of the bi-county
region.
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GENERAL POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS
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The population in the Town is, to a great degree, homogeneous.
96.7% of the population is white and 2.7% is black. The balance
is represented by several racial and ethnic groups. Sixty-five
percent of the population of those 15 and over is married and
4.6% is either divorced or separated. Widowed persons account
for 10.5% of the population, 3% more than the bi-county average.
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AGE GROUP COMPOSITION
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The most significant difference in the age group composition of
Southold, compared to the Nassau-Suffolk region, is the great
percentage of senior citizen residents. Thirty percent of the
population is 60 years of age or more, with an unusually high
percentage (22.7%) 65 and over. The age structure in Southold
also results in a work force population of 25-54 which is almost
7% smaller than the Nassau-Suffolk average.
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4
Estimated Summer Population, Eastern Suffolk, Long Island Regional Planning Board.
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Table 1
PERSONS BY AGE
Unincorporated
Southo1d Nassau-Suffolk
1970 1970 1980 1980
Number Percent Number Percent Percent
All Persons 14,323 100\ 16,899 100\ 100\
0-4 886 6.2 874 5.2 6.0
5-9 1,136 7.9 946 5.6 7.1
10-19 2,484 17.3 2,442 14.4 19.1
20-24 689 4.8 811 4.8 8.0
25-34 1,212 8.5 1,984 11.7 14.5
35-44 1,543 10.8 1,677 9.9 12.5
45-54 1,788 12.5 1,859 11.0 12.4
55-59 978 6.8 1,216 7.2 6.1
60-64 1,076 7.5 1,243 7.4 4.6
65-74 1,658 11.6 2,457 14.5 6.0
75+ 873 6.1 1,390 8.2 3.9
The percent of young children is down nationwide. This trend
holds true in Southold as well as in the bi-county region. The
percent of children under 10 years of age decreased about 4% to
10.8% between 1970 and 1980. The number of middle and high
school aged children is also significantly low in Southold.
Given the nature of Southold's economy and the lack of a variety
of jobs and affordable housing, it is likely that a significant
percentage of young adults leave the Town before their mid-20's,
either because of marriage, to attend college, to follow a
career, or because a variety of jobs was not available. However,
there appears to have been some inmigration of persons between
the ages of 25 and 35 during the 70's which was above and beyond
the expected baby boom population swell. As indicated in the the
1980 Census, nearly 12% of the Town's population is between 25
and 35 years of age. This figure is up 3% from 1970. This swell
is a suggestion of the nationwide suburbanization trend. The
fact that the young adult population still remains lower than
county or regional averages, however, suggests that Southold
experiences out-migration from urban or suburban areas to a
lesser degree, remaining primarily rural in character.
The implications of the demographic shifts being experienced in
Southold will have a great impact on the planning process. In
demographic analysis, sheer numbers are important in planning
facilities use densities. But, in this context, the true impor-
tance of analyzing the demography lies in the changes it implies.
4
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In Southold, the senior citizen population is large and
increasing in number and proportion. This type of demographic
skew can result in heavy public facilities dependence, a greater
need for small housing units and special elderly housing as well
as other special community needs (health care, nursing homes,
etc.). At the same time there is a decreasing number of children
in the Town and declining school enrollments. An inmigration of
young families will ultimately cause some increase in the school
enrollment. Children of these families will reach school age
within the decade.
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The changing demographics in the Town have resulted in raising
the median age from 36.6 in 1960 to 40.1 years in 1970 and to
over 43 years in 1980. Using Suffolk County as a comparison, the
median age is very high. In fact, Southold's median age is 14
years higher than Suffolk County's median age of 29.9. Shelter
Island is the only community in the Nassau-Suffolk region
registering a higher median age.
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Table 2
1980 MEDIAN AGE OF PERSONS BY SEX
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En tire Town
of Southold Suffolk Nassau-Suffolk
Total 43.9 29.9 32.0
Male 41.2 28.6 30.6
Female 45.3 30.9 33.5
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The following table showing age data by hamlet areas5 according
to median age, number and percentage of those in the school age
population group (5-17 years old) and number and percentage of
residents 65 years old and over, highlights differences among the
various areas of the Town. Laurel, Peconic and Mattituck clearly
have the lowest median ages together with the highest percentages
of school age children and the lowest percentage of residents 65
and over; the Cutchogue-New Suffolk area remains at about the
median level of the Town in all three categories; and Southold,
Greenport West and the easternmost areas of East Marion, Orient
and Fishers Island have the highest median ages, the smallest
percentages of school children and the highest proportion of
residents 65 and over. It is also apparent from this Table that
the Town of Southold has a significantly lower percentage of
school age children and a substantially larger proportion of
senior citizens than Suffolk County as a whole.
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5
1980 Census data for the unincorporated portion of the Town is divided into seven sections cor-
responding to hamlets and their surrounding geographic areas.
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Table 3
1980 AGE OF SOUTHOLD RESIDENTS BY HAMLET AREA
School Age
Population
Number of (5-17) 65 and over
Residents Median Age Number Percent Number Percent
Laurel 962 34.6 203 21.1 151 15.7
Mattituck 3,923 39. 784 20. 742 18.9
Cutchogue-New Suffolk 2,788 43.7 500 17.9 638 22.9
Peconic 1,056 36.7 217 20.5 193 18.3
Southo1d 4,770 47.4 776 16.3 1,280 26.8
Greenport West 1,571 47.5 246 15.7 385 24.5
East Marion )
Orient ) 1,829 47.7 290 15.9 458 25.
Fishers Island)
Unincorporated Area 16,899 3,016 17.8 3,847 22.8
Whole Town 19,172 43.1 3,681 19.2 4,444 23.2
Suffolk County 29.9 24.8 9.0
HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS
The population gain along wi th chang~ng characteristics of
households in the Nassau-Suffolk SMSA is exemplified by an
increasing number of households, which grew 16% between 1970 and
1980 compared to a population increase of less than 2%. The
total number of housing units in Suffolk County alone leaped 29%
to 431,722 from the 1970 figure of 335,041. Between the 1980
Census and January 1, 1982, it is estimated that the overall
number of households in Suffolk has grown by 10,072 (LILCO), an
additional 2.6%. The population in Suffolk County, on the other
hand, has grown by only .4% during these two years. In the Town,
the number of households increased a noteworthy 32% from 5,029 in
1970 to 6,649 in 1980 while population increased about 18%. The
number of families has increased by 25%, indicating that many of
the households are one person or unrelated individual households.
In addition, the majority of the households created during this
decade are housed in single family dwellings.
Nationwide, household size is shrinking. Wi thin the Nassau-
Suffolk SMSA, the average number of persons per household is 3.16
in 1980. Since 1970, household size in the SMSA has declined by
.5 persons and considering all major metropolitan areas in the
United States, the Nassau- Suffolk figure is quite high (LILCO).
6
SMSA is Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area, a census designation for large urban areas.
6
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Southold, further, and more clearly, reflects the national trend
of decreasing household size. In 1970, the Census reported 2.84
persons per household in the Town. 1980 data indicates household
size has declined to 2.54. Twenty-two percent of the households
have one person with most of these being female. In addition,
25% of senior citizens are living alone. There are many reasons
why the average number of persons per household has continued to
decrease while the population has expanded in the Town. It is
likely that many new inmigrants are either one person households,
childless, or retired persons. Frequently new households are
being formed where only one previously existed, with children
moving out and the divorce rates rising. These trends have
significant implications for the type of residential development
that may occur.
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Table 4
PERSONS PER HOUSEROLD
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Unincorporated Area of
Southold
1970 1980
Nassau-Suffolk
1970 1980
- -
Average Household Size
% 1 person Household
2.84 2.54
17.95 22.76
3.66 3.16
9.43 13.91
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EMPLOYMENT CHARACTERISTICS
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During the last decade the labor force over age 16 in Southpld
has increased in size from 5,017 to 6,633, or about 32%.
Employment patterns in the unincorporated area have also changed
during this same period as can be seen in the following table.
The Town of Southold has shown an increasing number and
proportion of residents employed in professional and related
services. Within the unincorporated area of the Town, 1,677 or
25.3% of Southold residents in 1980 held positions in health-
related, educational or other professional fields in contrast to
985 or 19.7% in 1970. Areas showing lesser increases in both the
number and percentage of residents employed included the follow-
ing industries: transportation, communications and other public
utilities, wholesale business and personal services. Manufac-
turing; public administration; finance, insurance and real
estate; business and repair services fields gained smaller
numbers of people and decreased very slightly in percentage of
the employed workforce. The retail trade gained over 190 people
but decreased in percentage of employed workforce by 1.1%.
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7
This phenomenon of increasing size of labor force was not seen in the Village of Greenport which
experienced a reduction in the labor force from 1970 to 1980w
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The construction trades and the category of agriculture,
forestry, fishing, mining and other industries lost both numbers I
and percentages of employed residents.
Table 5
EMPLOYED PERSONS 16 AND OVER BY INDUSTRY
UNINCORPORATED AREA OF SOUTHOLD
1970
Number Percent
1980
Number Percent
Percent
Change
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, Mining and Other 438 8.7 371 5.6 - 3.1
Construction 495 9.9 439 6.6 - 3.3
Manufacturing
Non Durable Goods 158 212
Durable Goods 350 10.2 472 10.3 + .1
Transportation 150 3.0 285 4.3 + 1.3
Communications, Other Public Utilities 130 2.6 220 3.3 + .7
Wholesale 188 3.7 286 4.3 + .6
Retail 830 16.5 1,022 15.4 - 1.1
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate 362 7.2 394 5.9 - 2.7
Business and Repair Services 228 4.5 272 4.1 - .4
Personal Entertainment, Recreation Services 224 4.5 359 5.4 + .9
Professional and Related Services
Health 325 6.5 561 8.5
Education 435 8.7 730 11.0
Other 225 4.5 386 5.8 + 5.6
Public Administration 479 9.5 624 9.4 - .1
TOTAL 5,017 100 6,633 99.9"
* Total less than 100% due to rounding.
Unemployment is relatively low in the unincorporated area of the
Town, as can be seen in the following table. 6.4% of the total
labor force was unemployed in 1979 according to the 1980 Census
up from 4.3% in 1969. These 457 people in 1979 were part of a
labor force of 7,090 people (employed and unemployed) whereas
6,544 people over 16 were not considered in the labor force at
all. It is also important to note that while 4.8% of men were
unemployed, the rate for women was substantially higher at 8.7%.
While the 1979 unemployment rate has shown an increase from 1970
to 1980 the trend of more women unemployed than men was apparent
in 1970 (1969) with 3.7% of the men and 5.2% of the women in the
labor force unemployed.
8
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Table 6
LABOR FORCE STATISTICS
llNINCORFCRATED AREA
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Male
Labor Force
Elnployed
Unemployed
Not in Labor Force
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Female
Labor Force
Elnployed
Unemployed
Not in Labor Force
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Total
Labor Force
Elnployed
Unemployed
Not in Labor Force
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1970
Percent
Unemployed
1980
Percent
Unemployed
3,367
3,241
126
1,560
4,101
3,904
197
2,230
3.7
4.8
1,873
1,776
97
3,698
2,989
2,729
260
4,314
5.2
8.7
5,240
5,017
223
5,258
7,090
6,633
457
6,544
4.3
6.4
Of those reporting place of employment, almost 90% worked within
Suffolk County, with 59% of this group working within the Town of
Southold. About 9% of those reporting workplace were employed
within the State but outside of Suffolk County - primarily Nassau
County and New York City - and 1.5% work out of State.
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Table 7
1I0RKERS 16 YEARS AND OVER BY PLACE OF 1I0RK
llNINCORFCRATED AREA (1980)
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Worked in State of Residence:
In County of Residence
Outside County of Residence
Worked Outside of State
Worked in Town of Southald
Not Reported
4,809
481
76
3,165
879
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Table 8
WORKERS 16 YEARS AND OVER WHO DID NOT WORK AT HOME
BY TRAVEL TIME TO WORK -- UNINCORPORATED AREA (1980)
Less Than 5 Minutes
5 to 9 Minutes
10 to 14 Minutes
15 to 19 Minutes
20 to 29 Minutes
30 to 44 Minutes
45 to 59 Minutes
60 or More Minutes
Number
496
1,190
945
782
906
843
336
533
Percent
8.2
19.7
15.7
13.
15.
14.
5.6
8.8
Travel times for those living in the unincorporated area of the
Town further reinforce the trend of residents working rather
close to home, with 27.9% of residents traveling less than 10
minutes, 28.1% traveling less than 20 minutes and 15% traveling
20-29 minutes. Thus, over 70% travel under 30 minutes to work
and less than 15% travel over 45 minutes.
INCOME CHARACTERISTICS
Southold's median family income increased more than 100% between
1970 and 1980, thus out-pacing the other eastern Suffolk towns
and the inflation rate. In effect, this means that residents of
the Town have more disposable income and buying power than they
had ten years earlier. Much of this increasing level of income
results from an influx of a higher income population, as well as
from the creation of new jobs. The 1980 population has a signi-
ficant proportion of seniors with moderately high incomes and low
costs of living. They pose little threat on the job market, but
do generate business and revenue as well as some need for Town
services.
The Town of Southold, including the incorporated Village of
Greenport, is the only town in the bi-county region to show a
declining percent of the population below the poverty level. In
addition, 78% of the families (185 families out of 237 families)
below the poverty level reside in the unincorporated portions of
the Town, outside of the Village. These 185 families represent
only 3.7% of the families of the unincorporated area.
The Townwide 1979 median income of $21,013 and the unincorporated
area median income of over $21,600 are considerably lower than
the bi-county median income of $26,135. Several factors have to
be taken into account in comparing these figures. First, the
bi-county median income in 1979 caused it to be ranked second
10
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among the nation I s 38 most populous areas. 8 Thus, although
Southold has a lower income than the Nassau-Suffolk median, it is
not considered a low figure. Second, the incomes of farmers and
fishermen tend to reduce the median income levels in Southold.
Third, the Town has a much smaller family size than the Nassau-
Suffolk region. With fewer family members, children and
dependents, the income level may be lower and the cost of living
may also be decreased.
HOUSING ANALYSIS
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During the post war (WWII) period, Suffolk County began experi-
encing the suburban boom. Compared to its neighbor Nassau
County, this boom was slight, but as time passed and land in
Nassau County became more costly, Suffolk County became the home
of many new residents.
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The concentration of housing growth has shifted almost entirely
from Nassau to Suffolk County. The western Suffolk towns have
experienced the bulk of this growth; however, as time passes on
and land becomes more scarce and expensive, the eastern Suffolk
towns are becoming more desirable for home building. Further-
more, as the South Fork of eastern Suffolk becomes increasingly
saturated and expensive, much of the seasonal growth is shifting
and will shift to Southold.
Southold gained population as a result of the eastward migration,
but this growth is beyond the area that can be considered
suburban. Most Southold residents work in the Town of Southold
or Suffolk County. In addition, Southold is attracting two
groups, retirees and second home owners who are choosing Southold
because of its combination of expansive coastline, rural portions
and lower real estate costs compared to the South Fork.
GROWTH
An important characteristic of the Town's housing stock is the
decline in the amount and percentage of housing associated with
farm properties. Because of the speculative value of land in
Southold and the state of technology, housing traditionally at
rural and farm densities has seen a decline, giving way to
sub-division development in addition to residential development
within the hamlets.
A comparison of 1970 and 1980 Census data indicates that the
unincorporated Town gained 2,438 housing units for a total 10,193
units. Sixty-five percent of these units (6,649) are year-round
occupied units and 30.7% (3,132) are considered seasonal or
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Annual Planning Information for Manpower Planners, Fiscal Year 1983, Nassau-Suffolk SMSA, New
York State Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Market Information, May 1982.
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. t 9 h .
m~gra.ory ousl~g
occas~onal use.
usage has remained
or units that are year-round but held only for
This figure of about 30% seasonal/second home
about the same over the last ten year period.
At the time of the Census - April 1, 1980 - 7,444 of the 10,193
uni ts in the unincorporated Town were considered year-round
units. Among these, there was a vacancy rate exceeding 10%,
nearly 800 year-round units. This vacancy rate is deceptively
high, however, since 49% (387) of the census designated vacant
year round housing units were actually held for occasional use.
The seasonality of Southold's housing stock explains this high
vacancy rate, with many of these units used as second homes or
rented only during prime summer months. About half of the
remaining vacant units in the Town are either for rent or for
sale.
The median value of owner occupied, non-condominium housing units
was over $60,000. The value of homes in the Town is a great deal
higher than the Suffolk County median of $45,600, which reflects
the increasing demand for housing.
Table 9
OWNER OCCUPIED NON-CONDOMINIUM HOUSING UNITS BY VALUE (l980)
Unincorporated Area of
Town of Southald
Number Percent
Suffolk County
Percent
All Specified Units
Less than $50,000
$50,000 - $79,999
$80,000 - $99,999
$100,000 - $149,999
$150,000 - $199,999
$200,000 or more
4,930 100
1,631 33
2,269 46
452 9.2
422 8.6
92 1.9
64 .1
100
61
28.9
4.7
3.9
1.0
.6
Compared to Suffolk County, the Town's rental units are
relatively low in price. This is partially due to the type and
9
Migratory units is a category that consists of housing utilized by migratory labor during the
crop growing seasons.
10
Held for occasional use~ This category consists of vacant year-round units which are held for
weekend or other occasional use throughout the year. Shared ownership or time-sharing
condominiums are also classified as "held for occasional use". Homes reserved by their owners
as second homes usually fall in this category, although some second homes may be classified as
"seasonal" .
12
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the age of the rental units within the whole Town, with 54% of
them constructed prior to 1940 and only 12% constructed after
1970. Only 17% of the occupied units are rental occupied, which
is about 3% lower than the Suffolk County percentage. Median
Contract rent for those in the whole Town paying cash is over
$220. This rate is much less than the County median of $297. In
addition, !~% of those in rental units reported that they pay no
cash rent. This factor further slants the actual rental income
of the Town.
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Table 10
RENTER OCCUPIED HOUSING UNITS BY CONTRACT RENT
Unincorporated
Town of Southald
Number Percent
Nassau-Suffolk
Percent
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All Units for Which
Rent is Paid 867" 100.0% 100.0%
Less than $100 47 5.4 3.4
$100 - $149 100 11.5 3.7
$150 - $159 60 6.9 1.1
$160 - $169 18 2.1 1.1
$170 - $199 97 11.2 3.6
$200 - $249 239 27.6 12.8
$250 - $299 158 18.2 21.9
$300 - $399 128 14.8 37.4
$400 or more 20 2.3 15.0
No Cash Rent 174 16.7** 5.7**
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* 867 out of total of 1,152 units reported rental costs.
** Percent of Total Rental Units.
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The following table shows some differences among the hamlets in
median owner estimated values and mean owner estimated values of
homes as well as differences among mean and median contract rents
reported paid in different areas. In all cases, however, the
estimated value of homes in the unincorporated area of Southold
exceeds the Suffolk median, and rents in the unincorporated area
are lower than the Suffolk County median.
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Occupied units rented without payment of cash. This category includes units where respondents
reported the unit was occupied without payment of cash rent and was not being owned or bought;
for example, houses or apartments provided free of rent by friends or relatives who owned the
property but lived elsewhere, parsonages or houses or apartments occupied by janitors or
caretakers in full or partial payment for services, units occupied by tenant farmers or
Share-croppers who paid no cash rent.
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Table 11
OCCUPIED UNITS - HOME VALUE AND CONTRACT RENT (1980)
Owner Occupied Units-
Owner Estimated Value
Median Mean
Contract Rent Where
Specified and Paid*
Median Mean
Laurel $59,000 $67,100
Mattituck 58,500 61,000
Cutchogue-New Suffolk 62,500 70,800
Peconic 62,400 65,400
Southold 63,200 69,100
Greenport West 51,500 59,600
Orient, East Marion and
Fishers Island 64,400 70,900
Entire Town 59,300 64,800
Suffolk County 45,600
$282 $271
225 223
211 209
233 243
242 243
213 219
185 188
220 219
297
* Not including those who report paying no rent.
TENURE OF OCCUPIED HOUSING UNITS
Between 1970 and 1980 the percent of the housing stock which is
renter occupied in the unincorporated area has gone from about
14% to about 17%. This brings the percentage of rental housing
closer to that of Suffolk County which is 20.1% and the Nassau
County percentage of 21.1%.
Almost all, 96%, of persons in owner occupied units in Southold
live in the traditional single-family detached dwelling. Just
over 2% live in two-family homes and even fewer live in 3t family
homes. This is contrary to regional trends with the increasing
popularity of co-operative buildings and condominiums and rental
units. It should also be noted that the 1980 Census did not
include information about cooperatives; however, at this time the
generalization about Southold's unusually high occupancy rate of
single family homes still holds.
Southold's housing units are comparable in size to the Suffolk
County median of 5.6 rooms. In the entire Town, the median
number of rooms per year-round housing unit was 5.5, and the mean
number of rooms was 6.1. Over 80% of all units have 5 or more
rooms and 60% have 6 or more. One significance of this lies in
the adaptability of the housing stock to residential conversions.
However, the square footage of houses and architectural patterns
of the homes are also important factors in conversions and this
data is not available from the Census.
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Table 12
llNINCORPORATED AREA YEAR-ROllNO HOUSING
llNITS BY ROOMS (1980)
1 Room
2 Rooms
3 Rooms
4 Rooms
5 Rooms
6 or More Rooms
35
71
336
996
1,535
4,471
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HOUSING CONDITION
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Within the Town there is little deterioration, yet it should be
noted that some sporadic blight does exist, with a concentration
just west of the Village of Greenport, containing 73 homes, 38 of
which in 1981 were considered deteriorated or severly deterior-
ated. Some of these have beep2rehabilitated using CD funds and
others soon will be improved. The age of the housing in the
Town is partially responsible for this deterioration, with about
one-third of all occupied units constructed prior to 1940.
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Table 13
llNINCORPORATED AREA
YEAR-ROllNO HOUSING llNITS BY YEAR STRUCTURE WAS BUILT
Year Buil t
Occupied Units
Percent
1979 to March 1980
1975 to 1978
1970 to 1974
1960 to 1969
1950 to 1959
1940 to 1949
1939 or Earlier
TOTAL
98
549
749
1,150
1,318
541
2,244
6,649
1.5\
8.3
11.3
17.3
19.8
8.1
33.7
100.
According to the 1980 Census, within the unincorporated Town
there are 34 year-round occupied units and 15 unoccupied units
which are lacking complete plumbing facilities for exclusive use.
These 34 units (compared with 26 units - all occupied in the
Village of Greenport), however, make up just one-half of one
percent of the occupied housing units. There are 66 persons in
these units. Moreover in Southold there is also very little
evidence of overcrowding with less than 1% of the households
12
Source - Community Development Block Grant Application, 1981.
15
experiencing any degree of overcrowding (defined as more than one
person per room).
According to the 1980 census, there are 54 units within the Town
that have been vacant and for sale more than six months and 81
rental units that have been vacant and for rent more than two
months. There are also 19 units which have been boarded up. In
total, vacant houses in the above for sale or rent categories,
and boarded up housing units equal only about l~% of the total
housing stock, whereas vacant houses appear as 10.7% of year-
round housing stock. This low proportion of vacancies is the
reflection of the active real estate market.
Even though it is generally in good condition, the housing stock
in Southold raises a number of concerns. Among these is the need
for housing that will meet the future demands of an aging popu-
lation and provide some means of accommodating the new generally
smaller family.
HAMLET CHARACTERISTICS
Each area of the Town has its own historical patterns and current
characteristics, and planning for these neighborhoods and areas
has to account for these factors.
According to the u.S. Census, areas or hamlets within the Town
can be fjistinguished and are referred to as census designated
places. More detailed information describes the Town with
respect to these census designated places using tract data.
Because of the varying needs of the Town's people and the
suitability of certain land types, it is important to understand,
not only each area's characteristics, but also to be aware of the
similarities and differences between the sub-populations.
Laurel
The portion of Laurel that is within the Town of Southold, the
western portion of Census Tract 1700.01, has a 1980 population of
962, which amounts to 5% of the Town's 1980 total. Laurel had a
1970 population of 598 and grew over 60% in the decade. There
are 347 households with an average household size of almost 2.8.
The median family income is the Town's highest at almost $24,000
per year for year-round residents. Thirty-eight percent or 220
units of the housing stock of 575 units are considered summer or
13
Data for the unincorporated Town is thus divided into seven sections and includes the total
population. Data may include a larger area than generally associated with the hamlets since
rural areas have been put together with developed areas and in some cases two or more "hamlets"
have been included in one zone.
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second homes held for occasional use14 by the Census, which is
about 8% higher than the Town average. Laurel has 18% of
occupied housing units being renter-occupied and median cash
rents are $50 higher than the Town average.
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The most distinctive characteristic of Laurel is the age struc-
ture of the population. The median age is 34.6, almost 10 years
lower than the Town average, although it is still higher than the
county average. The community, in this case, is not dominated by
retirement aged persons. Persons over the age of 65 comprise
15.7% of the area's population, about 7% less than the Town's
average.
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In addition, there is a much greater than average number of
children school aged children (5-17) making up 21% of the popu-
lation. The structure of the population indicates that Laurel is
more oriented towards younger couples and families with school
aged children than the remainder of the Town.
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Mattituck
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Mattituck, which spans all but the southwestern corner of Census
Tract 1700.01, is the second most populous hamlet in the Town.
It grew from 3,039 residents in 1970 to 3,923 residents in 1980,
an increase of 29.1% over the 1970 population. There are 1,433
households and the average household size is 2.7 persons, the
second largest in the Town after Laurel. The median family
income is also the Town's second highest at $23,342. The value
of owner occupied units is somewhat lower than the remainder of
the Town, with the exception of Greenport West, and the rental
costs are close to the average for the Town.
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According to the 1980 Census, 21% of Mattituck's housing stock
(404 units) are designated second home, seasonal or migratory
units which is about 10% lower than the Town's average. There
are about two hundred rental units; 3.5% less than the Town
average. Interestingly, about 20% of renters report paying no
cash rent. In addition, 6% of renters lived in what the Census
designated to be over-crowded conditions (with 1.01 or more
persons per room) .
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Mattituck is unique in that about 35% of its households are
headed by persons over 65 years old. Additionally, one tenth of
this group are renters.
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14
The category of summer and seasonal homes was derived adding the number of non-year-round units
to the number of year-round homes held for occasional use.
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Cutchogue-New Suffolk
Cutchogue-New Suffolk is in Census Tract 1702.00 and stretches
from the Long Island Sound to Nassau Point.
The population in the Cutchogue-New Suffolk area comprises almost
17% of the unincorporated Town area, with 2,788 residents, up
2.8% from 1970 figures. There are 1,085 households and the
average household size is about 2.6. The median age of persons
in Cutchogue-New Suffolk is 43.7, just about the townwide median.
School children in the hamlet make up almost 18% of the popu-
lation. The number of senior citizens is consistently high, with
22.9% of the population over 65 years of age. Surprisingly, 36%
of households in Cutchogue-New Suffolk contain persons over 65,
and 92% of these householders live in owner occupied units. In
1980, the median family income was $21,840.
About 70% of Cutchogue-New Suffolk housing units (1,085 units)
are occupied year-round, with 27% (427 units) considered seasonal
residences or second homes. Thirteen percent of the housing
stock is renter occupied.
Although the median family income is close to the Town median,
the estimated value of owner occupied non-condominium housing
units is among the highest. Median rent was $211, the second
lowest in the Town, and 20% of renters reported that they paid no
cash rent.
Peconic
peconic extends from the north to the south of the North Fork and
is part of Census Tract 1700.02. It grew to 1,056 residents,
26.5% or 221 people more than in 1970. Four hundred and two
households are located in Peconic with an average household size
of 2.6 persons. The median family income is $20,489, which is
the second lowest in the Town. There are 601 housing units in
peconic with 31% (186 units) of these classified as seasonal or
second homes and 12% are renter-occupied, which is about 5% below
average for the Town.
