HomeMy WebLinkAboutMattituck Park District - Breakwater Beach Jill M. Doherty, President
Bob Ghosio, Jr., Vice-President
James F. King
Dave Bergen
John Bredemeyer
Town Hall Annex
54375 Main Road
P.O. Box 1179
Southold, New York 11971-0959
Telephone (631) 765-1892
Fax (631) 765-6641
BOARD OF TOWN TRUSTEES
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
July 13, 2011
Chades Zaloom, Commissioner
Mattituck Park District
P.O. Box 1413
Mattituck, NY 11952
Dear Mr. Zaloom:
In response to your letter dated July 12, 2011, the Board of Trustees reviewed the
aerials and proposed site plan of two additional volley ball courts at Breakwater Beach
in Mattituck that was supplied by North Side-Out Beach Volleyball, Inc., and are familiar
with the area. The Board has determined that this proposed project is located within a
critical environmental area, specifically within a dune, and located within the Coastal
Erosion Hazard Area. Permits are required if you wish to pursue the proposed project,
however at this time the Board feels it would be difficult to allow any activity within this
environmentally sensitive area.
This determination is not a determination from any other agency.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to call.
Sincerely,
f,~ill M. Doherty, Preside~ft
~oard of Trustees
Trustees
Town of Southold
Town Hall Annex Building
54375 Route 25
Southold NY 11971
Ju~ 12,2011
JUL ] 2
S0uthh01d Town
Board of Trustees
Dear Trustees:
The Mattituck Park District (MPD] has been asked by representatives of the North Fork Side Out
Volleyball club (NFSOVB) to increase the number of volleyball courts at Breakwater Park from 4 to 6.
The 2 additional courts proposed by NFSOVB would be constructed tothe west of the existing courts.
MPD requests a preliminary site review by theTrustees of the courts as described in the documents
supplied by NFSOVB.
The purpose of the preliminary site inspection is to understand the permitting requirements for the site
for this use. MPD is not considering, nor do we authorize, any further permitting action for these
volleyball courts at this time.
In our preliminary evaluation of the request by NFSOVB to increase the number of courts at Breakwater
Park, MPD requested that this topic be discussed at the Capt, Kidd homeowner's association meeting,
July 9~ to gauge neighborhood interest and support. A discussion arose during the meeting over the
environmental impact and permits required and MPD needs to understand the Town's requirements for
changes tothe site as proposed by NFSOVB.
Thank you very much for your assistance in this matter,
Charles Zalo~
Commissioner
Mattituck Park District
2011
Cantrell, Elizabeth
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Attachments:
Charles Zaloom <czaloom@mattituckparks.com>
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 7:20 AM
Cantrell, Elizabeth
Breakwater Volleyball
breakwaterVBcou rt.J PG
Elizabeth:
Attached is an image of our request for a preliminary site review for the 2 volleyball courts that the NFSOVB
club is asking us to install.
Thanks,
- Charlie
(516) 650-1592
To the Southold Town Trustees,
We writing to you regarding the proposal to add to the beach volleyball
courts located at Mattituck's Breakwater Beach.
We are currently under the impression that the prosed area, at over 440
feet from mean water, is well beyond the jurisdiction of both the NYS DEC
and the Southold Town Trustees. The area visually appears aligned with the
neighboring developed parcels to the West. There has been some mention of
the dunes, which appear to be tertiary. This area is barren and there are no
wetlands present or on the DEC map. The adjacent areas are characterized
by Poison Ivy and Barberry.
We are requesting a written determination by the Board of Tm. stees to
document that no permit is required. Enclosed, please find a satellite print
with the existing area and dimensional plan. We are available to meet and/or
answer questions and provide additional details (Frank Polistena 298-4625,
Dan Kujawski 298-0013). 93-7Y6 o
Respectfully,
Frank Polistena
June 27, 2011
North Side-Out Beach Volleyball, Inc.
Frank Polist~a
Phone 1631) 2~8 4625 Fax 163112981870
PO Box 667 Mattituc~, NY 11952
7 July 2011
Mattituck Park District
Board of Commissioners
P.O. Box 1413
Mattituck, NY 11952
North Fork Environmental Council
12700 Main Road
PO Box 799
Mattituck, NY 11952
Phone: 631.298.8880
Fax: 631.298.4649
Web: www. NFECl.org
RE: Proposed Creation of Additional Volleyball Court(s) at Breakwater Park
Dear Commissioners Deegan, McGreevy and Zaloom,
Several Mattituck residents, members of the Captain Kidd Homeowners' Association and users of the
Breakwater Beach and Park have brought a matter of great interest and import to the attention of the
North Fork Environmental Council (NFEC). We are writing this letter not only as a concerned
environmental organization but also as a Mattituck-based organization that pays local property taxes
which are used to support the Park District.
