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Home My WebLink About02/28/2011Southold Transportation Commission Southold Town Hall February 28, 2011 Meeting Called to Order: 10:00 AM by Chairman Neb Brashich. Members Present: Captain Martin Flatley, Margaret Brown, Frank Field, James Baker, Councilman Chds Talbot, Planning Director Heather Lanza, Town Engineer Jamie Richter, Highway Superintendent Pete Harris and Tom Fox. Supervisor Scott Russell and Councilmen William Ruland were also in attendance. Members Absent Greenport Rep. Bob Feger and Joel Reitman. Others in Attendance Jim Ryan, Response Marine, Inc. Andrea Parks, North Fork Promotion Council Minutes of January 24, 20tt A motion by Martin Flatley for approval was seconded by Frank Field and was carried. Waldbaum's Meeting Neb advised that the meeting with Waldbaum's local and distdct management that had been scheduled following the Commission's recommendation of the January 24th had been cancelled and will be rescheduled. Several members expressed interest in attending the rescheduled meeting. A report on further discussion of that issue follows below. Peconic Bay Passenger Shuttle Services Mr. Jim Ryan addressed the Commission concerning his proposal for a year-round water passenger service covering the Peconic Estuary with commencement in the Spring of 2011. The service would initially provide scheduled line haul services between Riverhead and Greenport and between Riverhead and Southampton and Sag Harbor. The service would be provided by USCG - inspected 40 passenger boats with shuttle buses from key locations providing regular connections to the scheduled boats. The vessels' running time between Riverhead and Sag Harbor was estimated to be about 1.5 hours. In later stages, additional seasonal services would be offered to enhance visitor traffic to North and South Fork attractions. A seasonal intra - Peconic Bay water taxi service was also · contemplated. Mr. Ryan also provided estimated charges per passenger for the vadous services and left several brochures with more information about his proposal, which will also be presented to the other East End towns for their consideration. Neb suggested that Mr. Ryan review the SEEDS and 5TRTC studies for further background on East End transit and traffic issues. The Commission thanked him for his presentation and Ms. Parks and he departed at 10:28 AM, Traffic Calming Options on Factory Avenue, Mattituck Heather provided members with an aerial photo depicting the Mattituck Plaza site. A discussion followed with suggestions concerning alleviating congestion on Factory Avenue. One of those suggestions entailed a possible requirement for light delivery trucks to be staged in the Mattituck Plaza parking lot and their deliveries to be made via the main entrance of Waldbaum's, as is the case with other Local supermarkets. The Commission will discuss the issue in greater depth following the developments emerging from the meeting with Waldbaum's. East End Transportation Council Neb advised that two weeks ago the group held a closed session with voting members only. However, at a later open session, the 5TRTC and others provided their inputs. He also reported that the EETC and other greups would be making presentations at the April meeting of the East End Mayors and Supervisors Association. Supervisor's Requests Laurel Post Office, Route 25 & Laurel Lane Concerns, Laurel Jamie Richter advised that the local residents who had expressed traffic safety concerns about postal patrons' access and egress to and from the post office site have been advised that the issue had been referred to the Town of Riverhead and the NYSDOT for their action. Vanston & Nassau Point Roads Concerns, Cutchoque The issue of placing stop signs at that intersection is still under review. The Police and Highway Departments will investigate the situation and, upon receipt of their input, Neb will consult with the Nassau Point Property Owners Association for its input on the issue. Thereafter, recommendations for possible signage will be considered. Planning Board Requests Chase Bank and Mattituck Plaza Exits onto Route 25 Heather Lanza reported that a concerned citizen had contacted the Planning Board about the apparent misalignment of those exits across Route 25 and the resultant traffic safety issues. However, the Commission noted that the Planning Board had approved the site plans for both locations and that the NYSDOT had approved the respective curb cuts onto that road. Heather will advise that citizen that the matter had been referred to the NYSDOT for its further review. Continuing Review of Streetiights Reduction Proposal A multifaceted review of that issue covedng the mapping, replacement and/or removal of streetlights continues. Updating of the streetlight map continues. A particular concern is utility-incurred outages at several locations, while poles and other infrastructure are being replaced. Particular attention is required in those situations as lights are temporarily disabled and often not immediately repowered. An instance of that situation recently occurred along Pine Neck Road in the Bayview section of Southold. It was also reported by Jamie Richter that LIPA charges the Town $25 per month for electricity for each light. New Comprehensive Plan for Town Chapter 13 of the Plan deals with economic issues. Community workshops have recently been held at different venues areund the Town. Upon review of the results of that community input, the findings will be published by the Planning Board. In the meantime, Neb requested members to review those sections of Chapter 13 dealing with Blue Water kayak trails, the interpretive signage project, infrastructure and transportation, a wine train and the Greenway System. Current Transportation Issues - Updates Southold/Greenport Bus Shelters Neb reported that his letter to the SCDPW requesting a situation report had not yet received a reply. Orientation / Interpretive Si.qna.qe project - RBA Phase II Neb reported that the Town Board had approved the balance of funding for the finalization of the plans concerning the design of the signs and their placement in the Town's hamlets. A request for proposals for will be issued with a view toward the completion of Phase II over the next few months. Verizon Facility, Greenport A local resident had inquired about the placement of a sidewalk in way of that facility along Route 25 from Moore's Lane to the Hudson City Savings Bank site. No action was taken. Harbes Family Winery, Mattituck The site plan is still under consideration. Heather reported that Harbes is working on the plan concerning safety issues for pedestrians crossing Route 48 and that the plan should be ready soon. 711 Project, Mattituck The matter has been removed from further consideration. Mattituck Corridor Study Heather Lanza reported that the study has been completed and will be discussed at a mobile Town Board meeting at the Mattituck Human Resources Center at 7:30 PM on March 15~. Old Business Country Road 48 Roundabout at Cox Neck Lane No reply has been received from the SCDPW concerning a request for a situation report. New Business Hampton Jitney Shuttle Service In response to an inquiry from Tom Fox, Neb advised that he would contact Tom Neely (formerly of HJ and now of the Southampton Town Transportation Commission) concerning the possible operation of a late evening HJ shuttle service from Manorville to the North Fork to enhance travel by NF residents from New York. Next Meeting The Commission's next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 AM on March 21,2011. Adjournment 11:47 AM Respectfully submitted, Thomas F. Fox