Peconic has an especially large percentage of persons between 25
and 35 years old, 15.2%, which is 4% higher than the Town aver-
age. The median age is about 7 years younger than the Town
median at 36.7. In 1980, about 20% of the population was school
aged (between 5 and 17), which is some 3% higher than the Town
average. In peconic, it is likely that the percentage of young
children will increase, due to the influx of young families.
Twenty-three percent of all households are 1 person households
and 32% are headed by persons over 65. Of these 65+ house-
holders, about 9% are renters.
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Southold
The most populous hamlet in the Town is Southold, Census Tract
1702.01 which grew 27.2% since 1970 to 4,770 persons. There are
1,957 households with only 2.4 persons per household. The median
family income is $19,320. This is the Town's lowest, but can be
partially offset by the household size.
Southold has 2,871 housing units. Sixty-eight percent (1,957
units) of these are year-round occupied units. Twenty-seven
percent (781 units) are considered seasonal dwellings or second
homes.
The age structure of this hamlet's population is older than most.
There is only a small percentage of young children under the age
of 5 and the school aged children (5-17) are 16% of the
population. Additionally, 26% of the population is over 65
years. The combination of these two factors results in the
median age of 47.4, which is 4 years higher than the Town median.
Forty-one percent of all households are headed by persons 65
years or more. About 15% of this group are renters, which
indicates a fairly well established community. This older
population is also reflected in a small household size.
Home values are high. Owner occupied housing units median value
is estimated at $63,200 and median rents are the second highest
in the Town. Somewhat in transition, Southold is becoming an
attractive area for the retirement homes of the upper middle
income groups. The accessibility to shopping and community
facilities in the hamlet's center enhance Southold's appeal.
Greenport West
The area of Greenport West, the western most portion of Census
Tract 1702.02, has a population of 1,571 and surrounds the
Village of Greenport. This area actually experienced a decline
in population of 111 people or 6.6% since 1970. There are 662
households with a mean household size of almost 2.4 persons, the
second smallest in the Town. In 1980 the median family income
was $23,509.
According to the 1980 Census, there are 1,027 housing units.
Twenty-nine percent (292 units) of these are considered seasonal
or summer homes. Of the year round units, there is an unusually
high vacancy rate of 12%. Unlike the rest of the Town, this high
vacancy rate cannot be attributed to homes held for occasional
use. Over 57% of vacant units are either for rent or for sale.
In addition, 71% of the units for rent have been vacant and for
rent more than 2 months, and 79% of the housing units for sale
have been on the market for more than 6 months. The condition of
the housing stock is emphasized by this area's having the lowest
19
home values in the unincorporated area of the Town. The
Greenport West median estimated value is $9,000 less than the
Town median and the median rents of $213 are also considered low
in the Town. Year-round housing units in Greenport West are
somewhat smaller, with 35% having less than 4 rooms.
Greenport West is more of a community of renters than the remain-
der of the Town. 28% of all occupied units are rentals. 13% of
these rental units are also defined as overcrowded by the census
(more than 1 person per room). 27% of all households are one
person households and of this group of residents, 72.5% are
women.
The age structure of the hamlet is consistently high, with 24.5%
of the population over 65 years. There is only a small
population of young children and the percent of school aged
children (5-17) is noticeably low at 15.7%. Many older residents
of Greenport West are renters. 39% of all householders are over
65 and of these 29% are renters.
orient and East Marion
orient and East Marion like Cutchogue and New Suffolk were
considered together as Census Designated Places. The Long Island
Regional Planning Board ~~d publish a total population breakdown
for the two communities, but other data for the two hamlets is
reported jointly.
Orient's 1980 population is 855 people, representing an increase
of 146 people or 20.6% over the 1970 population. East Marion's
1980 population is 656 which included an increase of 125
residents or 23.5% over the 1970 population.
Orient and East Marion have a combined 1980 population of 1,511
in 627 households giving these areas an average household size of
2.4. They have the highest median age in the Town at 49.8 years
and are a very close second to the hamlet of Southold with a
senior citizen (over 65) population of 26.5% and almost 45% of
the households have senior citizen members. Orient and East
Marion also have the smallest percentage of school age children
(5-17) in the Town at 15.4%.
Orient and East Marion have a large percentage of housing
reported as summer or seasonal homes. Over 44% or 540 of the
1,219 housing units in these categories caused these communities
to rank second in the Town, after Fishers Island. These two
communities also rank second highest, after Fishers Island, in
the median owner estimated value of homes; however, with a
reported median contract rent of $214 they are not far from the
median of the entire Town of $220.
15
Historic Population of Long Island Communities, 1790-1980: Decennial Census Data, Long Island
Regional Planning Board, August 1982.
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Fishers Island
Fishers Island has a 1980
1970 population of 462.
smallest in the Town.
population of 318, down 31.2% from a
Its household size of 2.3 is the
Fishers Island has the same number of school age children as
residents over 65, that is, 57 people or 17.9% of the total
population. In addition, about one-third of the households have
members 65 and over. The Island can surely be considered a
resort community with 282 or 66% of its 426 housing units listed
as seasonal housing or year-round units held for occasional use.
This percentage of summer housing is substantially greater than
any area within Southold, and more than twice the Town average of
30.7%. In addition the median contract rent reported is less
than $150, substantially less than the Town median with over 20%
of those responding to questions of rental costs actually paying
no cash rent. (Many of these residents serve as caretakers for
homes on the eastern end of the island.) At the same time, the
median estimated owner value of housing is the highest in the
Town.
SUMMARY
In summary, the Town of Southold is experiencing moderate
population growth. Household size characteristics are changing.
There are now more people living alone and families are having
fewer children Townwide, reducing household size throughout the
Town.
Laurel and Peconic have seen an increasing number of younger
families while the remainder of the Town has large numbers of
persons over 60 years of age.
Median family incomes are on the rise townwide. Income increase
in the Town have outpaced inflation which is partially a result
of the changing household structure. Families without children
or with fewer children are often comprised of two workers and
this raises the family income. In addition, smaller households
result in a higher per capita income.
Southold provides a comfortable juxtaposition of hamlet-oriented,
rural and resort community life. The percentage of summer and
second homes is high throughout the Town, but is particularly
prominent in the Orient and East Marion and Fishers Island
hamlets.
Housing is predominantly owner-occupied single family detached
units. There are a limited number of rental units in the Town
and to date, condominiums are very few in number. On the other
hand, the large size of many housing units and decreasing
household size is likely to promote interest in some conversion
options.
21
Relatively small numbers of vacancies, changing household size,
increasing number of older persons, as well as the Town's
physical attributes suggest an increasing demand for a variety of
types of housing units.
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RPPW
Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003 212/365-2666
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Memorandum
April 26, 1983
TO: Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
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RE:
SUPPLEMENT TO MEMO ON POPULATION AND HOUSING - TOWN OF
SOUTHOLD HOUSING PROBLEMS
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The problem of affordable housing is a pressing one in the Town
of Southold, for renters and prospective homeowners, for young
families and senior citizens, and for low and moderate income
households.
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There is a significant lack of rental housing available in the
Town. Rental units in 1980 comprised 17.3% of all year-round
housing units in the unincorporated portion of the Town and
vacancy rates (adjusted for housing held for occasional use) were
about 9% of total rental units in the unincorporated area accord-
ing to 1980 Census figures. This 9% figure is misleading,
however. Although the dwelling units can be considered year-
round units, the rental vacancy rate can include summer as well
as year-round rentals. Furthermore, real tors and community
development staff contacted about apartments available for rent
confirmed that there was a significant shortage of rental hous-
ing.
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There has been little construction of multi-family units in the
last decade and legal conversion of houses from one family to two
family structures has been ~imited to those homes on lots of
80,000 square feet or more. It is often difficult for older
residents to maintain and pay for large homes, but they are often
prevented from constructing an accessory apartment within their
house. It is likewise difficult for a senior citizen homeowner
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*
With two acre zoning required for single residences as of May 20, 1983, the requirement for two
family conversion 1s 160,000 square feet or more.
who wishes to give up his large home to rent an apartment or
build a smaller home at a modest cost.
The absence of rental housing has made it difficult for present
residents to find affordable housing. A general rule of thumb is
that a family should not have to pay more than 25-30 percent of
gross income for shelter. A study of those in the entire Town of
Southold and in the incorporated area paying more than 25 percent
of their income for rent, indicates that (figures in brackets
indicate those in unincorporated area of the Town): (a) of those
176 [100] households who reported income of less than $5,000 and
rent paid, all 176 [100] paid 35 percent or more of their income
for rent; (b) of the 354 [278] households reporting income of
$5,000 to $9,999 and amount of rent paid, 10 [3.6] percent paid
25-34 percent of their income for rent and 82 [90] percent paid
35 percent or more for rent; (c) of those earning $10,000-$14,999
and reporting rental costs, 47 [53] percent paid 25-34 percent of
income for rent and 28 [30] percent paid over 35 percent of their
income for rent; and (d) of those earning $15,000-$19,999 and
reporting rental costs, 28 [29] percent paid 25-34 percent, and
10 [10] percent paid over 35 percent. In sharp contrast, (e) for
those earning $20,000 or more and reporting rent, 15 [18] percent
paid over 25 percent and none paid over 35 percent of their
income for rent. Thus, as income goes up, the percentage of
income consumed by rent reduces. It is also apparent that there
are not significant differences between the unincorporated area
of the Town and the Town as a whole, but that the problem of
rents utilizing large portions of renters' incomes is substan-
tial.
Of the 1,124 [856] households in the whole Town that indicated
both income levels and rent paid (354 [167] units did not report
rent paid or are not paying rent), 208 [161] households (18.5%)
[18.8] pay 25-34 percent of their incomes for rent and 539 [408]
households (48%) [47.7] paid over 35 percent of their income for
rent; thus 66.5 percent of those in the whole Town and those in
the unincorporated areas pay over 25 percent of their income for
rent.
In a similar fashion it is very difficult for young married
couples to find apartments or to purchase a home. A limited
amount of new housing has been constructed in recent years and
the housing that has been built has increased significantly in
cost. Seasonal cottages that in the past might have been rather
cheaply converted into year-round units are appealing to those
with higher incomes who are looking for second homes. Approxi-
mately 1,500 building permits for single family homes were issued
in the 10 years from 1973 to 1982. During this same ten year
period the average cost of building a home (based on estimates of
those requesting a building permit) rose from $30,000 to $73,000.
The Southold building department indicates that the costs of
single family construction in 1982 was actually $100,000 or over.
Furthermore, the cost of building lots in Southold, particularly
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for waterfront lots, has increased dramatically in the last few
years.
Furthermore, some units which had been rented out for all or part
of the year are owned or have been purchased by those who now
wish to keep it for their own year-round or occasional use. The
tenants displaced in this process have difficulty finding other
rental units.
To solve some problems for renters, the Town through the Com-
muni ty Development funding is working to rehabilitate some
substandard rental units as well as owner occupied units. There
are plans to acquire some abandoned units and bring them up to
standard conditions so that they can be rented to lower income
persons and can ultimately provide opportunities for homeowner-
ship for these lower income families.
Three areas of the Town where there are concentrations of housing
that need rehabilitation are the 7th, 8th and 9th Street neigh-
borhood in the unincorporated portion of Greenport, Tuthill Lane
near the Town landfill in Cutchogue and Factory Avenue in
Mattituck. Some Community Development funds have already been
used in upgrading housing in the Greenport area, and money has
been allocated for work in the other two areas. There are also
some scattered sites on the North Road and other areas of the
Town that are expected to receive rehabilitation funds.
The Town has recently approved a rental subsidy program. The
Town Board has reviewed and endorsed a proposal submitted by the
Southold Community Development Office and the Greenport Housing
Alliance to apply to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) to provide Section 8 Existing Certificates for
certain groups of Southold lower income persons paying more than
25-30 percent of their income for rent.
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IV. COMMUNITY FACILITIES
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RPPW
Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003 212/365-2666
Memorandum
April 25, 1983
TO: Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
RE: ANALYSIS OF COMMUNITY SERVICES
There are a variety of community facilities and services that are
essential to Southold's well being and quality of life. The
extent to which these have sufficient capacity to provide desired
levels of service under present circumstances and/or to accommo-
date new or expanded development is important background infor-
mation for planning purposes.
The services that are considered as a part of the Master Plan
include those that are most likely to involve physical facil-
ities:
(a) Schools (submitted as separate memo);
(b) Parks, recreation and open space (submitted as separate
memo) ;
(e) Public safety (police, fire, ambulance and rescue);
(d) Town government facilities;
(e) Utilities including water, sewer, solid waste disposal/
landfill (water and sewer are addressed separately);
(f) Health services.
Providing services in a community that has both year-round and
seasonal populations requires flexibility and often requires
specialized services.
Town of Southold Police Department
The Southold Police Department serving the Town of Southold
excluding the Village of Greenport consists of thirty officers
including the chief, lieutenant, six sergeants and three detec-
tives. The balance are patrolmen with one officer serving
half-time as a juvenile officer. The Town employs a Bay
Constable who works out of police headquarters and the Police
Department has a staff that includes two secretaries, four
full-time and some part-time radio operators and several
part-time school and church crossing guards. In the summer the
Department hires a full-time seasonal bay constable and four or
five part-time officers who generally work on weekend traffic
details. Fishers Island has two full-time police constables who
work under the Town of Southold Chief of Police. In the summer,
one or two New York State Police are also stationed on the
Island.
The Town's only police station is centrally located in Peconic to
cover the extensive area from Laurel to Orient. The relatively
new brick building, built in 1971, contains offices, two de-
tention cells for overnight use only, and an area for the commu-
nications system and operators. The Southold police emergency
phone system is utilized for dispatching police cars in the Town
of Southold, the Village of Greenport and the Town of Shelter
Island. In addition, the Police Department receives and dis-
patches phone calls for the Mattituck Fire District. Police
dispatchers may also contact fire department rescue squads and/or
the peconic Ambulance Service for medical emergencies.
The Police Department utilizes ten marked cars and four unmarked
cars. For emergency purposes the department also maintains an
army surplus four-wheel drive, large-tired vehicle. In addition,
the Bay Constable has at his disposal two boats on trailers
(Boston Whalers) and two boats in the water on the bay side --
one in Southold and one in Cutchogue -- as well as two four-wheel
drive vehicles. Several of the Southold police officers are
trained to take boats out if the Bay Constable needs additional
help or is not available.
The U.S. Coast Guard may provide assistance to Southold boaters
if life is considered in danger, and Southold Police may
coordinate emergency activities with Police Departments from the
Towns of Riverhead and Southampton, Suffolk County Police and
Sheriff's Department, New York State POlice, and Air National
Guard.
For twenty-four hour police coverage, the Town is generally
divided into three areas and three shifts covered by squads
consisting of patrolmen and a sergeant. The Bay Constable
generally patrols the Town's water's by boat during an extended
daytime shift.
The Police Department is concerned with preservation of life and
human safety, protection of property and facilitating traffic
safety and flow. The Police Department received and responded to
7,454 calls in 1982, an increase of 5% over 1981 calls. Of these
calls about 800 were classed as "disturbances," that is they were
not considered criminal action, but may have involved youth
activity; about 500 were called "police service," for example,
helping people who had locked keys in cars or helping elderly who
had fallen out of bed; 371 calls related to "criminal mischief"
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or intention to do damage; and 468 calls were the result of
malfunctioning of alarms in homes and stores. The above men-
tioned categories remained the same or increased slightly in
number from 1981 to 1982. The categories of larceny (217 calls
in 1982 and 269 calls in 1981), burglary (126 calls in 1982 and
198 calls in 1981) and youth incidents (177 calls in 1982 and 239
calls in 1981) all showed a decreasing number of cases. The
decrease in youth incidents can be partially attributed to the
creation of a position for a half-time youth officer who is in
frequent contact with youth and can serve as a positive influ-
ence. In addition to the above mentioned categories, the Police
Department responded to miscellaneous calls, e.g. where animals
were involved, and to calls requesting information, but requiring
no further police action.
The Bay Constable(s) responded to 113 calls in 1982 as compared
to 81 calls in 1981, an increase of almost 40%.
The Police Department has been involved with education programs
in the schools promoting safe driving and will be working with
the adult population to create a more "watchful" community to
report on and thus deter criminal activity in neighborhoods.
In recent years, the Southold Police Department has expanded
services, e.g. by adding detectives, Bay Constable and juvenile
officer, but patrols have not been increased. It is anticipated
that increased development and accompanying population growth
would bring some need for increased police services; however,
even with no growth in population, administrative decisions and
contractual obligations may produce some pressure for additional
staff. However, current facilities will be sufficient to accom-
modate some expansion of staff and equipment. The central
location and the size of the present site are both sufficient for
the foreseeable future.
Fire Protection
Fo~ purposes of fire protection, the Town of Southold is divided
into eight areas covered by seven fire districts. These fire
districts are: Mattituck, Cutchogue, Southold, Greenport (cove-
ring the incorporated Village of Greenport as well as the
Greenport East-West Fire Protection District in the portion of
the Town from Arshamomaque Pond to East Marion), East Marion,
Orient and Fishers Island.
Each district except Greenport currently has one active firehouse
(Greenport has two), although Southo1d and Cutchogue are con-
sidering substations as a means of more easily reaching areas
such as Bayview and Nassau Point that have been somewhat less
accessible than is considered desirable.
Districts vary in their type
ing and dispatching calls:
Police communication system;
of communication system for receiv-
Mattituck utilizes the Southo1d
Cutchogue and Southold both have 24
3
hour radio dispatchers in their firehouses; East Marion, Orient
and Greenport utilize the Suffolk County facilities dispatcher
located in Yaphank for fire and rescue; and Fishers Island
residents call Groton, Connecticut for both fire and rescue
emergencies.
All fire departments have rescue squads with trained emergency
medical technicians (EMT). Cutchogue, Mattituck and Southold
utilize peconic Ambulance Service, a private organization for
transportation to hospitals and Orient, East Marion, Greenport
and Fishers Island each have their own ambulances for trans-
portation or paramedical care. Fishers Island also has an
ambulance boat and mainland departments can call on the Bay
Constable and/or Coast Guard for boat rescue operations. Orient
Fire District has several scuba divers among its members and fire
scuba divers throughout the Town coordinate their efforts.
There has been some increase in calls to fire districts over the
last several years, but many of these calls are requests for
assistance and the result of medical concerns of an aging popu-
lation, rather than a substantially increased demand for fire
protection services.
All companies except Fishers Island, because of its location, are
available for mutual aid. At this point, however, each district
separately purchases its own equipment.
All areas of the Town are accessible within a few minutes and
fire station locations are consistent with generally accepted
standards (i.e. near concentrated development and within 4 miles
of furthest part of low density service area). However, in both
Southold and Cutchogue second locations are considered desirable
by fire district personnel in order to avoid delay caused by
inability to cross water bodies and traffic.
A major problem area in fire protection throughout the Town is
water supply. In areas covered by the Greenport Water District,
(uncorporated and unincorporated Greenport and portions of the
Hamlet of Southold), hydrants are available which places build-
ings in these areas in a lower insurance rate category than areas
without hydrants. In many cases, however, the lines are old and
pressure is less than adequate. Private water companies --
Captain Kidd, Rabbit Lane and Browns Hill -- have water only for
domestic, not for firefighting purposes.
In areas without hydrants, firemen depend on tank trucks and
pumpers and draft water directly from ponds and wells. They
sometimes draw water from the Bay, but seldom from the Sound,
because of difficulty of access. Farm ponds are often utilized,
but may be frozen in the winter. In the planning of new subdi-
visions, fire commissioners review plans and recommended where
shallow wells or deep wells are required, where they should be
located and whether or not they can and/or should be electrified.
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Another problem area for fire departments in the Town is the
great number of private roads, many of which are difficult to
drive a truck through, because the roads may be narrow or full of
potholes and because clearance is frequently insufficient due to
overhanging foliage. Greater attention is now being given to
specifications for private roads, but there are some existing
situations that need improvement.
A possible problem in the future, if the population of Southold
continues in its current trend of increasing average age, is in
staffing the fire districts. New recruits generally come from
the young adult segment of the population, and this group may not
be able to stay in Southold in desirable numbers because of lack
of jObs and/or lack of affordable housing.
In the future, it may be possible for fire districts to further
coordinate efforts. It might be desirable and possible to
establish a Townwide communications network to receive and
dispatch all fire calls. It also might be desirable and possible
for districts to jointly purchase expensive equipment such as a
ladder truck, rather than unnecessarily duplicate less often used
equipment. Greater coordination might lead to greater ease in
moving district boundaries, e.g. to conform to new subdivision
boundaries.
All fire districts in the Town could generally accommodate
further growth as they are currently organized and equipped.
Plans to establish substations in Cutchogue and Southold would be
desirable and requirements that fire wells be established, if
necessary, in subdivisions will serve current as well as future
residents.
Mattituck
The Mattituck Firehouse located at Wickam Avenue and Pike Street,
between Routes 25 and 48, was originally builtin 1933 and
expanded in 1968. It contains a garage at street level, a
meeting room upstairs and a ki tchen and dining room in the
basement. The district still owns a firehouse built in 1906
located a few doors away from the above mentioned structure, but
uses the older building for storage.
The Fire District utilizes four pumpers, all but one of which
contains a tank: one with a 750 gpm pump and a 1,000 gallon
tank, one with a 750 gpm pump and a 700 gallon tank and one with
a 500 gpm pump 650 gallon tank. It also uses a rescue truck, a
fire police van and a chief's car. The district utilizes six
wells (two electrified) located on Town property.
Cutchoque
The Cutchogue firehouse has been renovated and enlarged several
times since it was constructed in the late 1920's to improve
areas for storing equipment, meeting rooms, and to establish the
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communications center. While the station is centrally located
enough for most portions of the district, a substation is being
considered east of the current location to better serve the
Nassau Point area.
The Cutchogue Fire District has a 24 hour dispatcher in the
firehouse that handles Cutchogue calls only. The District
utilizes two tanker pumpers, one with a 1,250 gpm pump and a 500
gallon tank and one with a 1,500 gpm pump and a 750 gallon tank;
one truck with a 750 gpm front end pump; two high pressure fog
trucks with 750 gallon tanks; and a utility truck with a genera-
tor and oxygen unit. The District calls Peconic Ambulance when
necessary for emergency medical service/transportation.
Cutchogue is considering purchase of a ladder truck which is
currently not available in the western portion of the Town.
The Cutchogue District relies heavily on pumper/tankers for water
supply as well as on pump trucks and/or portable pumps to draft
water directly from fire wells or bodies of water. Some of the
wells are being supplied with electricity.
Southold
The Southold fire station located on the Main Road, Route 25, was
renovated and enlarged in the late 1970's to add three bays and a
commissioners' room. The District currently utilizes two pumper
tankers, one with a 1,000 gpm pump and a 1,000 gallon tank and
one with a 750 gpm pump and a 500 gallon tank; a 4,500 gallon
tanker; a rescue truck; a utility truck with hose and generator;
a pickup truck; a bus and a chief's car. When necessary,
Southold can call upon the Greenport District for use of its
ladder truck.
The District has a dispatcher on duty in the firehouse 24 hours a
day and members are considering establishing a substation nearer
to the Bayview area, since traffic congestion, especially in
summer months makes it more difficult than desirable to get to
the peninsula area.
Portions of the Southold District are within the Greenport Water
District and have hydrants, which mayor may not experience
pressure problems in the summer. The District generally utilizes
its pumper/tankers and has several wells.
Greenport
The Greenport Fire District serves both the Village of Greenport
and the East-West Fire Protection District in the portions of the
Town surrounding the Village. Two fire stations, one on Third
Avenue and the other on Flint Street are well placed to cover all
sections of the area. Use of equipment is generally coordinated
between firehouses depending on type of fire.
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The Third Street firehouse constructed in 1968 houses most of the
District's equipment including an aerial ladder truck (the only
one in Southold Town); three pumper tankers all with 500 gallon
tanks, one with a 1,250 gpm pump, one with a 1,000 gpm pump and
one with a 750 gpm pump; a chief's car and two ambulances. The
Flint Street firehouse currently houses a 1,000 gpm pumper with a
500 gallon tank, a utility truck and a heavy rescue truck.
The Greenport Fire District brings water in tankers to all fires,
but depends on hydrants throughout the Greenport Water District
for supply. To fight off-shore fires, the District has put a
firetruck on a ferryboat and pumped water out of the bay.
With the amount of equipment and available water supply, the Fire
District should be able to handle development currently approved
and proposed in the Greenport waterfront area.
East Marion
The East Marion firehouse is a wood frame single story building
with equipment area, a meeting room and kitchen. The districts
equipment includes: three tanker/pumpers - one with a 500 gpm
pump and a 2,800 gallon tank, one with a 750 gpm pump and a 1,500
gallon tank and one with a 250 gpm pump and a 1,500 gallon tank;
an ambulance/rescue truck and a utility/rescue truck.
The East Marion Fire District utilizes the tanker/pumpers to
fight most fires since the only hydrants in the district are in
the western portion. The district currently does not have any
fire wells, but some are proposed in subdivisions.
The district is trying to acquire some property behind the
firehouse to accommodate additional parking.
Orient
The Orient District firehouse is a wood frame building construct-
ed in 1938. The garage area housing six vehicles is on the first
floor and large meeting room, small commissioners' room and
kitchen are located upstairs. The firehouse is situated on a
small parcel in the center of the hamlet business area. The
Department would like to relocate to a larger site in a less
congested area.
The district utilizes three pumper/tanker trucks, all with 750
gpm pumps, one with a 500 gallon tank, another with a 1,000
gallon tank and a third with a 2,500 gallon tank; a fog truck, a
rescue truck and an ambulance. Most of the fire fighting is
accomplished with the pumper/tanker trucks, but the district also
has three wells that can be utilized.
Fishers Island
The Fishers Island Fire District located in a one story stucco/
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block building constructed in 1965, houses five vehicles and
contains a meeting room. The Department currently has two pumper
tankers, both with 750 gallon capacity and 1,000 gpm pumps; one
converted army truck with a strong pump, a fast attack truck, an
ambulance and a fully equipped ambulance boat.
For fire and rescue purposes residents dial Groton, Connecticut
which activates the base unit and contacts fire department
members through two-way radios.
The Fishers Island Fire District utilizes the hydrants of the
Fishers Island Waterworks system, but does not depend exclusively
on them because of inadequate pressure. It brings tanker/pumpers
and the army pump truck to fires and pumps from available bodies
of water as needed.
Town Government Facilities and Services
The Town has two major governmental facilities, in addition to
the Police Department building.
The Town Hall is located on a 1.6 acre parcel on Main Road (Route
25) in Southold hamlet. The structure, which has about 9,800
square feet was built in two sections; the west wing was con-
structed in 1976 and the east wing was constructed in 1978. It
houses all of the Town's administrative offices and records, the
Town Board meeting room and Town courts. Virtually all of the
administrative and staff functions related to planning (building
department, planning and zoning boards, conservation advisory
commission) are housed here. Its central location on a main road
makes it accessible for citizens throughout the Town.
A detailed space analysis is not included in the Master Plan
study. However, if substantial expansion ever became necessary,
the present site would probably not be sufficient.
Two major functions, the Highway Department and Public Works
Department, are housed in a complex located on Route 25 in
Peconic near the Police Department with access to peconic Lane.
The Town of Southold Highway Department is responsible for year-
round maintenance of about 180 miles of Town dedicated roads as
well as a street lighting program and traffic signals (except on
State Route 25). In the spring, summer and fall the Highway
Department is primarily concerned with repair and resurfacing of
roads, measures to solve drainage problems and street lighting of
Town roads. In the winter the Department is responsible for
erecting snow fences, sanding and plowing. The Public Works
Department responsibilities include operation of the Town land-
fill and maintenance of Town parks and beaches.
