HomeMy WebLinkAboutPB-07/10/1972-SSouthold Town Planning Board
SOUTHFILD, L. I., N. Y. 11971
PLANNING BOARD
M E M BERS
John Wickham, Chairman
Henry Mo,isa
Alfred Grebe
Henry Raynor
Frank Coyle
MINUTES
SOUTHOLD TOWN PLANNING BOARD
July 10, 1972
A special meeting of the Southold Town Planning
Board was held at 9:00 A.M., Monday, July 10, 1972,
at the Town Office, Main Road, Southold, New York.
There were present: Messrs: John Wickham, Chairman;
Henry Moisa, Vice Chairman; Henry Raynor. Absent: Frank
Coyle; Alfred Grebe.
Also present: Howard Terry, Building Inspector.
This special meeting was called to discuss Mattituck
Shopping Center. Mr. Thomas J. Cassella, owner of Mattituck
Shopping Center; Mr. Joseph Cefaletti, Superintend~n~ of
Construction and Mr. Cassella's secretary attended the
meeting.
Southold Town Planning Board
July 10, 1972
Mr. Wickham said according to the approved site
plan the finished floor is about 2:1/2 feet below the
specified finished floor level. Had you come back about
six months ago and Said the architect made a mistake,
we could have worked something out. At this late date
you have no alternative but to meet the specifications.
Mr. Cassella said that Mr. Yezzi went and lowered the
~levation and put up the steel without my knowledge
and~when he eould not.pay me at the closing I had no
alternative but to take it back. He lied to me and
told me he had gotten permission from the Zoning Board
to do it. Mr. Wickham said you we,nt to the County and
got approval from them for a diffe,rent sanitary system.
At a ~ater date you went to a p~umbing contractor and
made UP a third plan, again in contradiction to the
approved plan and again you did not tell us. Under the
circumstances all we can say is me~t the requirements.
We can't say anything different. I am sure you under-
stand this. Legally we can't compromise. For the
record, I have been a member of the Board of Direc,tors
of a supermarket chain for 27 years. Mrs. Wickham and
I own and lease a supermarket up s~tate. I know in:
general what the cost is. I have had experience with
it. I know you are in trouble and we don~'t know
to get out of it. This thing is seriously complicated
because the finished floor is so low you can't get
pitchi~enough for the disposal structures and you don't
have net drainage area. Regardless of what you do you
are faced with some very real expensive problems~
Mr. Ca~ssella said the sanitary system was designed
by Bob Jewell. Mr. Wickham said you never presented it
to us~. Itthas absolub~ly no standing with us. You do
not have,the net drainage or distance to water as shown
on the approved map. Mr. Wickham asked if Mr, Cassella
was awa~e there is water in the disPOsal strhcture~s right
now. The~ s~te plan ca~ls for a 1/4~ inch pi~ch. Mr. Cassella
said Mr. J~well said he could acceot 1/16 inch. Mr. Raynor
Said that w~ld not pa~s State standards. Mr. Wickham
sai~ you are not in trouble with the Coun~Y~¥~-Y~_~re in
rouble w~th the Town of SOuthold. There are chan~es in
the 'site plan. You had a gift of 25 feet through a
variance through the Appeals Board. You brought~it back
to the County and had it changed w~thou~ our permission.
You are in trouble with your ~rchitect ~ezzi, You, don't
have drainage. You have got to meet the specifications of
the approved site plan.
Southold Town Planning Board
July 10, 1972
Mr. Cefaletti said that they were under the
uhderstanding that a later plan had been submitted
to the Town of Southold. Mr. Yezzi said he had the
later site plan approved.
Mr. Wickham said there will be no discussion
with separate members of the Planning Board. This
is going to be settled before the full Board or at
least three members, and we are going to meet in a
week. I think what you better do is get in touch
with somebody yQu can trust to draw up some good plans
and r~ise the finished floor elevations. This is
what you have got to do.
Mr. Cassella sal~ in order to raise ~the floor it
would~ coSt o~ quarter million dollars. Mr. Wickham
said the i~nly thing we can say is meet the requirements.
You t~ied to cover,it up with the County ~Health Depart-
ment. You can come ~n with a plan to meet the specifi-
cations and raise the fin~hed floor_.r~you don't do
that you!have got to put in $100,000 to ~200,00'0 worth
of sewage and drainage systems. It isn't going to work.
We will not pass yQur new p~an which we had never seen
befor~ last week. This is the third time the thing has
been Dhanged. You are going to have to put legs on the
uprights and we will have to approve it. It is going
to cost a lot of money, ~but it can be done. As far as
I can see it we have no way of compromising. This is
not Within our right. We can only say in a case like
this, meet the~specifications. Mr. Cassella sa~d what
you are telling me is almost impossible. Mr. Wickham
said we are in a position where we can only say meet
the requirements. If you start compromising then you
are in a position whe~ you can sue the Town and say
that you had to spend $100,000 to $200,000 under duress.
We are going to say meet the specificationS, nothing
less.
Mr. Cassella said he would lose Grants, the theatre
and Adam'~S Drugs. There is no~sense in the Town of
Southo!d havih~ empty buildings, kll material:has been
ordered. Mr. ~efaletti said Mr. CaSsella w~~ ~o the
Board'~of Healthhto correct a situation someone else
caused. He.assumed he was going through channels.