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All of the Department's equipment and materials are stored and
maintained at the main complex and two rented properties located
in Peconic and Orient.
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Southold Landfill
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The Town of Southold operates and maintains a landfill site of 32
acres north of Route 48 and west of Cox Lane. This site has been
used since the early 1930's and about five useable acres remain.
It has been estimated that at an average fill rate of one-half to
one acre per year, it will take about five years before this site
will be full. The rate of filling the landfill can be affected
by the size and density of items that are deposited at the site.
The Public Works Department has already purchased a shredder for
leaves and is considering purchase of a chipper to use on branch-
es. They are also considering purchase of ~compactor to reduce
the amount of bulk that enters the landfill.
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The Town has recently purchased a nineteen acre parcel adjacent
to the currently used landfill site. In order to use this new
site, the Town will have to receive approval from the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) whose
requirements include installation of a liner and plans for
capping the landfill. The Town is currently negotiating with the
DEC about methods that must be used for current site.
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Given current growth rates and anticipated improvements on the
disposal program, including joint use of scavenger waste plant
with Greenport, this site should last about 15-20 years.
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The landfill is available for use by Town residents and by three
private carters who serve Southold residents. There is currently
no charge to individuals, the carters, or to those depositing
scavenger waste. It has been estimated that about 600 cars per
day bring refuse to the landfill on week days and about 1,000
cars utilize the site on weekend days. About one-half of the
residents are serviced by private carting companies.
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The Town currently employs five people to work at the landfill
which is open and operating seven days per week and ten hours a
day. The men run equipment to dig sand (which is sold to con-
tractors) and to spread and cover refuse.
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In addition to the chipper and compactor, the Commissioner of
Public Works and Town Board members propose erection of a pole
building and use of a gate keeper to better inspect type of
refuse and to direct placement of refuse coming into the land-
fill. There is some concern about toxic wastes being placed in
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The Town Board approved expenditures for improvement of the landfill including equipment
purchase and building construction.
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the landfill and a gatekeeper might be better able to prevent
some potential contamination.
According to the Suffolk County Annual Environmental Report, May
1982, the two major problems associated with landfills are the
groundwater contamination resulting from the rain-driven dis-
charge of leachate and the migration of methane, vinyl chloride
and other toxic gases from the landfill site. The Suffolk County
Department of Health Services has monitored the Southold landfill
through analysis of private wells in the area and has indicated
that concentrations of selenium, ammonia, manganese, iron,
chloride and sodium were found as well as an elevated groundwater
temperature. The plume of the groundwater is moving in a
northeasterly direction.
Methane gas is being produced by the Southold landfill and is
migrating in a westerly direction. There has been discussion
about utilizing the methane gas to produce energy. At this time
it is uncertain whether or not this landfill is producing enough
methane gas to make such an on-site operation feasible. The
present solution for dissipation of this gas is to dig a trench
and install vents.
A third problem of the landfill is keeping refuse and papers from
blowing beyond the site. Rows of trees at the perimeter of the
property might be desirable and use of a compactor would reduce
the possibility of loose papers blowing.
In addition to the option of compacting the refuse to reduce the
volume of the bulk entering the landfill, the Town is also
looking into use of an on-site incinerator or sending out refuse
to be burned at an incinerator elsewhere. In addition, the Town
is exploring the process of composting scavenger and other wastes
and utilizing the created soil as a covering for the landfill.
Southold Town is joining with the Village of Greenport to build a
scavenger waste treatment plant adjacent to the Greenport sewage
treatment plant. Scavenger wastes will be treated and then sent
to the sewage treatment plant.
Road Maintenance and Drainage
As development in the Town proceeds, demands on the highway and
public works departments will continue to slowly grow. This will
be particularly true as road maintenance requirements increase.
The Department over the years has had difficulty in maintaining
roads that were originally built as private roads, not to Town
standards, and subsequently accepted by the Town. The Town's
policies relating to construction and drainage specifications for
private roads should be reviewed and made consistent with speci-
fications for Town roads in order to avoid problems that have
occurred in the past. This would be beneficial to the Town in
terms of cost and emergency access if future dedication of
private roads becomes necessary.
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Areas of the Town where particular drainage problems have been
identified include two areas of Route 48; one where it intersects
with Horton Lane and the second near Sound Avenue, west of the
Town beach. Work also needs to be done to correct problems on:
Ackerly Pond Lane and Tower Road which are causing siltation of
Jockey Creek; Bray Avenue where water comes off a field; and
possibly further work on Skunk Lane and on Indian Neck Road near
Main Road. The Town and County recently put in recharge basins
on Boisseau Avenue and Route 48 between Boisseau and Young's
Avenues to correct drainage problems in that area.
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Health Care Resources
Health care resources are not provided by the Town directly, but
availability of services in the area and possible impacts of an
aging population and year-round and seasonal population growth on
present facilities must be considered.
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The three hospitals currently serving the acute care and non-
acute needs in the Eastern Suffolk area include: Central Suffolk
Hospital in Riverhead, Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport
and Southampton Hospital in Southampton. While the majority of
hospital patients residing in the Town of Southold utilize
Eastern Long Island and Central Suffolk Hospitals, some use
Southampton Hospital and an increasing number will also utilize
University Hospital at State U~iversity of New York at Stony
Brook for specialized services. In 1980, 76% of the patients at
Eastern Long Island Hospital resided in the Town of Southold and
9% of the*~atients at Central Suffolk Hospital were Southold
residents.
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Eastern Long Island Hospital located on Manor Place in Greenport,
primarily serving residents of Southold and Shelter Island, has
fifty one medical/surgical beds, five intensive care beds, five
coronary care beds and five pediatric beds. The hospital also
has an alcohol detoxification program, but no specific number of
beds has been set aside for this project. The hospital currently
has an eighteen bed short-term psychiatric unit under con-
struction, which is considered a regional resource in the non-
acute care category.
The Eastern Long Island Hospital Emergency Room is staffed by a
physician and nursing personnel 24 hours per day, seven days per
*
CUrrently Southald's maternity patients go to Central Suffolk Hospital or Southampton Hospital
and patients needing other specialized services not available at Eastern Long Island Hospital
are referred to these two hospitals as well as St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson or
University Hospital in Stony Brook.
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These figures has been calculated using data on admitted patients. The data does not reflect
the number of outpatients being served by the hospitals.
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week. This emergency room also provides services for seasonal
visitors and many second home residents. Emergency room facil-
ities have been expanded recently and can accommodate use by
additional numbers of people.
Eastern Long Island Hospital is in the process of developing a
long range plan to outline what it considers to be the needs of
the hospital, the community and the region, and its methods for
meeting these needs. The hospital, considered small by state
standards, faces increasing costs as it serves local needs for
acute health care.
As part of*a 1985 multi-hospital planning area acute care bed
need study the Nassau-Suffolk Health Systems Agency estimated
that*~assau County with a total of 4,686 existing and approved
beds will have a surplus of 69 beds while Western Suffolk with
3,331 existing and approved beds will have a projected need of
108 beds. (The approved 500 beds at University Hospital at Stony
Brook are included in this total. This hospital currently has
294 beds.) Eastern Suffolk area, including the five eastern
towns was projected to need 471 beds in 1985. Currently, Central
Suffolk Hospital has 150 beds, Eastern Long Island has 66 acute
care beds with 6 more approved and Southampton has 194 beds.
Even with current approvals, the number is below the projected
need. Central Suffolk Hospital has submitted an application to
increase its capacity by 44 beds, but the proposal has not been
acted upon since there is currently a state imposed moratorium on
hospital capital construction projects. It is thus apparent that
55 additional beds have not yet been approved and with any
substantial growth, there may be some further need to expand the
number of acute case hospital beds serving the eastern Towns.
In the area of non-acute care hospital beds, University Hospital
at Stony Brook has a 40 bed psychiatric unit and Eastern Long
Island Hospital is constructing an 18 bed psychiatric unit.
Southampton Hospital had state approval to add 20 beds for an
alcohol detoxification unit, but has decided not to construct
this unit.
As the number proportion of senior citizens in the Town of
Southold continues to grow, interest in the availability of
health care services for the elderly also increases. Long-term
health care has at the same time been a growing health concern of
the Nassau Suffolk Health Systems Agency in recognition of the
.
Reported in the Acute Care Services, Medical Resources Component, Nassau-Suffolk Health Systems
Agency, August 17, 1982.
..
In this paragraph ''beds'' refers to acute care beds which include: medical/surgical beds
(medical/surgical, intensive care unit and cardiac care unit beds), pediatric and maternity
beds.
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increasing proportion and number of frail elderly and disabled
people in the region. At the present time, a significant
proportion of long-term care in Suffolk County is provided in an
institutional setting; however the occupancy rate is high and the
need for additional beds as well as for alternative home care
programs is increasing. The one not-for-profi t corporation
providing skilled nursing care and health related facility beds
in the Town of Southold is San Simeon-by-the-Sound. Located on
the North Road in the unincorporated area in Greenport, it has 70
skilled nursing beds and 80 health related facility beds. In the
Town of Riverhead, the Riverhead Nursing Home located on Wood-
crest Avenue off Route 58 has 121 skilled nursing beds and 60
heal th related facility beds. In addition, Central Suffolk
Hospital has received permission to add 60 skilled nursing beds.
Southampton Hospital plans to use funds to acquire the 62 bed
Todd Nursing Home. It has a contract to purchase this nursing
home, but has not yet received state approval.
Outside the Eastern Suffolk area, but within the region, St.
Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson has submitted a proposal to
add a 200 bed geriatric facility. While this plan was disap-
proved when submitted, the proposal may be reconsidered as the
Nassau-Suffolk Health Systems Agency bed need methodology
changes. In addition, the Suffolk County Infirmary in Yaphank, a
public facility has 215 skilled nursing beds and is available to
County residents.
Suffolk County Department of Health Services does not provide
facili ties for treatment of acute care patients, but it has
facilities and services available to the public (in addition to
the Infirmary) in many of the areas of health care including
ambulatory care, mental health and home care. Suffolk County
Department of Health clinics are available to county residents on
a sliding scale fee based on income. There are several facil-
ities that are in Southold or Riverhead and thus accessible to
Southold residents.
The ambulatory Health Care Center in Riverhead provides services
in adult medicine, pediatrics, family planning, gynecology,
immunization, sickle cell screening, venereal disease control,
chest services, and a WIC program for women, infants and children
up to the age of five. The Nassau-Suffolk Health Systems Agency
has recently approved plans to expand the Riverhead Health
Center.
The County runs a Family Planning satellite and Child Health
satellite at Eastern Long Island Hospital. It also operates the
Mental Health center in Riverhead as an outpatient clinic.
The Suffolk County Department of Health Services coordinates
several home care services through its Bureau of Public Health
Nursing, locally in its Southold hamlet office on the Main Road
and at the Suffolk County Center in Riverhead. These services
13
include: nursing, home health aide, physical therapy and speech
pathology.
In 1983 the NSHSA is planning to review acute care resources and
services for cardiac care, burn care, end-stage renal disease,
and neonatal intensive care and will examine the bi-county use of
CAT scanners and therapeutic radiology. Where appropriate, they
will then provide recommendations for improvements in these
areas.
Moreover, in the area of long term care, the Nassau-Suffolk
Health Systems Agency, in addition to focusing on establishing a
long-term bed need methodology, is exploring alternatives to
institutionalization, e.g., expansion of home care programs, day
care and outpatient services and is studying the possible
development of hospice care in Suffolk County.
The Nassau Suffolk Health Systems Ag~ncy has identified several
additional areas of health concern. Among these are: (a)
improved availability of ambulatory care for special population
groups such as lower socio-economic groups, minority populations,
elderly people and adolescents, (b) community health promotion
programs in the areas of prenatal high risk factors, cancer,
alcoholism and expanding of health promotion programs in the
regional school districts, and (c) further development of resi-
dential alternative program to serve mentally disabled persons
and expansion of community based support services for mentally
disabled. As a result of their efforts, the NSHSA can be
expected to present some recommendations that will relate to
Suffolk County and Eastern Suffolk County needs.
Hospi tal, nursing home and ambulatory health services in the
Southold/Riverhead area are slowly increasing in kind and in
quantity and in cost. However, some residents will not have
access to health services. Some residents may not have adequate
medical insurance coverage and/or are not eligible for Medicaid
or Medicare and find medical care to be an expensive burden.
Futherrnore, numerous health care resources are available to
Southold residents, but in some cases, travel to available
resources may be time consuming and/or costly. Those who do not
have cars have to depend mainly on bus transportation to go to
Greenport or to Riverhead.
Fire Department rescue squads in Orient, Greenport and East
Marion transport emergency cases to hospitals, and Cutchogue,
Southold and Mattituck utilize the Peconic Ambulance Service, a
private company. Those needing transportation from one hospital
to another generally use the Peconic Ambulance Service; however,
in cases of extreme emergency, patients might be taken to
.
1983 Annual Implementation Plan for Nassau-Suffolk, NSHSA, February 17, 1983.
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hospitals in Suffolk County Police or Air National Guard
helicoptors which would end up being less costly to the patient.
In the next several years, some acute care beds may be
constructed in Southold and Ri verhead and some additional
accommodations for long-term care for elderly patients may be
built in both Towns. In addition, the Nassau-Suffolk Health
Systems Agency and County health officials are supporting and
will continue to support improved home care alternatives for
elderly and mentally and physically disabled.
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RPPW
Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631,9003212/365,2666
Memorandum
March 21, 1983
TO: Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
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RE:
ANALYSIS OF SCHOOLS AND THE MASTER PLAN
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Introduction
Community facilities and services, both public and private, form
an integral part of the Master Plan in that they are essential to
the well being of the Town and in many respects are determinants
of the community's character, attractiveness and quality of life.
This is one of a series of background memoranda that will address
these matters and the planning issues related to them.
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Schools are basic to a community since schools and school sites,
not only provide for education, but are a valuable resource for a
variety of community activities, including recreation. Further-
more, the public schools constitute a major element of the public
expenditures in the Town.
The capacity of the schools has a relationship to the amount of
population that can be supported and helps to determine at what
point in the Town's development or school district's development,
additional capacity may be needed.
For these reasons, it is important to incorporate an analysis of
the school systems into the planning process. This also provides
a basis for school officials and Town officials to work together
in areas of common interest.
School Districts in the Town of Southold
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There are currently seven school districts serving the Town of
Southold and a small eastern portion of the Town of Riverhead
which are all part of the administrative organization of the
First Supervisory District of Suffolk County. Four school
districts serve students in grades kindergarten through twelve.
These include Mattituck-Cutchogue Consolidated School District,
No's 8 and 9; Southold Union Free School District; No's 5 and 7
Consolidated; Greenport Union Free School District No. 10; and
Fishers Island Union Free School District No.4. The remaining
school districts generally serve students at the elementary
level. Laurel Common School District No. 11 serves students in
grades one through six and in 1982-83 sent kindergarten students
and those in grades seven through twelve to the Mattituck-
Cutchogue Schools. New Suffolk serves students in grades kinder-
garten through six and sends grades seven through twelve to the
Southold School. Oyster Ponds School on the eastern end of the
Town serves students kindergarten through six and sends students
to Greenport Schools for grades seven through twelve.
In spite of increases in the Town of Southold's population as a
whole, the school population has been decreasing in all the
school districts in the Town in the last five years (see Table
1). These decreases range from less than 3% in the Mattituck-
Cutchogue School District to almost 38% in the Fishers Island
School, with an average decrease of 13%. The decreases are even
larger if one compares the highest enrollment in the last ten
years with the current enrollment. This analysis shows the
Mattituck- Cutchogue population decreasing by nearly 7% and
Fishers Island School by over 60%.
Projections of school enrollments for the next five years made by
school officials from each school district indicated that school
populations are expected to remain at the current level or
decrease slightly. Based on declining school populations state
and nation-wide, coupled with the rather high median age for
residents of the Town of Southold and a rising cost of housing,
there is no reason to anticipate any trend other than a s~ble
and/or slightly declining enrollment in school populations.
Some bulge in the school age population expected in the late
1980's and 1990's as the children of the baby boom go through
school. If Southold's population becomes more reflective of the
national and regional characteristics this would also be the case
here.
.
As of February 1, 1984, because of rising costs coupled with declining enrollments, the
Southald and Greenpoint School Districts are exploring the desirability of merging with one
another, as are the Laurel and Mattituck-Cutchogue Districts.
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Table 1
School Districts in Town of Southold
Enrollment Data
Percent Change Highest
From Highest Enrollment
Actual Enrollment Last 10 Year Projected Enrollment Year in Last
Puhlic School District 1978-79 1979-80 1980-81 1981-82 1982-83 5 Years Enrollment 1983-84 1984-85 1985-86 1986-87 1987-88 Ten Years
Laurel 11-6) , (K and 7-12 1978-79
Mattituck-Cutchogue)* 84 70 69 76 78 -7.1% -7.1% Not Available 84
Mattituck-Cutchogue 1974-75
(K-12) 1,310 1,312 1,303 1,299 1,273 -2.8% -6.7% 1,274 1,249 1,231 1,219 1,215 1,365
New Suffolk (K-6) 1972-73
(7-12 to Southold) 25 31 30 24 19 - 24% -40.6% 18 23 21 20 32
Southold 1973-74
(K-12) 857 808 794 738 744 -13.2% -29.3% No significant increase or decrease 1,053
1971-72 and
Greenport 1975-76
(K-12) 817 783 715 680 651 -20.3% -27.3% 640 629 620 600 587 896
Oyster Ponds 1974-75
K-6 (H.S. - Greenport) 104 93 93 90 98 - 5.8% - 30% 97 101 100 94 84 140
Fishers Island 1972-73
K-12** 69 55 47 42 43 -37.7% -61.3% 42 43 45 44 43 III
Total 3,328 2,893 - 13%
* Source for all districts except Laurel: District Superintendents' offices. Laurel data in Table 1 from First Supervisory District,
Board of Cooperative Educational Services.
** Fishers Island began pre-kindergarten program in 1982-83 with 9 students. Pre-kindergarten figures not included in this chart.
3
In addition to students from the Town of Southold attending
public schools in the seven districts of the Town, many children
attend parochial schools in Southold and Riverhead. These
include: Sacred Heart School, Cutchogue; St. Agnes School,
Greenport; St. Isidore's School, St. John Evangalist School, St.
David's Episcopal Day School and Mercy High School, all in
Riverhead.
The following is the number of students from each of the school
districts in the Town attending parochial schools in Southold or
Riverhead, according to reports from district superintendents'
offices:
Laurel 22
Mattituck-Cutchogue 64
New Suffolk 6
Southold 75
Greenport 47
Oyster Ponds 6
Fishers Island 0
School physical facilities as they currently exist are expected
to be adequate to meet future needs based on current projections.
See Table 2 for estimates of capacity of current buildings.
Table 2
Summary of Estimated Capacity of Physical Facilities
School
District
Number of
Schools
Total
Capacity
Enrollment
1982-83
Laurel
Mattituck-Cutchogue
New Suffolk
Southald
Greenport
Oyster Ponds
Fishers Is land
78
1,260
19
744
651
98
43
92
1,500
40
865
1,100
140
135
1
3
1
2
1
1
1
Source: District Superintendents' offices.
From these estimates it is clear that some additional students
could be handled in all existing buildings and substantial
numbers of additional students could be accommodated in several
of the districts. Because there is generally a surplus of
available space, the school districts have sufficient flexibility
in times of short-term over-crowding at any particular grade
level to shift students from one building to another.
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It is possible that in the future some school districts presently
serving elementary students may merge with larger school dis-
tricts serving students kindergarten through twelve. Discussions
have been held between residents and school officials in Laurel
and Matti tuck-Cutchogue, but the ultimate outcome of these
explorations is uncertain. If the Town grows significantly
larger than is projected for year 2000, expanded facilities may
be necessary depending on the structure of the population.
Laurel School District (No. 11)
The Laurel Elementary School, located north of Route 25 in
Southold, serves students from the hamlet of Laurel which is
situated in a western portion of the Town of Southold and an
eastern area of Riverhead. The school building serving grades
one through six was constructed in 1927 and has been renovated to
provide additional classroom space in the basement. Five full-
time faculty and four part-time faculty members form the teaching
staff of the school. Kindergarten students as well as those in
grades seven through twelve attend the Mattituck-Cutchogue
schools. The school is on a 8.6 acre site. Basketball courts, a
baseball field, and playground as well as an all-purpose room are
utilized during and after school for recreational purposes.
In recent years, the Laurel district has been considering merger
with the Mattituck-Cutchogue school district but no decision on
the issue has yet been reached.
New Suffolk School District (No. 15)
The New Suffolk School District is currently the smallest school
district in the Town of Southold both in terms of enrollment and
land area. The district includes the community of New Suffolk
and Robins Island and the 1982-83 enrollment of the school,
kindergarten through six, is 19 with a faculty of two teachers.
Twenty-five students, grades seven through twelve, from New
Suffolk attend the Southold School. The woodframe school build-
ing which was built in 1907 has two classrooms and an all-purpose
room. The school could accommodate 40 students, although no
significant change in school population is anticipated in the
near future. The New Suffolk School has two parcels, one across
the street from the other totaling about 2.5 acres.
Mattituck-Cutchogue School District (Nos. 8 and 9)
The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District, the largest in the Town
of Southold, was formed in 1973 with the merger of Districts No.
8 East Cutchogue, No. 9 Mattituck and No. 12 Cutchogue. The
current district utilizes the Cutchogue School (West) on Depot
Lane for 100 students in kindergarten and first grade and houses
200 students in grades five and six in the East Cutchogue school
located on the south side of the Main Road (Route 25). The high
school building originally constructed in 1934 with additions in
1954 and 1973 currently houses 250 students in grades two through
5
four in one wing and 749 students in grades seven through twelve
in the main portion of the building. The high school includes
114 students from Laurel. The district presently employs 92
teachers including classroom and specialized area teachers.
The two elementary schools have playground areas and ballfields
and the high school/two through four complex has a playground,
tennis courts, baseball field, basketball court, soccer and
football fields located on more than eight acres. The high
school recreational facilities are utilized for after school and
summer programs. The Cutchogue School (West) on Depot Lane is
situated on a 6.1 acre site, the Cutchogue School (East) is
located on a 21.4 acre site, and the Mattituck-Cutchogue High
School building is set on a 11.4 acre site with 5 acres of school
property across the street adjacent to Maratooka Lake.
Southold Union Free School District (No.5)
The Southold School District serving students from the Peconic,
Southold hamlet, and Bayview areas consists of three schools.
The senior high school, on Oaklawn Avenue housing 265 students
and 32 faculty members was constructed in 1923 and enlarged in
1938. A separate school with gymnasium was built in 1962 and
attached to the existing high school facility. This middle
school building currently houses 297 students in kindergarten and
grades five through eight with 25 faculty members. Twenty-five
students from New Suffolk attend Southold schools in grades seven
through twelve. The primary school grades 1-4, located on
peconic Lane in Peconic serving 180 students with nine faculty
members was constructed in 1938 and renovated in 1970. This
school on 4.3 acres is adj acent to the Town's Senior-Youth
Center. Recreation and adult education programs are available
for use by students and Town residents, primarily at the high
school site where gymnasium, auditorium and playing fields are
located on 38.7 acres.
Greenport Union Free School District (No. 10)
This Greenport School district, once the largest in the Town of
Southold in terms of school enrollment, is currently the third
largest school district, following Mattituck- Cutchogue and
Southold. The school building housing Greenport students from
kindergarten through twelfth grade also serves students residing
in orient and East Marion for grades seven through twelve.
The building on Front Street/Main Road was originally constructed
in 1932 with three floors. Another floor was added in 1972 to
produce a capacity for about 1,100 students. The school district
has experienced a decline of about 20% in the last five years and
school officials anticipate that a comparable decline will
continue for the next several years.
The school has two gymnasiums, four baseball fields, two softball
fields, one soccer field, one football field, one field hockey
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area, a physical fitness/obstacle course area, and one track.
None of the outdoor facilities are lighted, but the gymnasium is
open in evening hours for community recreational use.
Oyster Ponds Union Free School District in Orient (No.2)
The school district which serves students in Orient and East
Marion has one building constructed in 1966 with an addi tion
built in 1968. At the present time grades kindergarten through
six are taught by seven classroom teachers, two special education
teachers, and three part-time teachers. The District estimates
that current staffing patterns and physical plant could accommo-
date 140 students, about 40 more than are presently enrolled.
There are no vacant or underutilized buildings in the district,
but the school district has property in East Marion north of
Route 25 totalling 10.3 acres which is currently utilized for
recreational purposes including tennis courts and ballfields.
Recreation facilities available to district students include a
tennis court, a soccer field, baseball fields and a multipurpose
gymnasium at the 12.9 acre site in Orient.
Fishers Island School District (No.4)
The Fishers Island School is an open space plan building con-
structed in 1972 on 7 acres. This modern building designed for
an enrollment of up to 135 students is currently utilized by 43
students in grades kindergarten through twelve and nine pre-
schoolers. The facility now contains eleven full-time and four
part-time teachers. The high school program is individualized
for each student and teachers have responsibility for more than
one area. It is estimated that current staffing patterns could
support at least double the current enrollment, but there is no
expectation that school population on Fishers Island will in-
crease significantly. The school site is utilized for educa-
tional and recreational activities on the Island. Outdoor
facilities include tennis courts and a basketball court. A four
lane bowling alley located on the site is leased by the Island
Peoples Project (IPP) anp will be operated by the IPP after
renovation is completed. The Fishers Island School district
also has a 3.8 acre site for faculty housing, and a less than
three acre site near the water utilized for ecological study.
.
Renovations have been completed and the bowling alley 1s in operation.
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RPPW
Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631.9003212/365-2666
Memorandum
March 23, 1983
TO: Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
RE: PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES AND OPEN SPACE AREAS
IN THE TOWN OF SOUTH OLD
The Town of Southold has been fortunate in its coastal location
which has been able to supply recreational opportunities for
residents. The waters and beaches of Long Island Sound and
Peconic and Gardiners Bays taken with the multitude of creeks
that enter the bay on the south shore of the Town have provided
some of the bounties of nature's assets. Opportunities to swim,
to launch a boat, to fish for finfish and gather shellfish, to
witness scenic vistas and to enjoy the use of the beaches had
been for over two centuries readily available to most people in
Southold.
As development continued quite slowly but steadily, over the last
50 years, access to the waters surrounding the Town has become
more and more limited. Whereas private ownership has
traditionally been the pattern along the shoreline, because the
land was relatively undeveloped and because each community within
the town was rather small, neighbors were often able to cross
properties to gain access to the waters and beaches or wetlands.
Over time, with increases in development there has been less
acceptance of "trespassing" as a suitable method of access and
relatively little public acquisition of shorefront properties has
taken place.
This master plan inventory and analysis of recreational
facilities is based extensively on the Parks, Recreation and Open
Space Survey prepared in February, 1982 by Ward Associates and
Planning Associates. This report has been expanded and updated
based on discussions with Town elected and appointed officials
including members of the Town Board, Town Trustees, Highway
Superintendent; Commissioners of the four Park Districts,
Superintendent of Orient State Park, Commissioner of the Long
Island Division of the New York State Office of Parks and
Recreation, Suffolk County Commissioner of Parks and Recreation
and interested citizens. Bruce Wilkins' Outdoor Recreation and
Commercial Fishery in the Town of Southold, Cornell University
1967, was also reviewed.
An analysis of park and recreation needs as part of the Southold
Master Plan is unusual in that there are needs for year-round as
well as seasonal population. Since the seasonal population is
important to the Town, the extent to which State, County and
private resources meet these needs and the extent to which local
resources (Town and Park District) are utilized is a matter to be
considered in the Plan.
PUBLIC PARK AND RECREATION SERVICES
Park districts have played an important role in the Town in being
stewards of property and economically administering limited
budgets to perform maintenance and improvement functions. The
Town of Southold is presently served by four park districts --
Mattituck, Cutchogue-New Suffolk, Southold, Orient-East Marion --
and the Incorporated Village of Greenport. These districts
encompass the Town with the exception of the areas of peconic,
Bayview, and the unincorporate area of Greenport. Generally,
these park districts have developed to serve local area
communities and have been oriented toward providing beach areas
and waterfront activities. The four Park Districts have been
established to act as a vehicle for acquiring and maintaining
properties to meet some of the recreational needs of residents.
Basically, each of the districts has focused on maintaining and
operating beach properties, but one district, Matti tuck, has
taken a broader view and has provided diverse recreational areas.
In addition to Park District facilities, the Town maintains
general town parks open to all residents of the Town. The County
and State also have parkland holdings within the Town, and the
school districts own and maintain recreational facilities.
Another type of category of park properties is the local area
homeowners associations, i. e., Fleet Neck, Nassau Point and
others, which own and maintain mostly waterfront properties for
use by association members. While these properties are a private
rather than public resource, they satisfy certain recreation
needs, taking some burden from the public sector.
PARK DISTRICTS
MATTI TUCK PARK DISTRICT
The western-most park district, Mattituck, has over the years
been the most diversified. Mattituck Park District properties
include Breakwater Park, Bailie's Beach, Wolf pit Lake, Mattituck
Creek Boat Launching, Aldrich Lane Park, the Yacht Club Property,
Veteran's Memorial Park, Westphalia Avenue Park, Marratooka Lake
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Park, and Bay Avenue Park. The budget for the 1982 fiscal year
was approximately $80,000. The Park District is not coterminous
with the Mattituck School District No.9. School District No. 9
encompasses the Mattituck Park District and the Cutchogue-New
Suffolk Park District. Mattituck students can utilize tennis
courts and ballfields at Mattituck-Cutchogue High School.
Besides the Mattituck Park District, the Town is coordinating
with the Mattituck Inlet Advisory Committee, whose recommen-
dations for planing have an impact upon park and recreation land
uses in this areas as well as open space.
Mattituck Park District's lighted field is used
youth leagues with members throughout the Town.
District also allows ice skating by those outside
by adult and
Mattituck Park
the district.
Breakwater Park (17.., acres), located on the west side of
Mattituck Inlet, is a Long Island Sound Beach with parking area
and rest room building.
Bailie's Beach Park (22~ acres) is located on the east side of
Mattituck Inlet. There is a Boy Scout cabin in the upland area.
Wolf Pit Lake (3 acres) is a small intermittent pond which
accumulates storm water run-off from the surrounding area. The
pond has been used for ice skating when weather permits and has
lights on it for night skating.
Mattituck Creek Boat Launching Park (1 acre) is located along the
North Road at the head of Mattituck Creek. Parking is limited
and expansion could be considered with Town property parallel to
the North Road and west of the landing site. Access is by permit
only and is limited to Park District residents.
Aldrich Lane Park (6 acres) is currently being
night- lighted softball field and soccer field.
adjoining and north of Laurel School.
developed for a
The property is
Mattituck Park District Beach "Yacht Club Property" (5~ acres) is
located along peconic Bay Boulevard. The site is developed for a
softball field with night lighting, a parking area, and beach.
Adjacent to the property, on its west side, is a Yacht Club
building which gives the park its name.
Veterans Memorial Park (5 acres), a Peconic Bay front park at the
terminus of Bay Avenue, Matti tuck, has a firemen's training
facility, storage and pavilion buildings, parking area, picnic
area, play apparatus area, a boccie court and shuffleboard
courts.
Westphalia Avenue Park, in the central business district of
Mattituck, has potential for a sitting area and landscaped hamlet
park.
3
Marratooka Lane Park (4 acres) is a parcel of land and pond along
south side Main Road in Mattituck which has been preserved for
open space and scenic use. Winter ice skating, weather
permitting, accounts for its most active use.
Bay Avenue Park (4 acres) is the site of an existing Little
League field, small parking area, two tennis courts, and a small
wetlands area along James Creek.
CUTCHOGUE - NEW SUFFOLK PARK DISTRICT
The Cutchogue-New Suffolk Park District is bounded on the west
side by the Mattituck Park District and on the east side by the
hamlet of Peconic, which is not within a park district. The
Cutchogue-New Suffolk Park District maintains two bay front
parks, Fleet Neck Beach and Nassau Point Community Beach. The
budget for 1982 was approximately $24,000.
Fleet Neck Beach (1 acre) at the end of pequash Avenue faces
Cutchogue Harbor and is limited in size and parking.
The Nassau Point communitG; Beach (19), acres) is a parcel of
considerable acreage and each front on Little peconic Bay and
wetlands areas on the west into Broadwater Cove. The beach is
adjacent to a waterfront area for the Nassau Point Homeowners
Association. The causeway, Nassau Point Road, divides the park
and provides easy access. Parallel to the beach and off the
causeway is a large parking area. Future improvements might
include tennis court, picnic area, beach pavilion, and on the
Broadwater Cove side, nature area, and possible boat launching
and marina facilities.
Miscellaneous Area (10 acres) south side of New Suffolk Avenue
that cannot be developed because of gift restrictions, but can be
utilized for nature walks.
SOUTHOLD PARK DISTRICT
The Southold Park District is not coterminous with the Southold
School District and the areas of Bayview and peconic are not
covered by the Park District. This has caused some confusion
with parking at Founders Landing Beach. The budget for the
district was approximately $37,500 for 1982, and most of the work
was performed under contracted services.
The Founders Landing Beach and Pavilion (1.75 acres) is the most
used park facility within the district providing bay swimming,
picnicking, refreshment stand, basketball, and pavillion for
district use.
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Peconic Lane Park - the district maintains several Little League
baseball fields on private property, north of the Peconic School,
on Peconic Lane near Carroll Avenue.
The Horton Point Lighthouse Property (8.75 acres) has been
converted to a museum which is administered by the Southold
Historical Society. A resident watchman/caretaker has reduced
vandalism, rampant in the past. This museum is significant to
the entire Town. There are a few picnic tables located on the
site, but extensive use of the park is discouraged. The Coast
Guard is putting in a radio tower at this location.
South Harbor Park (4 acres) is located at the terminus of South
Harbor Road but has no beach or waterfront. The frontage is
currently owned by another party. (There is, however, a Town
road end with access to the water near this park.)
Triangle Park
of Southold.
provided.
(1.5 acres) is the western entrance to the hamlet
Here a flag pole, war memorial, and picnic area are
Sofskey Memorial Park provides another war memorial. This small
parcel is located in front of the Legion Hall on Main Road.
Young's Avenue Park (1/3 acre) is located on Town Creek with a
grassy picnic area and dock area for tying up boats.
ORIENT-EAST MARION PARK DISTRICT
East of the Village of Greenport
District. The district budget
$12,000.
is the Orient-East Marion Park
for 1982 was approximately
Truman Beach, Orient, (8 acres) was recently acquired by the Park
District. This park is heavily utilized by Orient/East Marion
residents. The District also owns a parcel of property on the
south side of Main Road, most of which is wetlands.
5
GENERAL TOWN PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES
The Town of Southold provides recreational facilities in various
locations for use by all residents. Most of the properties are
utilized for their water frontage for beach use or as boat
launching sites. The town maintains and provides lifeguards at
six beaches (listed below with asterisks) and hires a beach
manager for the Town. Residents are provided with stickers for
free parking (16,000 in 1982) and non-residents can pay for a
daily parking sticker (about 3,500 in 1982) or a seasonal
sticker.
The three most heavily used beach areas are: Norman E. Klipp
Park at the end of Manhasset Avenue, Arshamomaque Beach and
Horton's Lane Beach (also known as McCabe's Beach).
The Town operates and maintains the Senior/Youth Center on
Peconic Lane in Peconic. In 1983 it is providing $2,000 for
programming costs and is also underwriting the costs of heating
and cleaning the building, providing insurance, and is covering
expendi tures for some supplies. In addition, $2,000 has been
appropriated for repair of game tables at the center.
Laurel Lake, Mattituck (11.5 acres) has access from Main Road and
frontage on Laurel Lake. The property was purchased for water
rights and the Town is allowing access and parking for those who
wish to use the adjacent State land for fishing purposes.
Mattituck Creek, Mattituck (1~ acres) property (largely wetland
area) fronting on Mattituck Creek, west of Park District boat
launching along North Road.
*Jackson Street, New Suffolk (1\ acres) bay front park
overlooking Robins Island. The beach area is served with
lifeguards in the summer. The park lot, in good condition, is
marked for twenty cars.
Goldsmith Inlet, Peconic (1 acre) is Sound front property along
west side of Goldsmith's Inlet opposite the County Park. This
property is not utilized as a beach and does not currently have
lifeguards.
*Goose Creek, Southold (2 acres) beach is located on Southold Bay
and has lifeguards in summer.
Recreation Center, peconic (2.3 acres) is located on the east
side of Peconic Lane. Programming is available for senior
citizens and youth of the Town. This site is adjacent to the
Peconic School which should be considered for acquisition by the
Town for recreational purposes if it is considered excess
property by the Southold School District.
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Minnehaha Boulevard, Southold (2 3/4 acres) has Hog Neck Bay and
Corey Creek frontage, but contains mostly wetlands. Access is
difficult for Town park use.
*Kenney's Road Beach, Southold (5 acres) was the site of winter
storI:1 damage of 1981, destroying most of beach area and
undermining parking area. Some nourishment efforts are underway;
however the Town has not yet approved a significant amount of
funding for these repairs.
*Horton's Lane Beach, Southold (l~ acres) (also known as McCabe's
Beach) fronts on Sound and North Sea Drive.
*Arshamomaque Beach (also called Town Beach), Southold (6 acres)
access is along North Road for this most used Town-owned Sound
front bathing beach. There are a few swings and benches for
beach users.
Main Road and Old Main Road, Greenport is the site of the Chamber
of Commerce information center for tourism in the area.
Clark Beach, Greenport (1 acre) is a small parcel of Town-owned
beach fronting on the Sound and surrounded by County Inlet Pond
Park. The site is located near the Greenport Village sewage
outfall pipe and is therefore not suitable for beach use, but
could be considered as a possible site for boat ramp.
Sound Road, Greenport (1 acre) the terminus of Sound Road is a
small Sound front beach area.
Beach Road, Greenport (1 acre) small waterfront parcel on
Stirling Harbor. It has a launching ramp for boats and a
good-sized parking area.
*Manhasset Avenue, Greenport (3~ acres) (also called Norman E.
Klipp Park) is a significant beach fronting on Gull Pond and
Gardiner, s Bay overlooking Shelter Island. The park contains
large parking area, pavilion playground area, and a bathing beach
and it has a State built launching ramp at this location.
In addition to Town-owned and maintained facilities listed above,
Southold residents also utilize the right-of-way at the end of
several town roads to gain access to Long Island Sound or peconic
Bay. The use of these beaches for swimming or launching boats at
the ends of the Town roads is frequently viewed unfavorably by
the Town because of liability problems as well by the residents
of the street because they feel that their quiet and privacy are
being invaded and threatened by the presence of non-neighbors and
additional cars.
In fact, however, extensive use of these road-end beaches and
launching sites indicates the desires and needs of Town residents
to have access to the waterfront near their homes.
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FISHERS ISLAND
Fishers Island is discussed separately in this memorandum because
of its geographic location and the mixed nature of the ownership
and maintenance of facilities. Since it is separated from the
mainland, the bulk of the recreational needs of the community
must be available on the Island both for year-round residents and
summer visitors and second home owners. As on the mainland,
however, the shoreline of the island is the chief recreational
asset of the community. Swimming, boating, and fishing are
favorite recreational pastimes, as are tennis and golf. Both
public and private resources supply sites and facilities for
recreational activities.
The Fishers Island School is a focus of recreational activity.
It operates day-night year-round as a hub of the island's
recreational and continuous education programs on its seven acre
school property.
The school site itself has two lighted tennis courts, a
basketball court and small field area. It also contains a
bowling alley which is being renovated and leased and will be
operated by the Island Peoples Project.
The Island Peoples Project is a community group that is
responsible for much recreational programming on the Island. In
addition to supporting the bowling facilities, they arrange for
water safety, swimming and sailing instructions at the Town Beach
in the western portion of the Island, and provide ballfields near
the center of the village area for league ball games.
The Town has allocated money for recreational facilities on
Fishers Island. Funds have recently been appropriated for an
improved launching ramp on Peninsula Road since the old one
became unsuitable. The Town also provided for the installation
of lights at the school tennis courts so that night tennis could
be available at a small charge for power for those who wished to
use it and provided funds for the paving of basketball courts.
The private sector, namely the Fishers Island Development
Corporation, owns a substantial amount of the recreational and
open space area of the Island. FIDCG owns about 240 undeveloped
acres at the eastern end of Fishers Island plus all the land and
most of the buildings used by the Fishers Island Country Club.
It owns the Fishers Island Yacht Club buildings and marina and
provides maintenance services at Isabella and Chocomont beaches.
Isabella Beach has no lifeguards, but can be utilized by Island
residents only who present a pass to enter the eastern private
restricted area of Fishers Island. Chocomont Beach is used only
by residents of the eastern portion of Fishers Island.
Two golf clubs and two yacht clubs provide focus for private
recreational activities on the Island.
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COUNTY PARKS
In the Town of Southold, Suffolk County has three park properties
fronting on the Long Island Sound, and one beach front on peconic
Bay. These properties totalling about 169 acres are nature areas
and preserves with the exception of the Peconic Dunes Youth Camp.
The recreational/open lands in Southold owned by Suffolk County
are generally underutilized and available for open space or
nature observation use, rather than for active recreation.
Although all the properties front on water, there are currently
no lifeguards supplied by the County. The county lands in
Southold may be considered a resource for future needs when, for
example, they might be used as beach areas with life guards
provided.
Suffolk County also holds Indian Island Park in the Town of
Riverhead which contains golfing and camping facilities that can
be utilized by Southold residents.
Goldsmi th' s Inlet, Southo1d (34 acres) is located between
Soundview Avenue and Long Island Sound and surrounds Peconic
Inlet pond. It is used almost exclusively for nature walks and
passive recreation use is anticipated for near future.
Peconic Dunes Youth Camp, Southold (37 acres) is beachfront
property located on the Sound providing public youth camp
facili ties to County residents. An environmental education
program and sleep away camp are operated by Suffolk County Office
for Promoting Education (SCOPE) which is partially supported by
individual school districts.
Cedar Beach, Bayview (62 acres) is a bay front property located
on peconic Bay and Cedar Beach Creek containing significant
wetlands and beach area. The Town of Southold maintains and
polices this area, but no lifeguards are provided; although many
use this area for swimming. A marine technology unit of Suffolk
County Community College is located within this site.
Inlet Pond, Greenport (36 acres) is a property with road frontage
on North Road and beach frontage on the Sound, adjacent to Clark
Beach. The Inlet Pond County Park is utilized primarily as a
nature area.
STATE PARKLAND
Orient contains a major state park on the North Fork, Orient
Beach State Park. This site is the terminus of many summer
tourist day trips and group bus outings. The other State-owned
property in the Town of Southold is a parcel along Laurel Lake in
Mattituck.
Orient Beach State Park (357 acres) is located on a long, narrow
peninsula and fronts on Gardiner's Bay overlooking Shelter Island
and Plum Island. The park contains a food stand, bathing beach,
9
picnic areas, play field, nature walks, preserve, fishing and
swimming areas. It may serve up to 2,000 on a summer Sunday
(which happens three times per year according to both the Park
Superintendent and the Director of the Long Island Park
Commission). The parking area is limited to about 150 spaces to
accommodate cars and buses. There are plans to expand size of
parking area, but funding is currently not available. There is
also some limitation to the water supply currently serving the
site.
About one half of the site is a National Natural Landmark which
cannot be developed. The gravel spit area is utilized as a bird
sanctuary and nature area primarily in spring and fall months.
Laurel Lake, Mattituck is State-owned property with frontage on
Main Road and Laurel Lake. This parcel is adjacent to the Town
owned parcel. Fishermen currently park on Town property to
utilize this State parcel.
SCHOOLS
School District sites in the Town of Southold are utilized for
most field sports and school districts provide the prime
programming of inter-scholastic, intramural, and organized team
sports. The community identification is frequently aligned to
the high schools located in Mattituck, Southold, and Greenport.
Football, baseball, Little League softball games and soccer games
are played both on school and park district ball fields. Tennis
is played at high school courts.
Elementary schools located in Orient, New Suffolk, Cutchogue
(East) and Laurel are also centers of local recreational
activities. The school plants comprise one of the most valuable
public resources in the community. Music, art, clubs, and the
seasonal sports program have offered varied activities to youth
and to other segments of the population.
The school district sites contain substantial areas for
recreational use within each community.
Laurel School (8.6 acres) has a playground area, basketball
courts and a softball field. An all-purpose room is
utilized during and after school hours.
New Suffolk School (2.5 acres in two parcels) this school
has an all-purpose room for indoor activities and an outdoor
play area. Across the street on a separate lot is a basket-
ball court and softball field.
Mattituck-Cutchogue Schools (Cutchogue School [East] 21.4
acres, Cutchogue School [West] 6.1 acres and Matti tuck-
Cutchogue School 11.4 acres plus five acres across Route 25
adjacent to Maratooka Lake.)
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The two elementary schools have playground areas, basketball
courts and ball fields and the Cutchogue School (East) has
tennis courts and a physical fitness area. The high
school/two through four complex has a playground, four
tennis courts, baseball field, basketball court, soccer and
football fields located on more than eight acres. The high
school recreational facilities are utilized for after school
and summer programs as are the tennis courts at the
elementary school.
Southold (Oaklawn complex 38.7 acres and Peconic Lane School
4.3 acres). The Peconic School has a playground area and
ballfield, but most of the recreational activity in the
District occurs at the middle school/high school site where
the gymnasium, auditorium, playground area and playing
fields are located for in- and after-school activities.
There are four tennis courts, a basketball court, and
softball, soccer and football fields.
Greenport School The school has two gymnasiums, a playground
area, four baseball fields, two softball fields, one soccer
field, one football field, one field hockey area, a physical
fitness/obstacle course area, and one track. None of the
outdoor facilities are lighted, but the gymnasium is open
during evening hours for community recreational use. The
Town has allocated money for lighting the ball park on
Moore I s Lane and this improvement is expected to be
completed in 1983.
Oyster Ponds Schools (School site is 12.9 acres and East
Marion Recreation area is 10.3 acres). The East Marion site
is currently utilized for a tennis court, basketball
backstop and baseball field. The Orient School site also
furnishes a multi-purpose gymnasium, soccerfield, tennis
court, basketball court, and several ballfields.
Fishers Island School (see separate discussion of Fishers
Island recreation)
In 1983 the Town of Southold allocated funds for improvement of
recreational facilities at two schools: $4,000 has been
allocated for lighting tennis courts at the Fishers Island School
and under $1,000 will be appropriated to provide lighting for the
Greenport ballpark on Moore I sLane. In addition, in 1983 the
Town will furnish monies to four school districts for summer
recreation programs - $4,000 to Mattituck-Cutchogue, $2,800 to
Southold, $1,200 to Oyster Ponds and $550 for Fishers Island.
Furthermore $3,450 has been appropriated for a winter roller
skating program in Greenport.
PRIVATE RECREATION
The east end of the North Fork of Long Island, specifically, the
Town of Southold, has evolved a tourism industry and a sizable
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second home summer population because of its natural resources,
abundance of open space, farms, picturesque villages, and the
ever-present waterfront. This summer industry creates a greater
need for and a greater market for private recreational activities
to supplement the public sector. The primary private
recreational facilities in the Town are yacht clubs, fishing
stations, marinas, horse farms and stables, golf clubs, swimming
pool clubs, tennis clubs, a bowling alley and rod and gun clubs.
When added to the public sector facilities, the private sector
expands the range of activities available in the Town.
The first group of private recreational facilities are listed by
category rather than location because it is assumed that most *
will draw users/participants from various portions of the Town.
Marinas/shipyards are presented by area for identification
purposes because there are a greater number of these facilities,
as might be expected in this Town with many waterfront
communities.
There are currently two golf clubs open to the public in the Town
of Southold: Cedars Golf Club in Cutchogue and Island's End Golf
and Country Club in Greeport. These clubs also make their
facilities available to high school students for after school
recreation. Facilities of the North Fork Country Club in
Cutchogue are available to members only. Some Southold residents
also utilize the golf course at the Suffolk County Indian Island
Park in Riverhead.
Strong I S Marina near Pipes Cove has a pool and tennis club
operating in the summer months, and the country clubs have some
pool and tennis facilities.
Hidden Lake Farm Riding School provides instruction in horseback
riding, and many other opportunities exist in Town of Southold
and eastern Riverhead for rental and riding of horses.
The marinas, shipyards, and yacht clubs of the Town are entirely
within the private sector. Boat launching ramps are in some
cases provided by the Town of Southold and in other cases are one
of the services provided at commercial marinas. The following is
a list primarily of the commercial marine activity centers in the
Town of Southold. The information has largely been taken from
the 1983 edition of Boating Almanac. This source is useful to
utilize in comparing the significance of hamlets as marine
centers, but reliance on the Almanac's counting of slips might be
misleading. Greenport with its deep harbor port has extensive
facilities for boaters and Southold and Mattituck have
substantial operations located there.
*
Fishers Island recreational facilities discussed in separate section.
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Southold has four marinas, two fishing stations, a boatyard
and a marina, and a restaurant and a marina with over 680
slips.
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Mattituck has three marinas with slips for over 200 boats,
one marine and shipyard with 60 slips, a fishing station and
marina with 40 slips, a yacht club, a restaurant with
docking facilities and a park district marina with 20 slips.
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Cutchoque has two marinas, one with 110 slips and New
Suffolk has two shipyards, two fishing stations and a Town
ramp.
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Greenport (incorporated and unincorporated areas) has five
marinas with about 500 slips, two boat yards and a
commercial fishing dock, four restaurants and one shop with
extensive dockside facilities for transients. Public boat
ramp also available.
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Orient has two marinas with about 115 slips available, a
fishing station with a ramp, a yacht club, a restaurant with
docking facilities and a park district ramp on the Sound. A
public ramp was previously available on the bay side.
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OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION
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Permanent undeveloped open space itself is important from several
perspectives. It contributes to the open quality of the Town and
provides areas for passive activities (sitting, walking). It is
also important as a means of protecting sensitive or important
environmental features (wetlands, dunes, agricultural lands).
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There are many public and private approaches that are utilized in
the Town of Southold to preserve open space beside land held as
Town, County or State parks. The Suffolk County Farmland
Preservation Program (443 acres in Southold), the Town of
Southold Scenic Easements program, and the efforts of the New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation do much to
conserve and preserve vital resources in the Town. The Town
Trustees with their responsibilities for waterways and in their
role as reviewers of wetland permit requests, along with the
Conservation Advisory Council, play an important role in
preserving sensitive environmental features and open space in the
Town. In addition, the Nature Conservancy and private
individuals acquire and hold sensitive parcels to keep them in
their natural state.
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Suffolk County Farm Preservation Program the Suffolk County Farm
Preservation Program, Phase One, adopted, and Phase Two, under
consideration, is making a contribution to maintaining desirable
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farm properties and open space. Approximately 440 acres have
been protected in this manner in Phase One.
Town of Southold Scenic Easements the Town of Southold, through
action of the Town Board, can allow property owners to convey
scenic or conservation easements to the Town by agreeing to keep
their properties in a "state of natural scenic beauty" as open
space lands. At the present time, 13 parcels totalling 280 acres
are in this category. All parcels are located in Orient except
one which is located in the Greenport/East Marion area. All
parcels located in Orient have been granted a 50% reduction in
assessment for a ten-year period. (The easement for the parcel
in Greenport/East Marion has no expiration date.) If easements
are granted for long periods of time, e.g. 50 years, they could
more effectively reduce development in some sensitive areas.
The Nature Conservancy the Nature Conservancy has acquired twelve
properties in the Town of Southold including Howell Meadow,
Meadow Beach, Husing Pond Preserve, and Marratooka Lake Preserve.
Howell Meadow, Southold, is the last natural salt marsh on Goose
Creek and of special interest to those studying wetlands
progression, and salt marsh flora and fauna. Meadow Preserve,
Nassau Point, is a beautiful salt meadow peninsula formed by the
lateral drift along the west shore of Nassau Point in peconic
Bay. Husing Pond, Mattituck, was a gift from Miss Martha Husing.
Originally a salt marsh, it is now a fresh water woods complex,
providing cover for a variety of birds and animals. Marratooka
Lake Preserve along Main Road fronts on Marratooka Lake,
preserving fresh water wetlands environment and scenic open space
within the Hamlet of Mattituck. This Maratooka preserve is 10.64
acres and the total Nature Conservancy holdings in the Town
including Fishers Island are 111 acres.
Department of Environmental Conservation
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has
jurisdiction and control over development of public and private
uses within 300 feet of highwater in tidal wetland areas
bordering the Bays or the Sound. Considering the waterfront
community of the Town of Southold, this agency's overview is
significant. Permits for dredging, bulkheading, and any
development within 300 feet of tidal wetlands must be approved by
DEC. The Department also has a program of purchasing significant
wetlands areas where development might destroy these valuable
resources. The DEC, through the coordination of the Mattituck
Inlet Advisory Committee, is investigating the acquisition of
*
Phase Two acquisitions thus far have included 100 acres 1n Southold.
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wetlands
Bailey's
on the east side of Matti tuck Creek tlnd
Beach under consideration for purchase.
south of
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Private Open Space
Some individuals with extensive holdings are able
environmentally sensitive lands such as beaches and
open space areas.
to keep
wetlands as
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Summary of Recreation and Open Space Lands
Town of Southold
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District Parks
Ma ttituck
Cutchogue-New Suffolk
Southold
Orient-East Marion
69 acres
31 acres
18 acres
12 acres
(10 sites I
( 3 sites)
( 7 sites)
( 2 sitesl
1 site)
4 sites)
2 sites)
2 sites)
2 sites)
3 sites)
(15 sites)
4 sites)
2 sites)
(IS sites)
(12 sitesl**
(13 sites I
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Schools
Laure 1
Mattituck-Cutchogue
New Suffolk
Southold
Oyster Ponds
[Fishers Island]
8 acres
44 acres
2.5 acres
43 acres
23 acres
14 acres
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Town Parks
Total District, School, Town
42 acres
338 acres*
County Parks
169 acres
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State Parks
370 acres
Farmland Preservation Program
443 acres
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Nature Conservancy
111 acres
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Scenic/Conservation Easements
280 acres
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* Not all of this land is in active recreation; some 1s wetland, some is
occupied by school buildings.
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**As of February 1984 an additional parcel has been acquired in Orient by
the Nature Conservancy.
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These wetlands near the mouth of Mattituck Creek have subsequently been acquired by the DEC.
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FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR TOWN RECREATIONAL FACILITY PLANNING
Needs and desires for recreational experiences vary and recre-
ation facilities planning reflect the needs of all ages from
youth, young adult, adult and senior citizen. This planning must
recognize that some residents are renters and some are home-
owners; that some live near the water and other live inland; and
that some opportunities are available in the summer, but not the
winter and that others have been traditionally available while
school has been in session, but not during school vacation
periods including the summer time. Some recreational facilities
should be available locally and other can be effective at a
central location.
It is important to think about Town-wide planning and implemen-
tation of recreational goals. While it can be expected that the
private sector will take care of many of the needs, the
public/Town must continue to work with the school systems to
provide recreational opportunities for all residents. Town
officials need to be aware that what is available only through
the private sector may not be available to some segments of
community most needing recreational facilities - such as youth,
young adults and senior citizens.