Mr. C~ssella said he was not aware that Mr. Yezzi had
not brought a copy of the Health DDpartment approved
plan to the Town~
Southold Town Planning Board
July 10, 1972
Mr. Wickham said this is not going to be settled now.
We cannot tell you what you should do or what you can
do a~d the only~thing we~can say is meet the specifi-
cations. Now I would suggest that in the week before
our next meeting on the 18th, and we will set aside
an h~ur for your that you get your engineer to make
an estimate and,make a~.least ~some sketches on Putting
legs .on the steel. This is what I would suggest first.
New, .if you want, you can also go to the Department
of H~alth and tell them you would like to know ~bo~t
how Much sanitary area (ringsi would be required if the
distance is 20 feet to water instead of 22 feet~ which
Our ~igures show it to be. Then you have the p~oblem
of w~ter disposal. We are not discussing a compromise,
but if we ever~do get to that point, it is going to be
on the basis of a 4 inch rain instead of a 1 inch. We
are~ qot going to stand for another shopping center like
Rive~head whire they have 6 to 8 inches of water after
ever~ rain. Mr~ Wickham said we are not compromising
at a~l without the advise and suggestion of the Town
Attorney because as far as I am concerned we have no
authority to compromise at all.
~ , Molsa.stated that there is a 6~ grade l~stead
of 3%. ~r. Wickham said the reserve area k~s to be
~andscaped~ How you are going to servece..tke sewage
~isp~sal systems with 10 feet.of d~t o~ the~ I do~'~t
k~ow. I am talking about the 40
~an~ingsla~d la~dscaPing. The~pr~
~bout ~0 ifee~ ~side the reserve
com~ ~losle ~ sta~ing within the
~ot Mr. ~ezZ~s fault. Mr. Cass~
~esilg~ed ~hat s~s~em. Mr. Wicknam
ar~ea with
are
not even
is
11
site
plan is your business. With this money involved
~his ~hi~g ~an a~a~s ge to ourt e ~lanni.ng Board
is ~us~ being extr~el~ cautiouS~i . .is far .~ I
am c0ncern~d~ there Will be no compro~ising'un!esls our town
~ttorney advises and~there would be no c.onditio~s.
Mr. Raynor said we have talked this o~er with the. Town
Board. We ame~not happy with this wkole thing a~d their
opinion seems to jive with ours. Mee~t the specifica~io~s~ ~
Mr~ ~Cassella asked if the Town feels' ~e s.an. itary system
as it is now will not work. Mr~ Wickham said that is
co~ec~. You have two feet of water in the pool's and the
elevations are not correct. Mr. Raynor said our engineer
figures i~ ~ould work at about 40% capacity.
Southold Town Planning Board
July 10~ 1972
Mr. Wickham s&~d the calculations for distance
to water is two feet less. The minute you talk about
any change, we are going to say meet today's specifi-
cations~ That is three or four times the number of
pools you,.have now. Double it for two feet less to
water and a four inch rain instead of two inch. I
still think the simplest thing to do is to raise the
finished floor. I suggest you have your engineer make
up some sketches and present them at the next meeting
on July 18th. Mr. Raynor asked if Mr. Davis was his
present englneer~ Mr. Cassella said it was Alden Young.
Mr. ~ickham asked what would be involved in jacking
UP the whole thing and putting legs on it. Mr. Cefaletti
said financially nothing is impossible. Putting legs
on it you have to cart fill back; you would have to change
all the elevations. The cost is fantastic. He said he did
not believe there was any intention to down grade the town.
Mr. Cassella took the job~back and based on Mr. Yezzi's
work with ~the Town of Southold he believed him. All he
wanted to do was improve the septic tank setup and
drainage so he could eliminate ~he problems caused when
the building was dropped. He was willing to spend the
money. Mr. Wickham said the thing was redssigned which
shows that you knew it would not work and didn't get our
approval, we will do nothing without talking to our
attorney and I suggest yQu look into the alternatives.
We would ~ike you to c~me back and bring your Superintendent.
Don't expect us to be easy, because we are not going to be.
Mr. Casse~a said he wants to try to correct it.
Mr. Wiokham said there was no point in continuing
the discussion any more, Mr, Moisa said he thought all
pertinent p~nts have been brought f~orth and the decision
Of the last-meeting,. Mr. Casselta said Grants is losing
mone~ in' RiVerhead and they Would be very happy to get out
riq~t now !a~ if we lose~rants I d!on't know what we would
do with a building of that size. It is going 'to be bene-
ficial to the Town as they are ~oi~g to clos~e up the one
in',Greenport. I have over $60,0010 ~orth of equipment
ordered for Grants. Mr. Raynor said Mr. Cassella should
get Mr, Yezzi for Tuesday's meeting. Mr. Cassella asked if
it made-any difference which engineer he used. Mr. Raynor
said it~made a decided difference to-him. Young has
contracted with this Board. Mr. Cassella said Young has
been working formhim. Mr. Wickham said if Mr. Cassella
felt it wou~d be a hardship to get along without Alden
Young then we can make o~h~r-arrangements. We can get
Southold Town Planning Board
July 10, 1972
somebody else. We will still use his maps and figures.
We have to be careful not to have a conflict of interest.
You can expect us to move very carefully and very slowly.
Regardless one way or the other, it is going to cost you
a lot more money. Mr. Casselta said he would be at the
Planning Board meeting on July 18, 1972.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 A.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Terri Lee Elak, Secretary
Southold Town Planning Board
John Wickham, Chairman