Access to the water increasingly becomes a problem. Opportuni-
ties to assure future access lessen as the pattern of land
ownership changes from large landholdings to many small developed
tracts. Property owners have increasingly tended to restrict
public access to their land.
Moreover, the community provides facilities for residents and has
made recreational facilities available to visitors as well. Many
current residents are people who came to Southold on a vacation
to enjoy the waterfront and water related activities, finfishing,
shellfishing, swimming, boating. Additional opportunities to
play tennis and/or golf, go bike riding, hiking or horseback
riding may enhance vacations for summer visitors and second home
owners. Moreover, the economic benefits to the community of the
recreation oriented tourist industry is significant.
There are various approaches to determining appropriate range of
sites and facilities for the recreation aspect of the Town Plan.
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has estab-
lished basic standards for land and facilities. However,
communities vary in their characteristics, population structure
and economy. southold with an older population that is not
likely to change dramatically in future years, with a large
seasonal population, and with extensive waterfront resources may
have different needs than a traditionally suburban community or
an urban county such as Nassau. The NRPA basic standard says
there should be 10 acres of local recreational land per 1,000
population (year-round). Using this standard, with present Town,
Park District and School District holdings of 330 acres, and
assuming about 260 acres of this is usable for active recreation,
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the Town has sufficient land to support about a 30 percent
increase in population; however, other data needs to be examined
to determine appropriate standards for Southold. There is also a
range of basic facilities such as ballfields and playfields which
appear to be sufficient and tennis courts which do not appear to
be sufficient. Distribution and access to this land and the
range of facilities on it are uneven. There are parts of the
Town such as Orient-East Marion which have very minimal fa:::Ui..
ties; peconic and Bayview and West Greenport which are rc.t. part
of any park district and there are areas where access to water is
limited even though the Town has an extensive coastline. Further
analysis of adequacy recreational areas and facilities will be
undertaken in a separate memo.
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A compilation of standards by NPRA for basic facilities is also
included as an appendix to the memo, which can be used as a
guide, but not as a rigid standard for the Town.
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The 1981 League of Women Voters survey found the strongest
desires among respondents for bicycle paths, nature trails and a
greater access to school facilities.
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On the other hand private facilities, home associations, and
county and State lands have the potential to satisfy some future
needs.
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There appears to be some consensus from various interviews
conducted by the Consultants on the desirability of the Town's
providing additional boat launching sites, sites suitable for
surf casting and additional beach sites. Some sites that have
been suggested for boat launching areas include: Inlet Pond
area; Broadwater Cove; Mattituck Inlet; Orient/Hallocks Bay; and
the Sound side of Orient.
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There is a recognized future need for additional boating slips,
but at this time consensus appears to be in favor of supplying
this resource through the private sector, i.e. through expansion
of existing commercial marinas or creation of new commercial
marinas.
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There has also been increasing interest in establishing a
year-round swimming pool, a covered skating rink, and additional
tennis courts. Allor anyone of these facilities might be
established by the Town as part of an allover recreation program
or they could be undertaken by one or more of the school
districts with mutual, reciprocal or pay as you go arrangements
for students and participants from other areas. They might be
part of a quasi-public community recreational facility such as a
YMCA, Boys' Club or other type of community center. These also
might be provided through private entrepreneurs.
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Further analysis of needs and how they are to be provided as part
of the longer range plan will be included in another memo. This
inventory and analysis identifies some of the issues and provides
a base point for planning.
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Recreational Planning Options Made by Ward Associates
*
In February 1982, Ward Associates made the following six
planning and management options/recommendations for the Town of
Southold in developing the park, recreation and open space needs
for the Town.
1. Acquisi tion of park lands and significant open spaces:
present public park land is limited and additional
population growth will overcrowd and over-use facilities if
not expanded and additional land purchased. Town should
look to all alternative acquisition tools, including gifts,
purchase of land through tax abatement, density zoning, and
the stimulation of other agencies to acquire property, i.e.,
DEC, the County and State.
2. Consideration should be given to change park district
boundaries and/or consolidate park districts to be
coterminous with school district boundaries. This would
offer common service areas to residents, better identity and
understanding of districts, and better coordination of
school park services.
3. Town should consider "Southold" Park and Beach Pass to
encompass a coordinated Park District effort to allow all
Town residents to participate in Park District facilities of
their choice rather than being limited to home districts.
The fee for the pass would be divided among all districts to
compensate for the additional services to be rendered.
4. Town should consider negotiations with local park districts
to administer and operate properties of Town-wide
significance, in lieu of remaining as local park district
properties, i.e., Horton Point Lighthouse Museum; parks at
Mattituck Inlet; Nassau Point Causeway Park, etc. These
properties are of similar impact as Arshamomaque Town Beach,
Southold. These facilities are of significance to all the
residents of Southold Town. An interim solution to open
these facilities to the entire Town would be the Southold
Pass concept.
5. Town should consider a Department of Recreation and Parks
with professional leadership. This department would
coordinate park district operational functions, as well as
Town-wide facilities, and would be the coordinator of other
agency cooperation. Local park district board members would
be unsalaried and would be advisory to the Department of
Recreation and Parks. Savings could be established in
*
Parks, Recreation and Open Space Survey prepared by Ward Associates.
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providing a central mobile maintenance crew to service all
districts and Town facilities under the Department of
Highways, or the proposed Department of Recreation and
Parks.
6.
Town should consider a central year-round recreation complex
to serve the broad based needs of the residents. Complex
should include outdoor activities such as a swimming pool,
court games, playground, picnicking, and a complement of
indoor activities. possible long-range goal would be to
expand peconic Senior Youth Center by merging with Peconic
School when, and if, school becomes surplus and adding above
outdoor complement of facilities. A swimming pool facility
could be self-supporting through user fees. Limi ted
opportunity exists in the Town for swimming pool use through
summer private club-type facilities. Alternative is to have
combined public/private facility offering "y" type use on
public property through lease arrangement.
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APPENDIX A
SUGGESTED STANDARDS FOR BASIC OUTDOOR RECREATION FACILITIES*
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Facility
Standard per Persons
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Baseball
Basketball
Handball
Golf Course
Field Games (Soccer, Football, etc.)
Softball
Tennis
SWimming Pool
1 per 5,000
1 per 5,000
1 per 20,000
1 per 50,000
1 per 10,000
1 per 5,000
1 per 2,000
1 per 20,000
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*Source: Recreation, Park and Open Space Standards and Guidelines,
National Park and Recreation Association, 1983.
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RPPW
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Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003 212/365-2666
Memorandum
October 1983
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TO: Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
RE: ANALYSIS OF PARK AND RECREATION NEEDS
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The existing inventory of Southold's recreation facilities and
open space was described in the memorandum entitled "Parks and
Recreation Facilities and Open Space Areas in the Town of
Southold" dated March 23, 1983. That memorandum did not evaluate
recreation facilities in terms of use patterns or actual and
perceived needs or examine their adequacy.
Moreover, since use data is not available and because performing
an analysis of various types of recreation facilities, using
nationally-deri ved standards generally applicable to typical
urban or suburban communities was considered inappropriate for
this rural/coastal community, this analysis has focused on
accessibility and availability of active recreation facilities,
beaches and marine facilities in the various communities within
the Town.
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The need to provide recreation areas for existing and future
users, especially beach, tennis and other facilities used by
seasonal and vacationing visitors, creates a need to look at
recreation in a somewhat broader manner than might otherwise be
the case. The recreation standards applicable to urban or
suburban areas are generally not applicable in Southold, with its
mixture of semi-rural hamlets and seasonal residential areas.
For example, the high proportion of apartment dwellers in urban
areas makes the frequent provision of local tot lots and play-
grounds a necessity, while in predominantly single family areas,
such as Southold, these facilities often duplicate those found in
many backyards. On the other hand, small (2-3 acre) neighborhood
parks with playing fields and sitting areas (incorporating ball
fields for children and gathering places for older residents)
would be both pleasant and useful in the Town's residential
areas. In addition, semi-rural areas like Southold offer and
experience a demand for other types of recreation opportunities
(e.g. beaches, natural open space areas, etc.) not found in
cities.
The recreation facilities in the Town analyzed in this study are
under State, County, Town, park district and school district
jurisdiction. (It should be noted that the Town also includes
numerous private and semi-private recreation uses, including golf
courses, marinas and association beaches.) State, County and
Town facilities (open to all southold residents) include primari-
ly beaches, natural areas, picnic and fishing areas. The more
active recreation facilities in the Town are usually provided in
district parks or as part of school facilities, and are thus
normally limited to those residents of a specific park or school
district. Since the school district and park district boundaries
are not always coterminous, some confusion results as to which
residents may use certain facilities. The availability of park
and recreation facilities within the Town to both Town residents
and visitors varies a great deal from district to district. For
this reason, in addition to a general discussion of Town-wide
recreation opportunities, the various areas of the Town are
addressed individually. Discussion will include a general
analysis, the perceived needs that result from this analysis and
existing or potential opportunities to improve the recreation in
the area.
Parks and recreation facilities in the Town were analyzed by
their location, the extent of the area served, and by the type of
recreation facilities offered. The Southold beaches and those
areas within a one-two mile radius of town, state and county
beaches and one-half mile-two mile radius of district beaches
were mapped. In addition, the locations of the Town's many
association beaches were also mapped. This type of analysis
showed that most Town residents are within one to two miles of a
public beach, with the exception of the Peconic area and the
northern half of the Cutchogue Park District.
Parks, recreation and school facilities used for recreation
(excluding parks used only for beaches) were mapped separately,
with service area radii of one-half and one mile. The one-half
mile radius was selected because it appears to be the maximum
desirable distance for school age children to walk or bicycle,
while the one mile radius represents the maximum desirable
distance for convenient use by adolescents and adults. The kinds
of recreation facilities offered, ranging from active uses such
as playgrounds, ballfields, basketball and tennis courts to more
passive nature areas were also noted on this map. This kind of
analysis makes it possible to identify those areas lacking any or
all nearby active recreation facilities (excluding beaches).
Areas in the Town not within a one mile radius of active
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recreation areas include the northern portions of Matti tuck,
Cutchogue and Southold; areas west of Greenport; portions of
Orient and the Nassau Point and Bayview peninsulas.
Town-wide Recreation Needs
Results of a 1981 League of Women Voters survey indicate that
residents most desire bicycle paths, nature trails, and greater
access to school facilities. In addition, the most significant
Town-wide deficiency is the absence of an outdoor and/or indoor
swimming pool that can be used for recreation and competitive
swimming. Important considerations of the proposed Master Plan
will thus be the addition of a bicycle trail system and a major
swimming/recreation complex. The latter might be located in the
Peconic area, possibly at the present Senior-Youth Center site
which is centrally located and accessible.
There is an increasing demand for boat launching and boat mooring
facilities. Present facilities are limited and the capacity of
creek areas in all parts of the Town to accommodate additional
facilities is also restricted. Further, marina space is limited
(marina owners had to turn people away in 1983) and potential
additional marina sites are few. Potential marina and boat
launch locations will be incorporated into the Master Plan.
Because of the scarcity of appropriate marina sites, however,
Town policy should encourage the continuation of existing mari-
nas.
MATTITUCK/LAUREL
This area includes portions of the Town within the Mattituck Park
District (generally between the Town border and just east of
Elij ah I sLane) . The southwestern corner of the district is
within the Laurel School District, while the remainder of the
area is within the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District.
Mattituck has an active park district and, as a result, generally
excellent recreation coverage. There is a wide variety of
facilities, including playgrounds, basketball courts, playing
fields, beaches, natural areas and ice skating ponds. The high
school offers play areas, basketball and tennis courts, baseball
fields and football/soccer fields. Almost all of the area is
within two miles of a beach (both Sound and Bay sides). The
southern portion of the district includes few areas outside the
one mile park radius; however the portions of the area north of
Route 48 to the west of Mattituck Creek and north of Oregon Road
to the east of the Creek lack active recreation areas (Breakwater
and Bailies Beach parks offer swimming and natural areas, but
lack active recreation facilities).
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Needs
The major need in the Mattituck area appears to be active
recreation areas; e.g. playgrounds, ballfields, basketball
and tennis courts, in the northern part of the district,
particularly west of Mattituck Creek, where most of the
northern area's residential development exists.
A second need is the provision of additional waterfront
access for non-district residents in the Mattituck Creek
area.
Opportunities
It might be possible to use a small portion of the 17 acre
Breakwater park for more active uses (e.g. a playing field,
small playground and/or tennis courts) to serve residents in
the northern part of the area.
There may be an opportunity for the development of a Town
park, on Mattituck Inlet, through the acquisition of the
tank farm area or the northern parcel at the mouth, adjacent
to Breakwater Park. These would provide waterfront access
to Town residents, as well as preserving a portion of the
Mattituck inlet shoreline.
As development occurs, small parks and sensitive environ-
mental areas should be set aside for neighborhood recreation
use and open space preservation.
CUTCHOGUE-NEW SUFFOLK
The Cute hogue-New Suffolk Park District extends from the eastern
border of the Mattituck District to approximately one-half mile
east of Bridge Lane, and includes the communities of Cutchogue,
New Suffolk and Nassau Point. Most of the area is within the
Mattituck-Cutchogue School District, with the exception of New
Suffolk (seventh-twelfth grade students attend the Southold
School -- a great distance from the hamlet). Thus, most area
residents have access to the recreation facilities at the
Mattituck-Cutchogue High School, as well as other school sites.
Generally, the Cutchogue-New Suffolk area offers relatively
limited public park and recreation facilities. Active recreation
facilities are found only at the three area schools (New Suffolk,
Cutchogue East and Cutchogue West). Facilities include play-
grounds, tennis courts, basketball courts and ball fields. The
Cutchogue East School also includes a very pleasant natural area.
In addition, as previously mentioned, residents (with the excep-
tion of those in New Suffolk who may use the Southold School
facilities) may use the facilities at the Mattituck-Cutchogue
High School, although these are several miles away. Most of the
area's residents are within a mile of a school recreation area,
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with the exception of those in Nassau Point and the more sparsely
populated area north of North Road.
Beach facilities in the district are generally good, although
limited to the bay side. There are two District beaches, one of
which includes a small natural area, as well as a Town beach in
New Suffolk. These are within one mile of most of the District
residents, although the area north of the railroad is outside of
the two mile radius. However, the present population of this
area is low, and if an agricultural preservation program is
utilized in this area, it will remain low.
Needs
Although the schools now provide a variety of recreation
facilities, the area could use a park providing both active
and passive recreation areas.
New Suffolk residents lack accessible tennis courts
nearest available public courts open to New Suffolk
dents are at the Southold School) .
(the
resi-
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A beach on the Sound would offer a more convenient beach to
residents in the northern part of the area, and give those
in the central and southern sections greater choice.
Active recreation facilities are lacking in the Nassau Point
area.
Opportunities
There may be some opportunity to add limited recreation
facilities at the 19 acre Nassau Point Beach. These might
include nature trails, one or two tennis courts and play-
ground equipment.
Public beach access on the Sound should be secured as the
northern shore area is developed.
The eventual acquisition of all or a portion of Downs Woods
as a Town park should be considered, as a means of preserv-
ing the open space buffer between Mattituck and Cutchogue,
protecting and enhancing the Fort Corchaug historic re-
sources and providing passive recreation opportunities to
area residents.
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As development occurs, small parks and sensitive environ-
mental areas should be set aside for neighborhood recreation
use and open space preservation.
PECONIC
The Peconic area is part of the Southold School District, but is
5
not part of a park district. Recreation facilities in the area
are largely limited to the playgrounds and ballfields located at
the Peconic School, the Town Recreation Center and the fields on
Peconic Lane near Carroll Avenue. Goldsmith Inlet Park on the
Sound provides nature areas, but is not developed as a beach. As
part of the Southold School District, residents can use the
facilities at the Southold School.
Needs
The area needs additional recreation facilities, including
tennis courts, basketball courts, and beaches.
Opportunities
As the location of the Town Recreation and Senior Center and
because of its central position in the Town, peconic is a
potential location for Town-wide recreation facilities, such
as a swimming pool complex which could also house some of
the active recreation facilities not now available to
Peconic area residents.
The development of a portion of the Goldsmith's Inlet Park
beach for active use would provide the needed beach access,
without expensive acquisition.
As development occurs, small parks and sensitive environ-
mental areas should be set aside for neighborhood recreation
use and open space preservation.
SOUTH OLD
The Southold Park District extends from east of Peconic to
Arshamomaque Pond, but excludes the Bayview peninsula. The
Southold School District includes the entire area, (including
Bayview and Peconicl .
Beach facilities, both Town and District, are easily accessible
to area residents. Most residents are wi thin one mile of a
beach, while the remainder are within two miles. Area beaches
include one District beach on the bay and three Town beaches on
the Sound. (The County-owned Cedar Beach in Bayview is also
easily accessible.)
Recreation facilities, including playgrounds, basketball courts,
tennis courts, and playing fields are located at the Southold
School, while Founders Landing Park includes basketball courts
and a picnic area in addition to the beach. Most of the Southold
hamlet residents are wi thin one mile of these facilities, al-
though a few residents are within one-half mile of active
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recreation facilities. The northern and eastern portions of the
area are outside of the one mile radius.
Needs
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As Southold area grows, it will need additional neighborhood
playgrounds and playing fields, particularly in those
developed areas beyond the one-half mile radius of existing
facilities or near the north shore.
Opportunities
The South Harbor Park (four acres) currently does not have
beach access. The eventual purchase of this access would
increase the number of beaches in the area without neces-
sitating the purchase of large areas.
The western bank of Arshamomaque Pond is a prime area for
recreation/conservation, and should be considered for park
acquisition.
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As development occurs, small parks and sensitive environ-
mental areas should be set aside for recreation use and open
space preservation.
BAYVIEW
Although Bayview is within the Southold School District, it is
not within a park district. The nearest active recreation area
is at the Southold School; well over one mile away for most
Bayview residents. Passive recreation opportunities are more
prevalent, and include the extensive natural areas at Cedar Beach
Park.
The area is better served by beaches; residents in the peninsula
are generally within a mile of either Cedar Beach (no life guards
available) or Goose Creek Beach, in addition to a number of
association beaches.
Needs
Bayview needs easily accessible recreation facilities; e.g.
small, local parks providing playing fields, tennis and
basketball courts. Further, as development occurs, addi-
tional recreation areas will be necessary.
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Opportunities
As development occurs, small parks and sensitive environ-
mental areas should be set aside for neighborhood recreation
and open space use.
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GREENPORT AREA
The Greenport area includes the land between Arshamomaque Pond
and the East Marion-Orient Park and School District boundary to
the east of Greenport. This area is not within a park district,
but includes the entire Greenport School District.
Active recreation facilities are limited to those of the school,
which has playgrounds, playing fields, (baseball and football)
and track facilities. Passive recreation is found at the Inlet
Pond nature area.
Access to Town beaches in the area (principally Arshamomaque,
Clark, Sound Road and Norman E. Klipp) is at present adequate;
much of the area is within one mile of a town beach, while the
remainder is within two miles.
Needs
The Greenport area needs additional active recreation areas
and facilities, including basketball courts and tennis
courts.
Small neighborhood parks and playgrounds are needed in areas
outside the school's one-half mile radius.
As the area develops, it will be necessary to add additional
beaches and parks, to prevent existing facilities from being
over-loaded.
Opportunities
There are several potential park beaches and natural areas
which should be considered for public use. These include
extensive areas near Pipes Cove and Gull Pond.
As development occurs; parks, beaches and environmentally
sensitive areas should be set aside for recreation use and
open space preservation. Of particular benefit may be beach
access along the Sound and open space preservation in the
Pipes Cove area.
East Marion-Orient
The East Marion-Orient Park and School Districts extend eastward
from the Greenport School District line. Although the area has
limited park facilities, there are two school recreation areas;
one in East Marion, one in Orient. These offer playgrounds,
basketball courts, tennis courts and playing fields (both base-
ball and football). Almost all East Marion residents are within
one-half - three-fourths mile of the East Marion site, while
residents in the Orient hamlet vicinity are within one- half mile
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of the Orient school facilities. In addition, the Oyster Ponds
Historic Society Park serves the residents of Orient. Only the
residents east of Narrow River Road are further than one mile
from active recreation facilities.
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District residents are also served by Truman Beach, located
midway between Orient and East Marion. Most East Marion resi-
dents and Orient residents west of Narrow River road are within
two miles of the beach.
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In addition Orient State Park offers beaches, natural areas, ball
fields and picnic areas.
Needs
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There may be a need for additional beaches in the area,
particularly as more of the area is developed. This is
especially important along the Sound, where development is
most likely to occur.
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Small neighborhood parks and play areas will be needed as
areas outside of the one-half mile school radius are devel-
oped.
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Opportunities
As development occurs, small parks, beaches and sensitive
environmental areas set aside for neighborhood recreation
use and open space preservation.
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A system of carefully planned and located nature trials
should be pursued in the Orient marsh areas.
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FISHERS ISLAND
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Public recreation on Fishers Island is provided by the Town, the
School District, Island Peoples Project and to some extent,
Fishers Island Development Company (FIDCO). Facilities at the
school include a playground, tennis courts and basketball courts,
while ballfields are located near the hamlet center.
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There are two public beaches on the island; a Town beach (unsu-
pervised) near the airport and another (supervised) on West
Harbor, where Island Peoples project provides life guards and
swimming instruction. In addition, island residents may use
Isabella Beach, owned by FIDCO.
Conclusion
This analysis will provide a basis for the proposed recreation
and open space areas in the Plan. There are a number of recre-
ation needs, identified by both the analysis and the League of
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Women Voters survey. On a Town-wide basis there is a current
need for a swimming pool, bicycle paths and nature trails, while I
many neighborhoods are in need of nearby active recreation
facilities (the response favoring greater access to school
facilities in the League's survey is an indication of this need, I
as well). Although generally adequate at present, the Town
beaches should be expanded as the Town's population increases.
The above analysis focused on the accessibility and availability I
of recreation facilities in various communities in the Town.
This analysis has been based on currently available data and is
useful as an initial step in evaluating the adequacy of recre- I
ational and beach facilities in the Town.
It would be useful in the future for the Town to initiate an I
actual use study of Town, Park District and School District
recreational facilities and beach facilities in order to be even
better able to establish a specific program of expansion and site
acquisition. I
As land in the Town and particularly along the coast continues to
become more scarce and more expensive, the Town will have to I
consider a variety of steps including granting easements, requir-
ing clustering and acquiring additional parcels for open space
and recreational purposes in order to maintain and expand current I
public access to the water and provide adequate recreational
sites and facilities for present and future year-round and
seasonal populations.
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RPPW
Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003 212/365-2666
Memorandum
April 26, 1983
TO: Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
RE: CULTURAL, HISTORIC AND ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
The Town of Southold, officially established in 1640, is con-
sidered the first English settlement in the State of New York.
Although originally a part of the New Haven Colony, Southold
ceased its affiliation with Connecticut in 1676.
Many buildings of historic significance date from this early
period forward and much evidence remains from the earlier Indian
occupation of the area. The cataloguing of all the sites of
historic and archeologic interest in the Town has not yet been
done on a Townwide basis, although extensive research has been
undertaken by the Oysterpond Historical Society, the Southold
Historic Society, the Mattituck Historic Society and the
Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council. Some of these groups
were aided in their work in the 1970's by the Society for the
Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA). In addition,
the Suffolk County Cultural Affairs Office has commissioned
cultural resource surveys and archeological reports on Coun-
ty-held park sites including those in the the Town of Southold.
Reports of much of this research at the local level has been
forwarded to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). SHPO
keeps a log of all properties submitted for its review. This
list of properties, indicates areas where there are properties of
historic and/or archeological interest. The State reviews
reports and where appropriate recommends inclusion of the site in
the National Register of Historic Places.
Revised rules and regulations for the National Historic Landmarks
Program were presented in the Federal Register of February 2,
1983, (36 CFR Part 65). The purpose of the program is to "focus
attention on properties of exceptional value to the nation as a
whole rather than to a particular state or locality." The
regulations state that districts, sites, buildings, structures,
and objects can possess national significance if they are valu-
able in "illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United
States in history, architecture, archeology, engineering and
culture", and if they are associated with: (1) events of signif-
icance; (2) lives of persons important in U.S. history; (3) an
idea or ideal of the American peoples; (4) distinguishing charac-
teristics of an architectural specimen; (5) cultures or periods
of occupation over large areas of the U.S.; and (6) components
that together composed a significance beyond the value of each
individual portion. Furthermore, sites considered for dis-
tinction generally must have achieved significance more than
fifty years ago.
In Southold, four properties/areas have received designation in
the National Register of Historic Places: (1) the Old House in
Cutchogue on Route 25 was built in 1649, moved to its current
location in 1659, and is listed as a good example of English
domestic architecture; (2) also in Cutchogue, the Fort Corchaug
site, location of a rectangular Indian log fort, shows evidence
of prehistoric occupation and European contact; (3) in Mattituck,
the Gildersleeve Octagonal Building at the corner of the Main
Road and Love Lane received designation of historic status and,
in Orient, a Historic District was declared after some 200 houses
were researched and documented to have historic value.
SHPO has forwarded to the Federal Park Service information on
four additional sites which have been approved as historic
locations and are now eligible for national designation and
eligible for federal funding. In this category are the Southold
Library on the Main Road in Southold, Little Gull Island Light
Station and Plum Island Light Station off Orient Point and Race
Rock Light Station south and west of Fishers Island.
SHPO is reviewing four additional sites in the Town of Southold
for historic status. Those which are pending nomination to the
National Register include: The Terry Mulford house on the north
side of Route 25 in Orient which has also been known as peakens
Tavern or the Heath-Burden House; the Richard Cox house at the
northeast corner of Mill and Luthers Roads in Mattituck; the
Tuthill-Wickham house on the east side of New Suffolk Lane near
Cases Lane in Cutchogue and the Universalist Church on the Main
Road in Southold.
In addition, as part of the nation's bicentennial celebration in
1976, George and Lynn Summers prepared a map of historic sites in
the Town of Southold erected prior to 1815. The Summers will be
updating this map in the spring and summer of 1983 in preparation
for the County's three hundredth birthday celebration.
A compilation of entries listed in the State log, those sites
indicated on the bicentennial map and some properties listed in
local historic society publications are recorded on a separate
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.
map which will be available in Town Hall. It is clear that a
significant portion of the residential properties listed are
found along Route 25, the so-called Main Road of the Town, with
concentrations of historic properties in each of the hamlet areas
and particularly Matti tuck, Cutchogue, Southold and Orient.
Indian locations/archeological sites tend to be closer to the Bay
and Sound. The pattern of historic sites and cultural-archeo-
logical resources will undoubtedly influence the Master Plan.
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Further work needs to be done in the Town to catalogue all
properties of historic and archeological significance. It has
been estimated that one-half of the Town's properties have been
catalogued on the State I s "blue forms." Since preservation of
the quality of life in Southold includes preservation of its
characteristic structures, a priority should be placed on identi-
fying.ind protecting historic areas and cultural resources in the
Town. Each of the hamlets has a historic area that should be
documented, as has been done in Orient, and steps must be con-
tinually taken for the preservation and enhancement of these
areas. As one step in this direction, a local law to establish a
Landmark Preservation Commission was adopted on January 18, 1983,
and a commission of five members has recently been appointed.
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-
We would like to thank Jean Tiedke for her gracious assistance in compiling this map.
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Guidelines and Standards for Archeological and Historic Preservation from the National Park
Service, Department of the Interior were published in the Federal Register of September 29,
1983. While these are not yet regulations, they can provide valuable information to Town
residents and organizations.
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v. TRANSPORTATION
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RPPW
Raymond. Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003212/365-2666
I
Memorandum
May 26, 1983
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TO: Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
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RE: EXISTING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INVENTORY
The Town of Southold depends on a varied network of transpor-
tation systems for its economic viability and the mobility of its
permanent and seasonal populations. Its location on the north
fork at the easternmost end of Long Island, surrounded on three
sides by large water bodies can make the trip to Southold, long
and perhaps expensive. This is part of the reason that the
Town's growth has not been more rapid and that it does not have a
diversified economy; its relative remoteness, however, provides
the Town with some of its greatest assets.
The trip to Southold, while it might be long, depending on the
starting point, can be made easily by a private automobile during
most times. It can not be made as easily by public transpor-
tation. Although Southold is accessible by plane, bus, train and
ferry, these services are not frequent, and can be expensive on a
regular basis. The demand for these services varies signifi-
cantly with the seasons. The seasonal changes in Southold's
transportation system can be, of course, attributed to its
attractiveness as a summer resort and second home community which
in turn is a product of its remote and water-oriented location.
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The internal transportation system, primarily auto-oriented with
some bus service, is impacted by the seasonal nature of the Town.
This inventory of the transportation systems in the Town of
Southold examines the existing conditions and the existing level
of service or frequency of service. The report identifies issues
and problems as well as plans that may exist for improving or
expanding the transportation service or facilities. Some of the
implications for development are noted.
THE ROAD NETWORK
The existing road network in Southold consists of three classi-
fications of streets. The major arterials should be capable of
moving large volumes of traffic through and between communities.
The second classification, the collector streets, move the
traffic from the major arterials through the community to the
minor streets, the third classification. The minor streets give
immediate access to abutting properties.
Southold has two major arterial roads, both of which run east-
west, traversing the narrow peninsula. State Route 25, traverses
all of the hamlets in Southold and is the most heavily traveled
road in the Town. County Route 48, built by the County as a
four-lane major arterial road, acts as a truck bypass, and
primarily services the Town's through traffic. Route 48 is not
heavily used, except during the summer months when the road is
used more by tourists who are traveling to their north shore
summer homes and recreation spots. In addition, although it
cannot be considered an arterial, New Suffolk Avenue provides a
valuable alternative to Route 25 for residents and travelers to
and from New Suffolk.
The following streets are the collector streets, and of these
only New Suffolk Road and Mill Road are County roads although
they are maintained by the Town.
Collector Streets
peconic Bay Boulevard
Skunk Lane
Cox Neck Road
Breakwater Road
Wickham Avenue
Grant Avenue
Reeve Road
New Suffolk Avenue
Oregon Road
Elijahs Lane
New Suffolk Road
Depot Lane
pequash Avenue
Bridge Lane
Little peconic Bay Road
Indian Neck Road
peconic Lane
South View Road
Main Bayview Road
Pine Neck Road
Youngs Avenue
Lighthouse Road
Albertson Lane
Moores Lane
Rocky Point Road
King Street
Narrow River Road
Aldrich Lane
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All other roads are classified as minor streets, and are main-
tained by the Town or are private.
The remainder of the road network inventory will focus on the
existing conditions on Southold's major arterials: State Route 25
and County Route 48.
Road Conditions and Traffic Accidents
The existing road condition of State Route 25 basically is good.
It has good pavement and sufficient shoulders for its entire
length. There are, however, hazardous areas where curves and bad
intersections contribute to high accident occurrence rates. The
Police Department efforts has alleviated many of these hazardous
areas by decreasing the speed limits, creating speed zones, and
marking them with the appropriate signs. A particularly bad
curve known as "Monument Curve" has the highest accident
occurrence in Southold. It is located at Tuckers Lane and State
Route 25 in the Hamlet of Southold. While two 25 MPH signs warn
motorists to slow down on their approach, many accidents still
occur there. Accident occurrences are also high elsewhere in
Southold and in Mattituck and Cutchogue. The Police Department
identified the section of State Route 25 between Cutchogue and
Peconic as being particularly dangerous and having a high
accident occurrence. The area approaching the Long Island
Railroad underpass east of Laurel is also very hazardous
particularly for large trucks. A number of fatal accidents have
occurred there, including one very recently.
Along the full length of State Route 25, within the Town of
Southold, there are three stop lights and three flashing warning
signals. These traffic control devices help regulate and control
the flow of traffic through the Town and help minimize the
occurrence of accidents and congestion in hazardous and heavily
traveled areas. The three traffic lights are located at New
Suffolk Road in Cutchogue, Youngs Avenue in Southold and Third
Avenue in Greenport. The flashing warning signals are located at
Love Lane in Mattituck, Main Street in Greenport and at the
intersection of the County Route 48 and State Route 25.
County Route 48 is a well designed road and, having been recently
resurfaced by the County in the summer of 1982, is in excellent
condition. From the intersection of Aldrich Lane in the west end
of the Town, Route 48 becomes a four lane road and continues that
way for eight and a half miles until it intersects with Kenney
Road, north of Southold. From there it remains a two lane road
until it turns into Main State Road (Route 25) north of Green-
port. The section of road that is four lanes has, at each
intersection, left and right hand turn lanes. At Westphalia Road
and Depot Lane there are flashing warning signals and at Nickhorn
Avenue there is a stop light. These engineering features allow
for the smooth and uninterrupted flow of traffic, making this
route desirable for through traffic.
3
The accident occurrence rate has been very low along County Route
48. Route 48 in Southold does not appear to have any overly
hazardous areas and the accidents have not been concentrated in
anyone area; rather the accidents appear to occur randomly at
intersections along the highway.
Existing Service and Capacity Analysis
Traffic counts for State Route 25 and County Route 48 were
obtained to help determine the degree of traffic saturation along
these routes at various times. Most of the counts reported here
were made by the State and the County during the months of June
through August from 1979-1981. It is during these summer months
that Southold experiences its seasonal peak in the demand placed
on its transportation system. While roads are not designed for
peaks, it is useful to know if there is additional capacity
during the times of heaviest demand.
The traffic counts were made along less developed stretches of
these routes, between hamlets. Therefore, they will not identify
congestion that may be occurring at specific locations within
hamlets. The counts give a general indication of the existing
level of service and the overall traffic use pattern on the
larger Town-wide scale. Some intersections or areas within the
hamlets may have significant problems that these counts do not
identify.
Within the Town of Southold, traffic counts were made by the
State on eight sections of State Route 25. The following are
sets of counts for each section and each set includes the east-
bound and westbound weekday high hour counts, the eastbound high
hour count for Friday and Saturday, the eastbound and westbound
weekday totals, the two-way average weekday total and the es-
timated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT). The most recent
count is given first and the highest count, usually an older
count, is given second. The most recent and the highest count
may be one in the same. Also, some counts may only include
two-way traffic.
Generally, traffic counts on both Route 25 and Route 48 have
declined from peaks during mid to late 1970's.
For reference, it is estimated that one lane of moving traffic on
the average road, whether it has two or four lanes, can accommo-
date roughly 600 vehicles per hour. This number assumes that 600
vehicles can pass a given point during one hour without creating
a traffic density that is so great as to cause unreasonable delay
or restriction to the driver's freedom. Also on the average day
it is assumed that the road can accommodate a maximum of 12,000
to 14,000 vehicles. This assumption can be made if there exist
no unusual traffic conditions.
The counts for State Route 25 can now be compared to these
maximum capacities and a general evaluation of the level of
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service can be made. It should be pointed out that the general
capacity figures are impacted by traffic signals, driveways and
parking lots, hazardous conditions, etc.
The Jamesport to Mattituck count was the only count that indicat-
ed a traffic volume that was approaching the maximum capacity of
the road. The average weekday count was 12,400, falling in the
high range. And the Saturday morning count of 640 identifies a
problem where the capacity on the road has or is close to being
reached and congestion on certain parts of the road is undoubtly
taking place. The remaining counts do not exceed these maximum
figures and it is not apparent that Route 25, in any other
section, experiences congestion. From Mattituck to Orient Point
based on existing traffic volumes, Route 25 appears to have
adequate capacity to provide a satisfactory level of service.
Given the seasonal peaking that occurs, along with the
constraints presented by concentrated development in the hamlets
and traffic controls, traffic is slowed considerably during
certain periods.
The following are other important points that were indicated from
the counts on State Route 25.
1. The eastbound and westbound weekday late afternoon rush hour
throughout the Town of Southold, occurs on an average
weekday between 4:00 and 5:00PM.
2. The counts for the far eastern sections of State Route 25,
near Orient Point, indicate a substantial number of east-
bound vehicles in the morning and westbound vehicles in the
late afternoon. Apparently, the trip by ferry from Orient
Point to Plum Island is the primary reason for this.
3. The two-way traffic during the week often reaches a peak in
the late mornings between 11:00 and 12:00. This is a
seasonal peak, occurring in the summer, and is the result of
Southold's summertime recreational and resort character.
The seasonal residents contribute most significantly to this
peak.
4. On Friday the counts indicate large volumes of eastbound
traffic, tending to continue through early afternoon and
finally peaking between 4:00 and 5:00PM, reflecting weekend
arrivals.
5. The other obvious peak in traffic volumes was identified on
Saturday between 11:00AM and 12:00 noon. It is at this time
that the Town experiences its most heavy traffic and
undoubtedly there exist spot locations where congestion is
occurring. This also is clearly a result of the influx of
seasonal residents on summer weekends.
5
6. All of these counts, having been taken in the summer, are
larger than the estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic
(AADT). This simply confirms the fact that Southold experi-
ences a great deal more traffic in the summer than during
any other season.
Following this analysis are six sets of traffic counts made by
the County on Route 48. The counts generally include eastbound
and westbound weekday high AM and PM hour counts; high counts on
Friday and Saturday; eastbound, westbound and two-way average day
totals; and the estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT).
As mentioned earlier in this report, County Route 48 is not
heavily traveled and this is verified by the traffic counts. The
sets of counts indicate that County Route 48 is servicing a level
of traffic that is far less than the capacity of this road. Five
of the six counts were taken on the section of Route 48 that is
four lanes and these areas are capable of accommodating close to
2,400 cars in one hour. Again this is assuming that one lane of
traffic can easily move about 600 automobiles per hour. In one
day, on the four-lane section, Route 48 could move between 24,000
to 26,400 automobiles. The greatest volume recorded occurring
again on Saturday between 6:00 and 7:00PM was 936 cars. This is
substantially less than the 1,200 or so cars per hour that those
two-lanes could handle. Also the highest two-way average day
total was 7,319, less than one-third of the maximum day total
that the road could handle.
There is no doubt that County Route 48 is underutilized and this
can be attributed to two reasons. One reason is that traffic
entering Southold on Route 48 from the Town of Riverhead (Sound
Avenue) is very slight having come from a narrow two-lane road
paralleling the northern shore, servicing only a rural area.
The second condition causing underutilization of Route 48 is that
a major westerly connection from Route 25 (the major arterial
leading to Southold) to Route 48 does not exist. Connections do
exist but these generally do not facilitate accessibility.
When entering southold on Route 25 a driver heading east toward
Orient Point, can choose to connect with Route 48 by turning
north on Aldrich Lane, the truck bypass. However, Aldrich Lane
acts almost as a detour and is out of the way. The connection is
a mile and a quarter long and connects with Route 48 at the point
where it begins four lanes. From here Route 48 heads southeast
toward Mattituck for another two miles. This is an indirect
connection and is an extra three miles. It is far easier to
continue on Route 25. Upon arriving in Mattituck a driver has
another chance to connect with Route 48. He can turn onto Love
Lane in the Mattituck Business District and driving directly
north for a quarter mile will intersect with Route 48. This
section of Love Lane should not function as a connection between
Southold I s two major arterial roads because the increase in
through traffic on what is essentially a local business street is
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not appropriate. Another option, also in Mattituck is for the
eastbound driver to turn left up Sound Avenue thus going west,
then to make a right onto Westphaplia Road and then to connect
with Route 48. This route involves backtracking and is awkward
for the driver.
If the driver passes through Mattituck on State Route 25, he/she
continues to have connection options, the best of which is the
Mill Lane connection. This section of Mill Lane between Route 25
and Route 48 is about one half mile long and is probably the
shortest and easiest connection. If it is passed up, no better
connections exists and Route 25 and Route 48 separate and veer
away from each other, further discourages the driver from making
the connection. In most cases the driver will continue on Route
25 in Southold until he arrives at his eastern destination.
Route 48 is often avoided, except by those living or having some
business near the north shore.
County Route 48, because of its being underutilized and having
different locational and physical characteristics, has some
different patterns of use than those found on State Route 25.
County Route 48 is a rural route servicing some through truck and
residential traffic. During the peak hours in the summer,
traffic on Route 48 increases at a proportionally lower rate than
that on Route 25. Patterns of use, similar to those found on
Route 25 include:
An eastbound and westbound morning and evening rush hour
where the use of the road is up significantly.
A Friday mid-afternoon peak in traffic.
A Saturday late morning peak in traffic.
Proposed and Scheduled Road Improvements
Several possible road improvements are currently being studied
and several are scheduled by the State and County.
The State is reviewing the need for a traffic light on State
Route 25 in Southold at Boisseau Avenue.
The State is planning to resurface and widen Aldrich Lane,
the truck bypass, connecting Route 25 with Route 48.
The State is studying plans for raising the Long Island
Railroad Bridge over Route 25, east of Laurel.
The State is planning to repair pavement and drainage on
Route 25 west of Greenport.
The State is planning to rebuild the bridge over Darn Pond in
East Marion.
7
The County has scheduled to construct three new bridges on
New Suffolk Avenue over Mud Creek, Down's Creek and West
Creek; one new bridge on Oaklawn Avenue over Jockey Creek.
The County is reviewing the need for a warning light on
Route 48 at peconic Lane.
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Table 1
Traffic Counts - Route 25*
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1. Manor Lane Jamesport to Mattituck - CR 48
Counts taken on July 20-24, 1978 (Most recent and highest count)
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Eastbound average weekday high AM hour count
Eastbound average weekday high PM hour count
Westbound average weekday high AM hour count
Westbound average weekday high PM hour count
Eastbound high hour count on Friday
Eastbound high hour count on Saturday
Eastbound average weekday total
Westbound average weekday total
Two-way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Oaily Traffic (AAOT)
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2. Mattituck (CR 48) to Cutchogue (New Suffolk Road)
Counts taken on June 23-27, 1980 (Most recent count)
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Eastbound average weekday high AM hour count
Eastbound average weekday high PM hour count
Westbound average weekday high AM hour count
Westbound average weekday high PM hour count
No count on Friday
No count on Saturday
Eastbound average weekday total
Westbound average weekday total
Two-way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
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Counts taken on August 5-9, 1976 (Highest count)
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Two-way average weekday high AM hour count
Two-way average weekday high PM hour count
Two-way high hour count on Friday
Two-way high hour count on Saturday
Two-way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADTl
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3~ New Suffolk Road Cutchogue to Youngs Avenue in Southold
Counts taken on June 19-25, 1979 (Most recent count)
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Eastbound average weekday high AM hour count
Eastbound average weekday high PM hour count
Westbound average weekday high AM hour count
Westbound average weekday high PM hour count
Eastbound high hour count on Friday
Eastbound high hour count on Saturday
Eastbound average weekday total
Westbound average weekday total
Two-way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AAOT)
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9
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 8:00 - 9:00AM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 10:00 -ll:OOAM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 8:00 - 9:00AM/IO:00-11:00AM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 4:00 - 4:00PM
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
470
530
410
410
560
640
6,620
5,780
12,400
10,081
340
380
310
330
4,390
4,480
8,870
8,290
720
790
850
910
9,770
7,458
270
260
220
280
320
340
3,440
~
6,700
6,262
Counts taken on September 23-29, 1976 (Highest count)
Two-way average weekday high AM hour count
'l'W'o-way average weekday high PM hour count
Two-way high hour count on Friday
Two-way high hour count on Saturday
Two-way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
4.
Youngs Avenue in Southald to Route 114 in Greenport
Counts taken on August 4-9, 1976 (Most recent and highest count)
Two-way average weekday high AM hour count
Two-way average weekday high PM hour count
Two-way high hour count on Friday
Two-way high hour count on Saturday
Two-way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
5.
Route 114 in Greenport to Stirling (CR 48)
Counts taken on June 11-14, 1979 (Most recent and highest count)
Eastbound average weekday high AM hour count
Eastbound average weekday high PM hour count
Westbound average weekday high AM hour count
Westbound average weekday high PM hour count
No count taken on Friday
No count taken on Saturday
Eastbound average weekday total
Westbound average weekday total
Two.way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
6. Stirling to Manhasset Avenue
Counts taken on June 18-25, 1979 (Most recent count)
Eastbound average weekday high AM hour count
Eastbound average weekday high PM hour count
Westbound average weekday high AM hour count
Westbound average weekday high PM hour count
Eastbound high hour count on Friday
Eastbound high hour count on Saturday
Eastbound average weekday total
Westbound average weekday total
Two-way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
Counts taken on July 12-16, 1976 (Highest count)
Two-way average weekday high AM hour count
Two-way average weekday high PM hour count
No count taken on Friday
No count taken on Saturday
Two.way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
10
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 12:00 - 1:00PM,
@ 11:00 -12:00AM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
740
830
940
1,000
9,710
8,908
570
680
710
800
8,400
7,000
290
2-3PM & 4-5PM 310
270
320
4,010
3,730
7,740
7,234
@ 7:00 - 8:00AM,11:00AM-12:00PM 200
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM 250
@ 10:00 -ll:OOAM 200
@ 5:00 - 6:00PM 260
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM 300
@ 1l:00AM-12:00PM 310
2,950
2,890
5,840
5,214
@ 11:0QAM-12:00PM
@ 5:00 - 6:00PM
550
600
7,320
4,723
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7. Manhasset Avenue to Hallacks Road
Counts taken on June 18-2S, 1979 (Most recent count)
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Eastbound average weekday high AM hour count @ 7:00 - 8:00AM
Eastbound average weekday high PM hour count @ 4:00 - 5:00PM
Westbound average weekday high AM hour count @ 10:00 -ll:OOAM
Westbound average weekday high PM hour count @ 4:00 - 5:00PM
Eastbound high hour count on Friday @ 4:00 - 5:00PM
Eastbound high hour count on Saturday @ 1l:00AM-12:00PM
Eastbound average weekday total
Westbound average weekday total
Two-way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (MDT)
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Counts taken on July 13-16, 1976 (Highest count)
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Two-way average weekday high AM hour count
Two-way average weekday high PM hour count
No count taken on Friday
No count taken on Saturday
Two-way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (MDT)
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 5:00 - 6:00PM
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8.
Hallocks Road to Orient Point end Route 25
Counts taken on June 18-25, 1979 (Most recent and highest count)
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Eastbound average weekday high AM hour count
Eastbound average weekday high PM hour count
Westbound average weekday high AM hour count
Westbound average weekday high PM hour count
Eastbound high hour count on Friday
Eastbound high hour count on Saturday
Eastbound average weekday total
Westbound average weekday total
Two-way average weekday total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (MDT)
@ 7:00 - 8:00AM
@ 12:00PM- 1:00PM,
@ 8:00 - 9:00AM
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 7:00 - 8:00AM
@ 9:00AM- 2:00PM
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* Counts were obtained from New York State Department of Transportation in Hauppauge.
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4:00-5:00PM
190
220
170
240
250
260
2,400
2,300
!,2QQ
4,563
560
640
7,500
4,839
160
70
50
200
170
80
920
910
1,830
1,591
Table 2
Traffic Counts - Route 48*
1. Eastbound counts taken 200 feet west of Westphalia Road
Westbound counts taken 200 feet east of Westphalia Road
Counts taken on June 12-17, 1981
Eastbound average weekday high AM hour count
Eastbound average weekday high PM hour count
Westbound average weekday high AM hour count
Westbound average weekday high PM hour count
Friday high PM hour count (eastbound)
Saturday high PM hour count (eastbound)
Eastbound average day total
Westbound average day total
Two-way average day total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
2.
Eastbound and Westbound counts taken at Grand Avenue -
Only two-way counts available
Counts taken on June 11-18, 1982
Friday high count (also weekday high count)
(eastbound and westbound)
Saturday high count (eastbound and westbound)
Two-way average day total
3. Eastbound and Westbound counts taken 750 feet east
of E1ijahs Lane - Only two-way total counts available
Counts taken on July 13-20, 1981
Friday high count (also weekday high count)
(eastbound and westbound)
Saturday high count (eastbound and westbound)
Two-way average day total
4. Eastbound counts taken .5 mile east of Bridge Lane
Westbound counts taken 2,500 feet east of Bridge Lane
Counts taken on September 22-28, 1981
Eastbound average weekday high AM hour count
Eastbound average weekday high PM hour count
Westbound average weekday high AM hour count
Westbound average weekday high PM hour count
Friday high PM hour count (eastbound)
Saturday high PM hour count (westbound)
Eastbound average day total
Westbound average day total
Two-way average day total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
12
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM
@ 5:00 - 6:00PM
@ 8:00 - 9:00AM
@ 3:00 - 4:00PM
@ 5:00 - 6:00PM
@ 12:00AM- 1:00PM
151
234
193
216
305
324
2,429
2,798
5,227
4,548
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 12:00AM- 1:00PM
573
591
6,012
@ 5:00 - 6:00PM
@ 6:00 - 7:00PM
619
936
7,319
@ 7:00- 8:00AM
@ 4:00- 5:00PM
@ 8:00- 9:00AM
@ 4:00- 5:00PM
@ 4:00- 5:00PM
@ 3:00- 4:00PM
183
277
237
258
351
336
3,049
2,901
5,950
5,712
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Eastbound and Westbound counts taken 500 feet east of Albertson Lane _
Only two-way total counts available
Counts taken on July 16-23, 1981
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5. Eastbound counts taken 200 feet east of Peconic Lane
Westbound counts taken 350 feet east of Pecon1c Lane
Counts taken on October 19-26, 1981
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Eastbound average weekday high AM hour count
Eastbound average weekday high PM hour count
Westbound average weekday high AM hour count
Westbound average weekday high PM hour count
Eastbound Friday high PM hour count
Eastbound Saturday high AM hour count
Eastbound average day total
Westbound average day total
TWo-way average day total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
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6.
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Friday high count (also weekday high count)
(eastbound and westbound)
Saturday high count (eastbound and westbound)
Two-way average day total
Estimated Average Annual Daily Traffic
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* Counts were obtained from Suffolk County Department of Public Works.
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13
@ 7:00 - 8:00AM,11:00AM-12:00PM 186
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM 245
@ 8:00 - 9:00AM 228
@ 3:00 - 4:00PM 244
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM, 5:00-6:00PM 265
@ 11:00AM-12:00PM 310
2,697
2,737
5,434
5,380
@ 4:00 - 5:00PM
@ 12:00AM- 1:00PM
529
533
~
4,832
RAIL SERVICE
The Long Island Railroad provides the Town of Southold with both
freight and passenger service. The Town is at the end of the
mainline which has a single track beginning in Farmingdale and
extending the length of the north fork of Long Island. In order
for both of these services to exist simultaneously on one track,
the passenger trains run mostly during the day and the freight
service is provided only at night. This is the only section in
the 330 route miles of track where the Long Island Railroad can
not operate freight service concurrently with commuter trains.
Freight
In Southold the freight stations are located in Mattituck,
Cutchogue and Southold. The freight service to these stations is
provided through what is called a "hauler-peddler" operation.
This type of operation was created by the Long Island Railroad as
a solution to the problem of designing schedules that permit a
crew to work within the twelve hour maximum work period, mandated
by the 1972 Federal Hours of Service Law.
In order for this to be accomplished, all freight with destina-
tions in Mattituck, Cutchogue or Southold moving east from the
Holban/Hillside freight yard in Queens must first stop in
Ronkonkoma, spend the day in the yard until the following night
when it can continue on its way. This operation obviously
requires that freight on its way to Southold, take an additional
day. The train from Ronkonkoma has seven stops before it arrives
in Southold where it services Mattituck, Cutchogue and Southold.
The pick-up and delivery of freight to these stops is performed
as required. Regular or daily service to Southold is not provid-
ed by the railroad.
Passenger Service
Commuter rail service in southold is provided to the Mattituck,
Cutchogue, Southold and Greenport stations. During the year, two
trains leave from, and two trains arrive at, these stations each
day including Saturday, Sunday and holidays.
During the summer, beginning in the middle of May, two additional
trains begin operating. One of these arrives in southold on
Friday afternoon and the other leaves on Sunday evening. These
two trains are intended to meet the needs of passengers who come
to Southold, from New York City only on the weekends.
The ridership to Southold on these trains is very small. During
the fall, winter and spring only 10 to 30 passengers can be
expected to ride the trains to and from Southold. In the summer
the ridership on weekend trains usually peaks at 100 passengers.
BUS SERVICE
"Every corner is a bus stop" on Suffolk County Transit bus lines.
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In Southold there are two bus routes that service the hamlets and
built up areas of the Town. Route 9A serves Mattituck,
Cutchogue, New Suffolk, East Cutchogue, peconic, Bayview,
Southold, Greenport, East Marion, and Orient. Route 9A for the
most part follows Route 25, but some portions of the route
include residential areas off the Main Road.
The entire trip from Mattituck to Orient Point is made four times
a day, twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon, and the
trip from Greenport to Orient Point is made three times a day.
The entire return trip from Orient Point to Mattituck is made
four times in the morning and twice in the afternoon and the trip
from Orient Point to Bayview Road is made once in the morning.
The other Suffolk Transit bus route is the S-92 route which
services Greenport, Southold, Mattituck, Central Suffolk
Hospital, Riverhead, Hampton Bays, Southampton, Southampton
Hospital, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, and East Hampton. This
route runs from Greenport to Riverhead to East Hampton five times
in the morning and three times in the afternoon. It runs from
East Hampton to Riverhead to Greenport four times in the morning
and five times in the afternoon.
The Sunrise Express bus is a private company that operates one
bus between September and April which makes one morning and one
afternoon trip to and from New York City. During May, June, July
and August the service is expanded to two buses making four trips
a day. The buses leave from Greenport, Southold, Cutchogue and
Mattituck. The buses on Friday and Sunday in the summer time
often operate at capacity, while those during the week are rarely
filled.
The Long Island Railroad also provides four buses a day which
service New York City and points in between. These buses only
operate during the week and their ridership, like the railroad,
is very low, moving only five to ten passengers into and out of
Southold on each bus.
AIRPORTS
The three airports in the Town of Southold include Rose Field
located on the northern shore near Orient Point, Elizabeth Field
located on Fishers Island and Mattituck Airport located south of
Mattituck on the southern shore.
These airports are basic utility airports, meaning that they have
the landing facilities needed to accommodate mostly propeller
airplanes under 12,500 pounds. A basic utility airport usually
serves low to medium size populations, is diversified in its use
and may be capable of expanding and increasing service.
Rose Field is a small privately owned facility with a 1,200 foot
runway, an inadequate length to serve the needs of Southold. The
15
location of Rose Field is also limited in its ability to accommo-
date expansion.
Elizabeth Field on Fishers Island is also a small, basic utility
airport owned by the Town. It has one 2,500 foot paved runway
and averages five to ten aircraft operations per day in the
winter and on a good day in the summer there may be 30 to 40
aircraft operations (an operation is either a landing or a
takeoff) .
In the Suffolk County Comprehensive Transportation Plan, Improve-
ment Program for 1978-1995, it was recommended that Elizabeth
Field on Fishers Island, be equipped with approach aids, and
other airfield development and the runway is also in need of new
pavement. However, none of this has yet been done.
The Mattituck airport was leased by the Town from 1964 to 1979.
In return the Town gave back the taxes, paved the 2,200 foot
runway and bought the insurance. Mattituck airport is on a very
small site and is a highly regarded facility for aircraft engine
overhaul. It is not likely to change its size or function. When
the Mattituck Airport lease was not renewed and subsequently
became privately operated, public use of the airport became
limited, and the airport became ineligible for federal aid.
The Tri-State Regional Planning Commission in their May 1978
report, the Demand Capacity Analysis for General Aviation: An
Air ort S stems Plann1ng Re ort 1dentified eastern Long Island
(Suffo k County as an area that "should be planned for addition-
al running capacity by 1995." The Suffolk County Comprehensive
Transportation Plan also said that "it is evident that the
existing major general aviation airport facilities in Suffolk
County do not have sufficient capacity to meet projected growth
over the next ten years." The plan also recommends the acquisi-
tion of the Mattituck Airport and that the following improvements
be made: creating a clear zone; constructing an airfield area and
approach aids; paving the runways and taxi areas; and removing
all obstructions.
A Southold Airport Committee was formed in June of 1972 to
determine the cost to lease or purchase land and construct a new
basic utility II airport. The conclusion was that the land and
the construction of a new airport facility would cost between
$1,205,000 and $1,325,000. The Federal Aviation Administration
District Office at Valley Stream, New York has included Southold
in its long range airport budget making a public airport in
Southold eligible for federal funds. Funds have been approved
for the first step in the process of planning for an improved
public airport. The consultant has been selected to assist the
Town in the examination of the feasibility of utilizing one of
several sites for a new basic utility airfield.
An airport Master Plan will then be prepared with the purpose of
guiding the development of the facility over the next 20 years.
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FERRY
There are three ferry boat services in the Town of Southold, the
Greenport-Shel ter Island Ferry, the Fishers Island-New London
Ferry and the Orient Point-New London Ferry. These operations,
vital to the Town of Southold, are very seasonal in nature and
move a great number of passengers and a large amount of freight
and automobile traffic. In addition, the federal government runs
a regular ferry from Orient to Plum Island for employees of the
Plum Island facility.
The Fishers Island Ferry operates two vessels on its route and
moves an average of 100 cars a day in June, July and August and
20 to 25 cars a day the remainder of the year. Depending on the
time of year, the number of trips made during a certain day of
the week will vary. The ferry runs far fewer trips in the winter
than it does in the spring. As the warmer months approach, the
schedules increase the number of trips offered. The Friday,
Saturday and Sunday ferries are scheduled to meet the incoming
and outgoing New York Amtrak train, The Merchant, in New London.
One vessel is capable of transporting 210 passengers, and 25
automobiles. This larger vessel could carry one tractor-trailer
with a legal size load but with three or four fewer cars. The
smaller vessel can accommodate 149 passengers and nine automo-
biles. It can not carry trucks longer than 30 feet.
The Greenport-Shelter Island Ferry makes the 10 minute trip
several times a day with two vessels in the winter, three vessels
in the spring and fall, and four vessels in the summer. The four
ferries working simultaneously can move a maximum of 104 automo-
biles per hour. When this maximum capacity is reached, usually
on Friday night and Saturday afternoon during the summer, espe-
cially on the Greenport side, the traffic becomes very congested
and overcrowded and often blocks some driveways in Greenport.
The Shelter Island Ferry Company has considered three alternative
actions for alleviating the congestion problem: first, the
company is considering the possibility of purchasing land and
moving the Greenport landing area so that it could shorten the
trip by five minutes; second, the company is considering
purchasing a new ferry; and third the company is examining the
possibility of enlarging one or two of their existing vessels.
The Orient Point-New London Ferry currently operates two ferry
boats, with a third new large vessel beginning its operation in
June. The smallest boat carries 22 automobiles with the capabil-
ity of hauling two tractor-trailers, the mid-sized boat can carry
55 automobiles with the ability to handle 5-6 tractor-trailers.
The new vessel will have the capacity to hauling 90 cars and
could accommodate 15 tractor-trailers. Cross Sound Ferry Ser-
vice, Inc. also owns a fourth vessel which it will only operate
during the peak months in the summer time and only if it is
needed. This ferry can carry 25 cars and can haul only three
17
tractor-trailers.
operating, will be
day.
The ferry service, once the new vessel begins
capable of moving over 1,400 automobiles per
During the winter, one vessel provides all the service. In the
spring and fall, two ferries are operated and the third vessel
begins its operation in the summer.
In addition to the new boat, the Ferry Service is also making
improvements to its landing facilities. New terminal buildings
will be built at both the New London and Orient Point landing
si tes. New blacktop roadways will also be provided at both
sites. Orient Point's staging area will be enlarged and provided
with a restroom facility. A parking lot for day passengers will
also be constructed.
Beginning in June of 1984, the Cross Island Ferry Company a
subsidiary of Orient-New London will expand their ferry op-
erations by providing service between New London and Montauk on
the south fork of Long Island. The company will use their extra
vessel, normally used only during peak times during the summer,
to make the trip three times a day. This vessel is capable of
hauling 200 passengers and 22 automobiles or two tractor trailers
with fewer cars.
The impact of this ferry would be great. Currently, it is
estimated that 30-40 percent of the New London-Orient Point
traffic is headed to the south fork via the Shelter Island
Ferries. This traffic has been known to present traffic problems
in and around the staging areas of these ferries. wi th the
introduction of the Ne,,, London-Montauk ferry service these
traffic patterns will be changed and traffic problems will be
lessened. However, with the improved traffic situation in
Greenport, the Shelter Island Ferries will also suffer from a
significant loss in business.
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VI. WATER SUPPLY
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RPPW
Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003 212/365-2666
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Memorandum
Revised September 1983
TO:
Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
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RE:
ANALYSIS OF WATER SUPPLY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR MASTER PLAN
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"Water, water everywhere, but..." is there enough to drink; to
support additional year-round and seasonal population and if so,
how much and where; to support new or expanded business or
industry; to support a continuation of agriculture as a major
element of the Town's economic base?
Given Southold I s dependence on groundwater and the extent of
knowledge regarding the quantity and the quality of available
ground water developed during the past several years, it is
apparent that this is a very significant factor in influencing
planning and development decisions.
However, as has become apparent throughout the preparation of the
Plan, there are numerous variables that must be considered in the
planning process. These include the type and characteristics of
existing development; environmentally fragile lands such as
wetlands, bluffs, beaches and dunes; poor soils; the economy and
jobs; the Town's fiscal condition and the ability of public
facili ties and services to accommodate future demands; the
ability of roads to accommodate traffic; and the aspirations of
the community.
Water Studies
During the past 15 years several studies were completed to
*
analyze the quantity and quality of available water. However,
of the comprehensive studies, the ERM studies have the most
up-to-date information on water quality and water contours (used
to estimate location and depth of aquifer). Since pesticide,
fertilizer, and waste contamination has become a very visible and
serious concern within the past decade, we believe that it is
appropriate to accept these efforts as the basis for planning and
development options.
The executive summary of the North Fork Water Supply Plan points
out... "Water supply problems on the North Fork of Long Island
are severe. Shallow, thin groundwater aquifers are extensively
impacted by contamination from agricultural chemicals, primarily
nitrates and pesticides, and are threatened by saltwater intru-
sion from over-pumpage. Increasing pressures for development
which will result in accelerated population growth will further
stress the water supply aquifers."
The planning area for the ERM North Fork Study included both
Riverhead and Southold (excluding Fishers Island). Hydrogeologic
condi tions vary significantly throughout the area so the
engineers established five Water Supply Zones for planning
purposes. Zones 3, 4, and 5 and a portion of Zone 2 are in
Southold. Zone 2 extends in Southold from the western boundary
of the Town to Mattituck Inlet. Zone 3 extends from Mattituck
Inlet to Arshamamoque Pond; Zone 4 from Arshamamoque Pond to Dam
Pond; Zone 5 from Dam Pond to Orient Point. We have used these
areas for planning analysis purposes.
The ERM initial analysis focused on what is referred to as the
Water Budget Areas which represent those locations where there is
sufficient groundwater to develop large public supply wells. In
zones 3, 4, and 5, these are basically the areas where the water
table is at least two feet above sea level. Because of the
presence of a deeper aquifer (the Magothy) and more plentiful
supplies in the western parts of the study area (Zones 1 and 2)
the budget areas contour here are designated at five feet above
sea level. A significant implication of this budget area
*
(a) Malcolm Pirnie, Investigation of Water Resources, June 1967.
(b) Holzmacher, McClendon and Murrell, Comprehensive Public Water Supply Study, SUffolk County,
New York, 1970.
(c) ERM-Northeast/Camp Dresser and McKee, North Fork Water Supply Plan, Suffolk County, New
York, April 1983.
(d) ERM-Northeast, Analysis of Available Groundwater Supply - Town of Southald, May 1983.
(e) In addition the Cornell Center for Environmental Research as well as the Suffolk County
Department of Health Services have both been conducting specific studies of water quality
and pesticide contamination.
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identification is that all of the areas of the Town along the
coast are outside the budget areas and ERM indicates that the
supply is more limited here because of the shallow aquifer and
the threat of saltwater intrusion from over-pumpage. Along the
coast the supply is only sufficient to allow small home wells and
even they have to be carefully placed; generally between the one
and two foot contours.
In a subsequent report, Analysis of Available Groundwater Supply
- Town of Southold, ERM studied the availability of fresh water
outside the water budget areas of the Town. ERM'S second report
on ground water supply in the Town of Southold estimated the
amounts of fresh water available in the portions of the Town
between the 1 foot and 5 foot contours in Zone 2 and between the
1 foot and 2 foot contours in Zones 3, 4 and 5 as well as in the
portions between the 1 foot contour and the coast for all four
zones.
ERM utilized Long Island Regional Planning Board's data for 1980
and its projections on land use and population in the years
1995-2000 as a basis for their analyses. For the Town of
Southold this meant that from 1980-2000, a twenty-two percent
increase in population and an eighteen percent decrease in the
amount of land used for agricultural purposes was anticipated.
Groundwater Quantity
According to ERM... "the principal water supply source in the
study area is the upper glacial aquifer. It is a highly produc-
tive waterbearing unit with consistent physical properties."
In the eastern part of Water Supply Zone 2 and in Zones 3, 4 and
5, a very delicate balance exists between fresh groundwater
lenses, saltwater intrusion, chemical contamination and water
supply requirements. The fresh groundwater lenses are relatively
thin; therefore, the total available supply is limited. Over-
pumpage or improper well location causes lateral and vertical
saltwater intrusion. The aquifers are extremely susceptible to
chemical contamination because they are shallow and have limited
dilution or assimilative capacity. Groundwater flow velocities
are very low so it takes long periods of time for contaminants to
flush out of the aquifer (up to one hundred years). These
conditions mandate that groundwater resources be properly managed
and protected in order to be able to support necessary water
supply requirements.
The ERM April 1983 study used the water budget areas to estimate
the amount of water that could be utilized for central water
supply systems by indicating what could be withdrawn "from larger
capacity supply wells." The water budget areas in hydrogeologic
zones 1 and 2 include those portions where the groundwater has
been measured at a level five feet or more above sea level
3
whereas water budget areas in zones 3, 4, and 5 include those
portions where ground water is two feet or more above sea level.
The following chart is based on the ERM summary of their analysis
of availability and use of water from water budget areas.
Table 1
SUHMARY OF WATER BUDGET ANALYSIS
Zone
Total Area
(square miles)
Water Budget
Area
(square miles)
Present
ConsumPtivt
Use (1980)
(mgdJ
Potentially
Available for
Future Use
(mgd)
Permissive S~stained
Yield
(mgdJ (mgd/sq. mile)
1
2
3
4
5
Total
42
14
14
3.4
1.6
75
24.7
1.7
1.6
O.~
O.
28.4
29.4
5.6
4.91
o 91
. 1
0.4
41.2
0.7
0.4
0.35
0.25
0.25
4.7
3.9
3.3
0.5
0.47
12.B
44
2B
24
7
5
lOB
1
Since the underlying aquifers in these zones have insufficient storage, these values are
conservatively based on drought conditions and would be larger for a year of average
precipitation.
2
The zero entry indicates that the present consumption use is approximately equal to the
permissive sustained yield in Zone 5 during drought conditions.
3
Permissive sustained yield refers to an estimate of the amount of fresh ground water
that can be withdrawn from the aquifer without causing salt water intrusion.
4
Present consumptive use includes year-round and seasonal residential use as well as
agricultural use. This consumptive use figure is less than total use, since in these
figures only 20% of residential use in unsewered areas is considered consumptive, whereas
100% of the agricultural use is considered consumptive. These numbers include all estimated
uses in the zone, not just those residential and agricultural uses that currently draw water
from the budget areas.
Source: ERM Water SUpply Plan, April 19B3 Table (7-4).
In the above chart, ERM subtracted all the current consumptive
usage in the Towns of Southold and Riverhead, regardless of
whether or not the water utilized came from inside the water
budget areas or outside the water budget areas in order to show
whether or not these areas could be served currently or in the
future by the water budget area yield or by a central supply
system. This chart indicates that there would be a problem
supplying the entire Zone 5 from the budget area alone, but it
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does not indicate the extent of the current residential and
agricultural activity that is utilizing water outside the budget
area. The chart indicates further that Zone 4 also may
experience limited water supply from the water budget areas.
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In another chart in the same report, ERM indicates that it
expects average annual water consumptive usage in the year 2000
to be less than usage in 1980, since an eighteen percent
reduction in acres committed to agricultural use is expected over
the next two decades. ERM estimates of 2000 year population
include an increase of 6,500 people or 32% in the Town of
Riverhead and an increase of 4,200 or 22% in the North Fork
portion of the Town of Southold as projected by the LIRPB, but
this population increase will affect the water supply to a lesser
extent than the reduction in agriculture.
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Thus, if the ERM year 2000 consumption figures are utilized with
information in Table 1, the amount of fresh water available for
future use after 2000 from the water budget areas becomes greater
than the potential available in 1980 (see Table 2).
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Table 2
PROJECTED WATER AVAILABILITY - WATER BODGET AREAS
Zone
Water Budqet Area
Permissive
Sustained Yield
(mqdl
Future Consumptive
Use (Year 20001
(mqdl
Potentially Available
For Use From
Water Budget Area
After Year 2000
(mqd)
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2
3
4
5
Total
29.4
5.6
4.9
.9
.4
41.2
4.29
3.25
3.03
.38
.37
11. 32
25.11
2.35
1.87
.52
~
29.88
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Source:
ERM/Northeast-Camp Dresser & McKee, North Fork Water Supply Plan,
April 1983 Table (7-2).
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ERM's second report analyzed the amount of water available
outside the budget areas in the Town of Southold and designated
the permissive sustained yield for the Town of Southold portion
of Zone 2.
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In this second report, ERM indicated that 6.4 million gallons per
day are available from water budget areas in the Town of Southold
and 5.5 mgd are available outside the water budget areas, i.e. in
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the portions between the 5 foot contour and the coastline in Zone
2 and between the 2 foot contour and the coastline in zones 3, 4
and 5 for a total of 11.9 mgd. Combining the information
available in the above Table 2 with 1980 consumption figures
utilized in Table 1, it is apparent that the amount of water
potentially available for future use in the Town of Southold is
greater than was initially described.
Table 3
PROJECTED WATER AVAILABILITY - INSIDE AND OUTSIDE WATER BUDGET AREAS
Water Supply
Zone
Pennissive
Sustained Yield*
(mqd)
Total Consumptive
Use (1980)
Potentially Available
For Future Use
(mqdl
(Southold Portion)
2
3
4
5
Total
1.3**
3.3
.5
.47
5.57
2.2
7.2
1.5
1.0
11.9
.9
3.9
1.0
.53
6.33
* Estimate of permissive sustained yield from entire town, i.e. inside and outside the
water budget areas.
** 1/3 of total Zone 2 usage.
Source: ERM/Northeast, Analysis of Available Groundwater SUpply, May 1983, Tahle 1.
Utilizing ERM updated figures on amount of water available in
each hydrogeologic zone in the Town of Southold, it is possible
to assume that a future population of greater than two times the
current population could be sustained by the permissive sustained
yield. In fact, if ERM's year 2000 consumption figures were used
instead of 1980 use figures, as shown in the following table,
then even greater quantities of water appear to be available for
future use, primarily because there is expected to be less
agricultural consumption of water in 2000 than in 1980.
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Table 4
PROJECTED WATER AVAILABILITY
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Water Supply
Zone
Permissive Sustained
Yield* (mgdl
ERM Estimate of 2000
Consumptive Use
Potentially Available
For Use After 2000
(mgd)
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3
4
5
Total
2.2
7.2
1.5
1.0
11.9
1.1**
3.03
.38
.37
4.88
1.1
4.17
1.12
.63
7.02
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water budget areas.
** One third of total Zone 2 usage.
i.e. inside and outside
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Groundwater Quality
The upper glacial aquifer throughout the Town is already conta-
minated with nitrates and pesticides and herbicides. Nitrate
levels exceed the drinking water standard in many areas.
Town-wide, 17 percent of the 1,121 wells tested exceeded the
acceptable nitrate level of 10 mg/l for drinking water and 30%
were above 7.5 mg/l.
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Organic contamination from pesticides and herbicides is also
widespread. A comprehensive survey to define the extent of
contamination from one pesticide - aldicarb - was conducted by
the Suffolk County Department of Health Services in 1979 and
1980. In those two years, 3,160 wells in the Town of Southold
were sampled; 23 percent showed aldicarb contamination; 11
percent exceeded the Department of Health guideline of 7 ppb.
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Numerous other agricu,). tural chemicals have also been found
including carbofuran, dacthal, dichloropropane, oxamyl* and
dinoseb.
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Nitrate contamination is vertically extensive throughout the
upper glacial aquifer. Aldicarb and other organics are presently
limited to the upper 40 feet of groundwater. However, they are
expected to distribute throughout the aquifer over time. Since
velocities of flow are estimated to be on the order of one foot
*
Temik (the trade name for aldicarb), Vydate (oxamyl) and Furadan (carbofuran) have been
withdrawn from the market in Suffolk County.
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per day in the North Fork aquifers, contaminants will be present
for many decades before they are flushed out.
The amounts of uncontaminated groundwater available for con-
sumption, although not quantifiable, are substantially less than
those shown in Tables 1-4. When groundwater flow is considered,
almost all of Zones 3, 4, and 5 become suspect as well as the
upper 50 feet of groundwater in Zone 2.
Approximately one third of the Town's population is now served by
central water, primarily the Greenport water system, though there
are three small private central systems (Captain Kidd, Rabbit
Lane and Brown's Hill) so that most of the water utilized in the
Town comes from individual wells.
In planning for the Town it has been assumed that groundwater
contamination is extensive and will remain so for a number of
years. As more data is collected, more contamination will most
likely be discovered. At this time, Union Carbide, the
manufacturer of aldicarb (Temik), has provided filters for wells
with significant amounts of aldicarb contamination. The Town
must consider its role in future water treatment efforts, and
whether emphasis should be placed on treatment of centralized
water supply systems or treatment of individual wells or a
combination of both.
Development Capacity Based on Estimated Water Supply
The amount of residential development or agriculture that the
estimated available safe yield of water within and outside the
budget areas will support will depend on the location and mix of
assumed development. It is also recognized that the volume of
fresh groundwater is further limited beyond the indicated
available safe yield by contamination by agricultural chemicals
and that some types of treatment systems - individual as well as
central - will have to be instituted. The calculations included
here provide a starting point for understanding the extent to
which water will influence the Master Plan.
Utilizing the amounts of water indicated by ERM as potentially
available in 1980 both from budget areas and from portions
outside the budget areas for future use, illustrated in Table 3,
it is possible to estimate the future number of households that
could be supported by the ground water supply:
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Table 5
AVAILABILITY OF WATER FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
Permissive Potentially Estimated Existing
Water Sustained Yield Available Household Possible Vacant Households
Supply Entire Town for Fu ture Use Consumption Additional Infill for Future
Zone mgd (1980) mgd Pattern* Households** Lots Development**
Southold
portion
2 2.2 .9 @ 240 3,750 225 3,525
3 7.2 3.9 @ 240 16,250 1,495 14,755
4 1.5 1.0 @ 330 3,030 445 2,585
5 hQ ~ @ 240 2,208 210 1,998
Total 11.9 6.33 25,238 2,375 22,863
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* This figure assumes 100\ consumptive residential use of water with no recharge~ ERM indicated
that in water budget areas with no sewers consumptive use might only be 20% of total water use.
**Includes year-round and seasonal households.
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Table 5 indicates that without expanded commercial development
over 22,800 households might be accommodated in the Town. With a
factor of ten percent taken for future non-residential/commercial
enterprises approximately 20,500 units could be constructed.
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If we take into account ERM's projected 18% decrease in
agricultural use over the next two decades, then the following
table can be used to estimate the water available for future
development after the year 2000.
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Table 6
WATER AVAILABILITY AFTER 2000
Permissive Potentially Estimated
Water Sustained Yield Available Household Possible Households
Supply En tire Town for Future Use Consumption Additional Infill for Future
Zone mqd (2000) mqd* Pattern** Households*** Lots**** Development***
Southold
portion
2 2.2 1.1 240 4,583
3 7.2 4.17 240 17,375
4 1.5 1.12 330 3,394
5 1.0 .63 240 2,625
Total 11.9 7.02 27,977 975 27,000
* See Table 3. Amount has been estimated assuming 18% decrease in agricultural and 22%
increase in population from 1980 CRM figures using County data and year 2000 projections
from County data reflected in ERM report.
** This figure uses 100% household consumption for all households to include uses outside
the water budget area.
*** Includes year-round and seasonal households.
**** To indicate residential growth from 1980-2000, 1,400 residential units have been taken
out of infill lots.
Table 6 indicates that with an increase in population together
wi th the expected decrease in agriculture over the next two
decades, additional households could be served with water. If
one again subtracted 10% for future commercial use, over 24,000
units could be built. No factor has been taken for treatment of
water, since it is assumed that treated water would eventually be
returned to the ground, and in RPPW estimates used 100%
consumption for residential use.
The preliminary land use plan for the Town of Southold will be
formulated in such a way that the proposed level of development
is compatible with the current development and such that the
proposed development can be served with ground water available in
the Town. The analysis of proposed development capacity as
compared to available water has been based on the ERM studies of
water availability within and outside of budget areas.
In order to be as conservative as possible and to attempt to
over-estimate rather than under-estimate usage, 100% consumption
figures will be used in all cases.
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The following assumptions have been utilized in the analysis in
Tables 5 and 6 above.
1. Consumptive use is 240 gallons per household per day based
on three person households utilizing 80 gallons per capita
per day for all areas except those served by the Greenport
Water District. In those areas served by the Greenport
Water District, household consumption is considered to be
330 gallons based on a per capita consumption of 110 gal-
lons.
2. Consumption for acreage in agricultural use is 380 gallons
per acre per day. This is based on Suffolk County Coopera-
tive Extension Service estimates of an average of 140,000
gallons per acre per year, reported in ERM Water Supply
Plan.
3. Some water distribution systems will eventually be put in
place to utilize water within water budget areas.
The above consumption figures can be considered conservative and
indicate greater water use that would probably occur since:
1. All proposed households are treated as containing year-round
residents, projecting greater water utilization than the 50
gallons per capita per day for 90 days indicated for summer
residents by ERM.
2. The 1980 Census figures indicate that the household size in
the unincorporated area of the Town is 2.54, in Greenport
Village is 2.8 and Townwide is 2.56, therefore three person
households provide an overestimate of usage.
3. All households in the Greenport Water District service area
do not actually utilize the Greenport Water Company, but all
these households have been calculated to use 330 gpd rather
than some households at 240.
4. All proposed water use is calculated as 100% consumptive,
that is as total use with no water being recharged to the
ground. According to ERM:
a.
Agricultural use is 100% consumptive.
an overestimate since some portion of
on fields is recharged.
This is probably
the water falling
b. Residential use in water budget areas where there are
no sewers is only 20% consumptive and water use in
coastal areas can be up to 100% consumptive. There-
fore, estimates of 100% consumption for all households
wi thout regard for location or sewerage treatment
methods is conservative.
11
5. Since pesticide and nitrate contamination of the water in
the Town is so widespread, some treatment methods will have
to be employed for these problems. This treatment may also
allow for some utilization of water with higher than
otherwise desirable levels of chlorides. However, care must
be taken at all times so that proposed levels of development
on particular sites do not adversely affect ground water in
adjoining areas.
As the preliminary plan is formulated, an analysis of development
will be undertaken utilizing ERM figures for availability of
water within each hydrogeologic zone, i.e. permissive sustained
yield, and subtracting: (1) projected agricultural usage; (2)
current residential usage; (3) infill lots that could be
developed; (4) proposed residential densities.
It is anticipated that when examination of development is
undertaken according to the sub-zones outlined by ERM in their
report on water available outside the budget areas, potential
problems will be indicated in several coastal areas. Problems in
coastal areas have been exacerbated in the past by development
densities greater than one unit per acre coupled in some areas
with agricultural uses. In addition, the geological phenomenon
of the peninsulas found on the southern (Bay) side of the Town
increases the potential for problems with salt water intrusion in
these locations.
If the Master Plan indicates that new development along the coast
should be at a density no greater than one unit per acre or one
uni t per two acres, these problems are not likely to be
exacerbated. In any areas, such as portions adjacent to hamlet
areas where higher densities may be appropriate for a variety of
reasons, water would have to be supplied from water budget areas
(some form of public or community water supply) in order to
develop at any greater densities than one unit per acre.
In the long term, the Town will have to continue to evaluate and
re-evaluate several options with regard to its water supply:
a. To base development capacity on available potable
ground water.
b. To bring in water from areas west of Southold, which
mayor may not be economically feasible, depending on
levels of development otherwise considered appropriate.
c. To expand water supply through other costly methods
such as desalination.
d. To significantly expand the Greenport Water System or
to create Town-wide or hamlet-wide supply systems to
treat and/or distribute ground water.
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e. To establish systems for treating water from individual
wells where it is not possible or desirable to be part
of a public system.
In addition, the Town will have to monitor or examine:
a. The number of seasonal units being converted to
year-round dwelling units.
b. The amount and type of agricultural land use.
c. The agricultural, residential, and industrial uses of
chemicals.
d. The need to maintain recharge areas, especially within
water budget areas.
e. The effects of peak summer usage on water availability
in locations throughout the Town.
f.
The need for and use of systems
throughout the Town to avoid
groundwater.
for treatment of sewage
contamination of
g. The desirability of recharging water from sewage
treatment facilities into the ground instead of using
outfalls to the Sound or Bay.
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VII. ISSUES AND GOALS
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Based upon the various background studies, meetings with the
Master Plan workshop, the Planning Board and the various groups
and individuals identified in the appendix, it was possible to
identify the issues that have to be addressed by the Master Plan.
The Plan must also be based upon the goals of the community.
Gaining a consensus on goals is not a simple task and at times
during the planning process it will be apparent that there are in
fact conflicts in the goals of different segments of the communi-
ty.
The memo incorporated here was originally submitted for dis-
cussion toward the end of the first phase of the planning pro-
cess.
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RPPW
Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003 212/365-2666
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Memorandum
April 26, 1983
TO:
Southold Planning Board
FROM: RPPW, Inc.
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RE:
PLANNING ISSUES
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The Town Master Plan has to address various issues, many of which
are interrelated and many of which require consideration of
alternative responses. Based upon the preliminary analysis of
the various factors affecting planning in Southold, the following
are the issues to be addressed in the Plan:
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A.
Overall Pattern of Development
1. Protection of Town's Rural/Exurban Character reflected
in a combination of hamlet centers, farmland, large
expanses of undeveloped land - accommodation of new
development within this framework
2. Suitability of Land for Development
. development or retention of farmland
. proximity to/adequacy of community services
. protection of environmental features - wetlands;
tidal marsh; dunes, beaches and bluffs; scenic
vistas; waterways - creeks and ponds;
. physical constraints - high water table; steep
slope; poor soil permeability; flood hazard areas;
erosion hazard areas - siltation
. drainage problems
3. Agricul ture
. economic viability; changing structure; cost of
changing crops
. availability of farm labor
. impact on water quality and on water quantity
. preservation of land for farming or open space
4.
Water Supply - Quantity and Quality
. protection of subsurface water from pollution
emanating from development and agriculture;
implications for development policy
. sufficiency of potable water to service future
development, especially in Orient, East Marion and
along coastline
. approach to supply of water - individual wells;
small central systems; few larger systems
. implications of importing water; desalinization of
salt water
5.
Housing/Residential Development
. distribution/density
. lack of affordable housing for low, moderate and
middle income segments of population
. absence of small units - older and younger one and
two person households
. seasonal vs. year-round housing
. conversion of seasonal to year-round
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Population Mix
. aging of population - decline of labor force;
implications for volunteer services such as fire
and rescue service; changing service needs
. year-round/seasonal - implications for services
7.
Approved - Unbuilt Subdivisions
. why unbuilt density; location; physical
conditions
. implications for water consumption; other services
. ownership pattern - affect upon future planning/
zoning
8.
Traffic and Transportation
. adequacy of existing major east-west roads to
accommodate traffic; technical capacity - desired
levels of traffic
. safety at several key locations
. private roads - emergency access - implications
for access to beaches
. need for or appropriateness of improved north-
south roads
. need for and location of a Town airport
. adequacy of service by buses and trains - year-
round/summer season/time of day
. need to encourage expansion of ferry service to
expand markets in New England
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B.
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9 . Economy
. seasonality of economy - need to expand and/or
create year-round economy, increase jobs for young
adults
. stability of agriculture and fishing - need to
protect resources (farmland, fish habitats)
appropriateness of encouraging agriculture and
fishing as elements of economy, mariculture
. need for flexibility on part of farmers and farm
workers - retraining
. limited growth potential for commerce and industry
including fishing and agriculture
. expansion of seasonal/tourist economy
10. Historic and Cultural Resources
. preservation as part of Town's quality, heritage
. enhancement for economic purposes
11. Seasonal Development
. how much, where and what type (seasonal
residences/transient tourist) - land consumption
and potential damage to environment, importance to
economy - jobs and tax base, limited demand on
many services
12. Hamlet Centers
. preserve scale and character/concentration of
housing and services
. focus of Town's economy - commerce - limit strip
commercial development
. historic preservation program
Community Facilities
13. Schools
. potential consolidation - potential increase in
shared services
. extent to which existing physical plant can
accommodate additional enrollment
. school plant as resource for recreation/cultural
and educational activities coordination of use and
programming
14. Sewer
. implications of expanding Greenport system
limited capacity
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. use of individual inground systems or small
central inground systems - limitation on density;
impact on subsurface water
. new treatment systems - cost; level of development
necessary to support versus desired density of
development
15. Water Supply
. protection of quality of supply
. continuation of individual wells versus central
supply
. treatment of individual and public/community
systems wells; costs
. import water or desalinization
. establishment of Town supply and/or treatment
district to serve all or part of Town
. expansion of Greenport system
16. Public Safety
. Fire - assurance that all areas of Town covered -
need to improve accessibility to some areas;
future availability of manpower; substandard
private roads
. Police adequacy of facilities for future
development; seasonal expansion
. Emergency-Rescue sufficient for emergencies;
only one ambulance service for general medical
transportation; manpower
17. Recreation
. need to assure access to water for recreation
including boat launch and mooring sites, beaches,
and scenic vistas
. need additional recreation areas and open space
areas in some parts of the Town
. swimming pool; youth center(s)
. access to school facilities assures availability
of basic facilities to all areas of the Town
18. Landfill
. life of present facility limited - expand or
pursue alternative source of disposal
. landfill on aquifer - threat to subsurface water
. methane gas - use for energy or dissipate
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C. Coastal Issues
19. Access to Water
· beaches - swimming, bathing, walking, viewing
scenic vistas
. boat launching on north shore/launching and
mooring on south shore for commercial and
recreational fishermen
. attractiveness for private residential/commercial
development often precludes maintenance of access
. use for resort facilities
20. Quality of Coastal Waters
. critical to fishing industry and recreational
fishing
. swimming/water sports
. marine habitat
. encouragement of mariculture development
21. Coastal Land Use Conflicts
· availability of land for marine commercial uses as
a priority objective
. need for additional boat slips - dredging
· competition with water-enhanced uses such as
restaurants, motels
22. Protection of Sensitive Coastal Environment
. tidal marshes
. dunes, beaches, bluffs
. scenic vistas
. water quality
23. Salt Water Intrusion
. need to protect ground water - limit on coastal
area development
24. Navigability of Waterways
. siltation and dredging - disruption of shellfish
beds/spawning grounds
The Master Plan will address these issues. The next step will be
to establish a set of goals to serve as a mechanism to measure
the response to the issues. The process for establishing a
concensus on goals will be one of the initial steps in Phase II,
the preparation of the Plan itself.
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RPPW
Raymond, Parish, Pine & Weiner, Inc. 555 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591 914/631-9003 212/365-2666
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Memorandum
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June 20, 1983
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TO:
Southhold Planning Board
FROM:
RPPW, Inc.
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RE:
PLANNING GOALS
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A clear statement of the Town's long range goals is an important
element of the planning process in that it forms the basis for
various long and short range objectives, policies, strategies,
and programs. Such a statement will help to crystalize in the
minds of residents, business people, and public and private
decisionmakers the precise directions in which the Town should
develop. Such a statement is useful in setting priorities as
well.
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While the goals are general, if there is a consensus or general
agreement on them and on their interpretation, they provide
justification for more specific elements of the planning and
development process.
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To achieve this consensus and a sense of priorities, a process
for refining the initial statement needs to be carried out. This
memorandum sets forth an initial statement of goals which can
serve as a basis for discussion.
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This initial statement is drawn from several sources including
meetings of the Master Plan Workshop, discussions with various
representatives of Town agencies, private business, institutions,
and environmental and real estate groups.
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This initial statement does not necessarily reflect the order of
priority. It may very well be that as discussions proceed,
priorities will become evident and adjustments will be made.
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The main purpose of this memo is to stimulate thinking and
discussion on this important topic as a basis for the Town Plan.
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PROPOSED GOALS AND POLICIES
Overall Planning
Goal
Provide a community of residential hamlets which are:
comprised of a variety of housing opportunities and commer-
cial, service, and cultural activities; serving to establish
a sense of place; set in an open or rural atmosphere;
supported by a diversified economic base (including agricul-
ture, marine commercial and seasonal recreation activities)
that maximizes the Town's natural assets, including its
coastal location; and are striving for a compatibility
between the natural environment and development.
Policies
Implement planning policies which provide for a number of
housing types, promote agricultural preservation, encourage
the preservation of environmentally sensitive areas, protect
groundwater, encourage water-dependent and water-enhanced
uses of coastal lands, and support commercial and industrial
activities in appropriate locations.
Housing/Residential Development
Goals
Preserve the existing housing stock and provide the oppor-
tunity 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 composi-
tions.
Policies
Encourage housing development, of varying types and den-
sities, in and around existing hamlets.
Using available assistance programs as well as land use,
regulatory techniques and procedures to provide such assis-
tance as may be needed to provide affordable housing,
especially to younger and older segments of the community
and to allow retired or moderate income homeowners to
maintain their properties.
Maintain the integrity of residential neighborhoods by
preventing through traffic movement and by discouraging uses
that are incompatible with a residential environment.
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Agricultural Preservation
Goals
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Preserve the Town's prime farmland and encourage its con-
tinued use for agriculture.
Policies
Limit non-agricultural
areas through methods
easements.
uses in designated prime agricultural
such as agricultural zoning and
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Promote a Town agricultural preservation program, incor-
porating purchase of development rights, transfer of devel-
opment rights, public information training and financial
assistance programs to enable farmers to diversify into more
profitable crops.
Environment
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Goals
Preserve and enhance the Town's natural environment.
Maintain and protect Southold's agricultural heritage and
pastoral and open quality.
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Insure that there is adequate quantity of potable water to
serve Southold's year-round and seasonal populations.
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Policies
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Restrict development in wetlands, tidal marshes, bluffs,
dunes and beaches.
Promote a development pattern that is responsive to sensi-
tive areas exhibiting prime agricultural soils, poor drain-
age, high water table, high erosion hazard, flood hazard,
sensitive coastal features, great scenic quality and wood-
lands.
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Protect the Town's water supply from further contamination
by encouraging the use of techniques that reduce pollution
from fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides (agricultural
and residential), requiring adequate water supply and septic
system conditions for new development, and employing minimal
maintenance dredging of streams (to minimize salt water
intrusion) .
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Promote development patterns that are at a scale that is
commensurate with the available water supply.
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Maintain and improve surface water quality by reducing
sources of pollution and utilizing modern runoff control
techniques to reduce stream siltation.
Maintain finfishing and shellfishing habitats by reducing
sources of pollution and by limiting dredging of streams and
disturbance of wetlands.
Cultural Environment
Goals
Preserve the historic, cultural, architectural and archae-
ological resources of the Town.
Preserve and strengthen the hamlets as cultural, residential
and commercial centers of activity in the Town; as a means
of creating viable uses for historic buildings and areas and
encouraging a "sense of place."
Policies
Promote the inventorying of cultural resources and encourage
the establishment of Town historic districts and preserva-
tion of historic buildings and sites.
Plan for intensity and mix of development of hamlet centers
that improve the viability, functioning and aesthetics of
hamlet commercial centers without changing the scale of the
centers.
Economic Development
Goals
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.
policies
Encourage diversification of agricultural crops and the
marketing of Southold as a prime location for climate-
sensitive forms of agriculture.
Strengthen the Town's important commercial fishing and
agriculture industries.
Promote vacation and seasonal uses with respect for the
Town's year-round needs, environmental features and rural
heritage.
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Improve the Town I s existing commercial areas but do not
encourage large scale expansion of current development.
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Encourage the development of further public and private
mariculture activities in the waters adjacent to the Town.
Encourage the development of land based support facilities
for the Town's fishing industry.
Provide opportunities to accommodate office and research
development, light industry and industries related to other
elements of the economy.
Limit strip commercial areas and encourage the concentration
of commercial uses in existing shopping areas.
Waterfront
Goals
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Maximize appropriate use of coastal areas in a manner that
protects sensitive coastal areas, maximizes access to the
water and achieves economic benefit.
policies
Promote water-dependent and water-related uses in waterfront
areas which are not environmentally sensitive.
Protect the quality of coastal waters.
Increase the number and quality of public beaches.
Insure physical and/or visual access to scenic vistas and
waterfront areas.
Promote commercial and recreational fishing and boating
opportunities where there are no conflicts with existing
residential development or sensitive natural features.
Promote maintenance of existing navigable waterways.
Transportation
Goals
Insure adequate movement of people and goods within
Southold, as well as into and out of Town, ~n a manner that
maximizes safety and maintains the integrity of residential
and agricultural areas.
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Policies
Encourage the use and/or development of public transporta-
tion.
Encourage roadway and intersection improvements that will
improve the flow of traffic and promote safety.
Community Facilities/Utilities
Goals
Ensure the provision of an adequate range of community
facilities, services and utilities to accommodate existing
and future Town needs in a convenient and cost effective
manner.
Policies
Improve, maintain and expand where appropriate to accommo-
date present and future development of the water supply,
sani tary 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 serve the total (seasonal and year-round)
population.
Assure availability of and/or access to a full range of
modern health services, including emergency services, for
all citizens.
Provide a full spectrum of accessible educational facilities
and services to meet the needs of all segments of the
community in the most efficient and effective manner.
Promote the provision and availability of necessary social
services, including appropriate neighborhood, senior citi-
zen, and day care facilities.
Provide a full range of public
fire, ambulance, rescue, etc.)
environment of personal security
safety services (police,
necessary to create an
and protection of property.
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VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESOURCE PERSONS
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Reference Works and Resource Persons
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The following is a list of the resource persons consulted and major reference
materials utilized in the process of developing each of the background memo-
randa. We would like to acknowledge with appreciation the assistance given by
the Southold Town Planning Board, the Town Board, the Master Plan Workshop
Committee, The Long Island Regional Planning Board as well as the resource
persons listed below. In many cases reference works were utilized for more
than one subject or memorandum and resource people were contacted about
different topics; generally however, sources are listed only once.
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General Information
Reference Works
League of Women Voters. The Town of Southold, 1973.
Long Island Regional Planning Board. Aerial Maps, 1980, at a scale of I"
400'
Land Use Maps at a scale of I" = 2000', 1977 and 1981
Long Island Regional Element, April 1979
Raymond and May Associates. Comprehensive Development Plan, Town of Southold.
December 1967.
Suffolk County Department of Planning. Mattituck Creek Watershed Study,
April 1981.
Suffolk County - Office of the County Executive - Annual Environmental Report,
May 1982.
Suffolk County Department of Real Property - Tax Maps of the Town at varying
scales, 1982.
Resource Persons
Arthur Kunz
Edith Tannenbaum
Long Island Regional Planning Board
Long Island Regional Planning Board
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Environmental Features
Reference Works
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Aibib, Robert et al. Enjoying Birds Around New York City, 1966
Drennan, Susan R. Where to Find Birds in New York State, 1981.
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Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Long Island Sound:
An Atlas of Natural Resources, Nov. 1977.
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Koppelman, Lee et al. The Urban Sea: Long Island Sound, 1976.
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Long Island Regional Planning Board. Assessment of Existing Mariculture
Activities in the Long Island Coastal Zone, 1979.
. Geographic Areas of Particular Concern (draft reports), March
1978.
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Marine Fisheries Sub Plan for Nassau and Suffolk Counties,
September 1978.
Natural Resource Inventory Maps, 1977.
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Marine Sciences Research Center, SUNY Stony Brook (Joel O'Connor and
Orville Terry), Marine Wetlands of Nassau and Suffolk Counties,
April 1972.
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National Flood Insurance Program. Flood Zone Maps for the Town of
Southold.
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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Tidal Wetlands Maps.
Freshwater Wetlands Maps, February 1984.
Significant Habitat Reports, 1976-1981.
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New York State Museum and Science Service. The Mammals of Long Island,
New York, 1971.
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New York State Office of Planning Services. Long Island Marine Wetlands,
March 1972.
Robbins, Chandler et al. Birds of North America, 1966.
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U.S. Department of Agriculture - The Soil Survey of Suffolk County,
April 1975.
Soil Interpretations: Inventory and Analysis, Suffolk County,
July 1969.
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Atlantic Coastal Ecological Inventory - NY-CT-NJ, 1980
Atlantic Coastal Ecological Inventory - CT-MA-NJ-NY, 1980
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Ursin, Michael. Life in and around the Salt Marshes, 1972.
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Resource Persons
John L. Bednoski, Jr.
Frank Cichanowicz
Dewitt Davies
John DiVello
Michael Fiscina
Frank A. Kujawski, Jr.
Henry P. Smith
Paul Stoutenburgh
Jean Tiedke
Ronald Verbarg
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Southold Town Trustees
Conservation Advisory Council
Long Island Regional Planning Board
Southold Town Trustees
New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation
Southold Town Trustees
Southold Town Trustees
Southold Town Trustees
League of Women Voters
Long Island Regional Planning Board
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Economy (excluding Agriculture)
Reference Works
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Boating Almanac, Vol. 2: Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Southern
Massachuetts, 1983.
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Callahan, Dennis W. and Robert A. Comerford. 1976. Modified Regional Input-
Output Analysis of Rhode Island's Commercial Fishing and Related
Activities, 1976.
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Long Island Regional Planning Board. A Marine Fisheries Subplan for Nassau
and Suffolk Counties, Sept. 1978.
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Assessment of Existing Mariculture Activities in the
Long Island Coastal Zone and Potential for Future Growth, 1979.
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Commercial Development Analysis - 1982. Vol. II.
Economic Development Series, 1982.
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Industrial Location Analysis - 1980. Vol. I Economic
Development Series, 1980.
Long Island Regional Element - New York State Coastal
Management Program, April 1979.
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Greenport, 1980.
Waterfront Development Opportunities in the Village of
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Morton, David W. An Intersection Study of Transactions in Small Fishing,
Farming and Summer Recreation Region, 1976.
Rorholm, Niels and David Burrage. Preliminary Report on a Study of the
Economic Impact of the R.I. Boating Industry, 1983.
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Suffolk County Office of the County Executive. Annual Environmental Report,
May 1982.
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Resource Persons
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Philip Briggs
Richard Fox
Richard Miller
Chris Smith
Dave Strong
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
DEC, Stony Brook
Executive Director of L.I. Fisherman's Association
Sea Grant
Strong's Marina
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Representatives of the following real estate firms:
William B. Smith, Burt Lewis, A.W. Albertson
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Agriculture
Reference Works
Center for Environmental Research - Cornell University. Effect of Timing and
Rate of Fertilization on Potato Growth and Nitrate Leaching to Ground
Water, August 1982.
Cooperative Extension Assoc. of Suffolk County. Facts About Suffolks
Agricultural Products. Riverhead, NY.
Farmland Owners Guide to Farmland Preservation.
Riverhead, NY.
Suffolk County's Farmland Preservation Program.
Riverhead, NY.
Vinefera Grapes for Long Island. Riverhead, NY,
August 1981.
Long Island Traveler-Watchman - various articles.
Newton, David F. Saving Prime Farmland: The Suffolk County Experience.
Cooperative Extension, Riverhead, NY, December 1979.
Suffolk Times. "1983 Agriculture Supplement". March 17, 1983
Resource Persons
Andre (Bud) Cybulski
Alex Hargrave
Ron Leuthardt
Patricia Lollot
Sidney Mitchell
David Mudd
Joseph Mullen
Roger Munz
David Newton
Bennett Orlowski
William Sanok
Richard Tarantino
Southold farm
Hargrave Vineyards
Long Island Farm Bureau
Long Island Traveler-Watchman
Suffolk County Department of Real Estate
Mudd's Vineyard, Ltd.
Eastern New York Horse Breeders
Suffolk County Department of Real Estate
Cooperative Extension
Southold farm
Suffolk County Cooperative Extension Service
Iris Acres Farm
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Farmland Preservation and Transfer of Development Rights
Resource Works
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Coughlin, Robert E. et al. The Protection of Farmland: A Reference Guidebook
for State and Local Governments. (National Agricultural Lands Study).
1981.
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New York State Department of State. Transfer of Development Rights: Analysis
of Concept Application in New York State
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Suffolk County - Office of the County Executive. Phase II, Farmland
Preservation Plan, August 1981.
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Suffolk County - Office of the County Executive. Open Space Policy, May 1980.
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Tripp, James T.B. "TDR's: A Land Use Tool Whose Time Has Corne",
Environmental Defense Fund Newsletter, 1983.
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Tustian, Richard E. "Preserving Farming Through Transferable Development
Rights: A Case Study of Montgomery County, Maryland, American Land Forum
Magazine, Summer 1983.
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Population and Housing
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Reference Works
Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO). Population Survey 1982: Current
Population Estimates for Nassau and Suffolk Counties
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Long Island Regional Planning Board. Estimated Summer Population (1980),
Eastern Suffolk.
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Interim Population Projections (208 Technical Advisory
Committee), November 1981.
August 1982.
Historic Population of Long Island Communities,
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New York State Department of Labor Annual Planning Information for Manpower
Planners, Fiscal Year 1982, May 1982.
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Suffolk County - Office of the County Executive, Housing, March 1980.
U.S. Census Reports, 1970 and 1980.
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Resource Persons
Roy Federlen
Arthur Kunz
James McMahon
Joseph Sanseverino
Beverly Smith
Long Island Regional Planning Board
Long Island Regional Planning Board
Southold Community Development
Suffolk County Community Development
Greenport Housing Alliance
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Community Facilities and Services
Resource Persons
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Ray Dean
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Lt. Stanley Droskowski
George Fisher
Gerard Goehringer
Curt Horton
Linda Kowalski
Kala Langone
Victor Lessard
Henry Moisa
Larry Murdock
Frank Murphy
Betty Neville
Bennett Orlowski
Robert Reeves, Sr.
David Servone
Jack Sherwood
Judith Terry
Joseph Townsend, Jr.
Henry Tyler
James Wall
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Town Highway Department and Department of
Public Works
Police Department
Town Building Department
Zoning Board of Appeals
Cutchogue Fire District
Zoning Board of Appeals
Greenport Fire District
Town Building Department
Town Assessor
Town Board (re: Highways and Public Works)
Town Board (re: Highways and Public Works)
Town Clerk's Office
Cutchogue Fire District
Orient Fire District
East Marion Fire District
Town Assessor's Office
Town Clerk
Town Board (re: Highways and Public Works)
Mattituck Fire District
Fishers Island Fire District
Schools
Resource Persons
Roger Burns
Harold Carr
William Haase
Gerald LaMantia
Carl Nelson
Charles Nephew
Enrico Pepe
Lorraine Peppe
Frank Perry
Charles Woznick
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Mattituck-Cutchogue School District
New Suffolk School District
Fishers Island School District
Board of Cooperative Educational Services - First
Supervisory District
Greenport School District
Southold School District
Mattituck-Cutchogue School District
Laurel School District
Board of Cooperative Educational Services - First
Supervisory District
Oyster Ponds School District
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Recreation
Reference Works
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League of Women Voters. Survey of the Town of Southold, February 1982.
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National Recreation and Park Association Recreation, Park and Open Space
Standards and Guidelines, 1983.
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New York State Department of Parks and Recreation. State Comprehensive
Outdoor Recreation Plan, 1983.
Suffolk County - Office of the County Executive. Open Space Policy, May 1980.
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u.S. Department of the Interior, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service,
The Third Nationwide Outdoor Recreation Plan, 1979.
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Ward and Associates and Planning Associates. Parks, Recreation and Open Space
Survey, February 1982.
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Wilkins, Bruce. Outdoor Recreation and Commercial Fishing in the Town of
Southold, Cornell University, 1967.
Resource Persons
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William Albertson
John Chester
Ray Dean
Georgianna Fogerty
Foster Milne
Frank Murphy
John Nickles
William Terry
Loraine Terry
Richard Ward
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Southold Park District
Suffolk County Park Commission
Town Department of Public Works
CUtchogue-New Suffolk Park District
Orient State Park - L.I. Park Commission
Mattituck Park District
Town Council
Orient-East Marion Park District
Orient-East Marion Park District
Ward Associates
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Health Services
Reference Works
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Nassau Suffolk Health Systems Agency. Acute Care Services, Medical Resources I
Component, August 17, 1982.
1983 Annual Implementation Plan for Nassau-Suffolk,
February 17, 1983.
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State of New York Office of Health System Management. Statewide Planning and
Research Cooperative System data, 1980-82.
Suffolk County Department of Health Services. 1981 Annual Report,
September 1982.
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Resource Persons
Jerrold Hirsch
Charles Kuebler
Marie O'Brien
John Pfister, Jr.
Janette Simms
Nassau Suffolk Health Systems Agency
Eastern Long Island Hospital
Suffolk County Department of Public Health
Southampton Hospital
Nassau Suffolk Health Systems Agency
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Historic Information
Reference Works
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"National Historic Landmarks Program, Revised Rules and Regulations,"
Federal Register, February 2, 1983 (36 CFR Park 65)
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National Park Service, "Guidelines and Standards for Archeological and
Historic Preservation," Federal Register, September 29, 1983.
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New York State Historic Preservation Office. Logs, 1983.
Suffolk County Cultural Affairs Resource, Survey of County-owned Parklands,
various dates.
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Resource Persons
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Mitzie Goodrich
Lance Malliano
Town Historian
Suffolk County Department of Cultural Affairsl
Historic Trust
Society for Long Island Antiquities
League of Women Voters
Society for Long Island Antiquities
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Robert McKay
Jean Tiedke
Barbara Van Lieu
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Transportation
Reference Works
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New York State Department of Transportation. Traffic Volumes and Accident
Reports for Route 25 in the Town of Southold.
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Suffolk County Department of Public Works. Traffic Volumes and Accident
Reports for Route 48 in the Town of Southold.
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Long Island Railroad. A History of the Long Island Railroad.
The Long Island Railroad - Facts and Figures.
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New York State Department of Transportation. Long Island Railroad Freight
Study, (Part II - Inventory), October 1981.
Nassau Suffolk Transportation Coordinating Committee. Nassau-Suffolk
Transportation Improvement Program, January 1982.
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PRC Speas. Airport Site Selection and Master Plan Study.
Southold Town Airport Committee. Airport Committee Report, March 1979.
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Resource Persons
Gerald Cronin
Transportation Division, Suffolk County Department
of Planning
New York State Department of Transportation
Southold Police Department
Suffolk County Department of Public Works
Cross Sound Ferry Service
PRC Speas
North Fork Aviation Association
Suffolk County Department of Public Works
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Michael Donato
Lt. Stanley Droskowski
Richard LaValle
Richard McMurray
Paul Puckli
David Spohn
Richard Strang
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Water Supply
Reference Works
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Action for the Preservation and Conservation of the North Shore of Long
Island. Long Island's Water: What about it? February 1983.
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Center for Environmental Research - Cornell University. Southold
Demonstration Site - New York State Fertilizer and Pesticide
Demonstration Project. September 1983.
Southold Demonstration Site - NYS Fertilizer and Pesticide
Demonstration Project, Aldicarb Calculations, October 1983.
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ERM-Northeast. Analysis of Available Groundwater Supply - Town of Southold,
May 1983.
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ERM-Northeast/Camp Dresser and McKee. North Fork Water Supply Plan,
Suffolk County, New York, April 1983.
Greenport Water District Map.
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Holzmacher, McClendon and Murrell. Comprehensive Public Water Supply Study,
Suffolk County, New York, 1970.
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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation - Division of Water.
Long Island Ground Water Management Program (Draft), September 1983.
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New York State Legislative Commission on Water Resource Needs of Long Island.
Progress Report, March 1982.
Pirnie, Malcolm. Investigation of Water Resources, June 1967.
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Suffolk County Department of Health Services. Development of Nassau Point:
Impacts on Groundwater Quantity, December 1982.
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Suffolk County Department of Health Services. Report on
Movement of Agricultural Chemicals in Groundwater:
Suffolk County, August 1982.
the Occurrence and
North Fork of
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Watershed Planning for the Protection of Long Island's Groundwater. Edited by
Ellen Greenberg, Sarah Meyland and James Tripp, September 1982.
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Resource Persons
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Joseph Baier
Daniel Halton
Henry Hughes
James Monsell
Dennis Moran
Paul Pontero
Howard Wiseman
Suffolk County Department of Health
New York 'State Department of Environmental Conservation
Cornell Center for Environmental Research
Greenport Utilities
Suffolk County Department of Health
Suffolk County Department of Health
ERM Northeast
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Sewage Treatment
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Reference Works
Banks, Lawrence and Scott Davis. Wastewater and Sludge Treatment by Rooted
Aquatic Plants in Sand and Gravel Basins, April 1983.
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Greenport Sewer District Map.
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Long Island Regional Planning Board. Long Island Comprehensive Waste
Treatment
Management Plan (208 Study), 1978.
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United States Environmental Protection Agency. Small Wastewater Systems:
Alternative Systems for Small Communities and Rural Areas, January 1980.
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Resource Persons
Scott Davis
Gary Loesch
James Monsell
Robert Villa
Biological Water Purification
Holzmacher, McClendon and Murrell
Greenport Utilities
Suffolk County Department of Environmental Health
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I Fishers Island
Resource Persons
I Richard Baker
John Bogert
Clarence Dixon
I Raymond Doyen
Raymond Edwards
William Haase
I Steven O'Neil
James Wall
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Fishers Island Utilities
Fishers Island Civic Association
Fishers Island Waterworks
Landfill/solid wastes
Town Board and Town Justice
Fishers Island School District
Fishers Island Development Company
Town Planning Board