The matter brought to our attention involves the proposed expansion of the Breakwater Beach
volleyball courts. We are opposed to this expansion on several grounds, including but not limited to:
· this proposed court would be built in an area that was recognized as an environmentally
sensitive sand dune zone in a 1981 study conducted by Larry Penny and near existing beach
dunes and piping plover nesting grounds, thus disturbing the ecosystem on and around the
proposed site (the existing courts were built by removing the asphalt of a pre-existing parking
lot)
· even if the proposed courts were placed at some distance from piping plover nesting grounds,
the increased number of volleyball players and games played on the site would translate to an
increase of errant balls and foot traffic, disturbing and possibly destroying these vital nesting
sites,
· siting the proposed court in a spot the Park District "believes" to be outside the 300-foot DEC
zone does not relieve the Park District from gett'mg a DEC formal letter ruling on the site, nor
does it relieve the Park District from submitting formal site plans to the Southold Town Trustees
for plan review, public comment and a formal Board vote, and
· no formal public notice of this proposed expansion has been shared with the tax-paying
residents and businesses of Mattituck
At their last meeting, the Captain Kidd's Homeowners' Association voted unanimously against the
proposed court expansion, both for the reasons stated above and also because of growing concerns
about what this expansion would mean to already busy local streets and parking expanding outside of
the park's lot. In addition, an active member of one of the volleyball teams and a local Mattituck
resident voiced his concern about the dunes and his opposition to the added court.
In fact, we've been told by several interested parties and volleyball team members that this added court
is more a matter of convenience than need as the existing courts have capacity for added teams on other
days. So why should one league, as a matter of convenience, be able to disrupt a sensitive ecosystem
such as this? The answer is, they should not.
It appears that the Park District commissioners are abandoning their roles as stewards of this special
habitat and letting a volleyball league make park policy and even take a lead in possible creation of the
court itself. In this case, we would also ask of the Southold Town Attorney if the use and expansion of
designated public parkland by the volleyball league, a private for-profit entity, implies the alienation of
that parkland, and does that imply the loss of governmental privileges and revocation to local codes
zoning and permitting processes?
When the NFEC heard of this proposed court expansion, we contacted the Southold Town Trustees and
the town's Department of Public Works. Both told us that the addition of a court in or near the dunes
required both DEC and Trustees' review and approval. The Trustees office also told us that in 2010, an
informal inquiry was made about what would be involved should the Park District wish to add another
volleyball court to Breakwater Park. That person was told that formal applications would have to be
made to both the DEC and the Town Trustees.
Such formal applications have not been made. Formal site plans - like those done when the original
courts were put in place - have not be drawn up. And no public notice of this expansion has been made.
Yet the proposed court was "marked out" so that a few interested parties could see what was not only
being proposed, but was ready to be built as people were told by the Park District that the DEC and
Town Trustees had no say in the matter.
Before any shovel breaks ground, the NFEC implores that all parties undertakes a thorough review of
the enviromental significance of the area in question. The Park District commissioners and Town
Trustees should review the report submitted by Mr. Penny in 1981 and, if deemed necessary, hire a
consultant to update this study accordingly. It would create an unfortunate and unnecessary precedent if
an environmental study of the site were not conducted before any work is done.
The NFEC, as an enviromental advocacy group and as a Mattituck taxpayer, opposes this expansion.
If the Park District wishes to proceed with its plans - even against public opinion - then we'd expect
that the Park District submits the required applications to the DEC and the Town Trustees so the that
matter can have a formal periods of discovery, review, public comment and Trustees vote. Anything
less will be unwarranted destruction of key habitat, further endangering piping plover nesting grounds
and the preservation of such habitat in other parks.
Sincerely,
The NFEC Board of Directors
CC.'
New York State DEC
Southold Town Trustees
Southold Town Attorney
Captain Kidd's Homeowners' Association
mattituck - Google Maps
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&xhr=t&~ =mattituck& cp=5&biw=982&bih' 5 / 8&bav=on ....
1 of I 6'26/2011 >._,0 PM
i GooSe Maps
To see a~ the detaiis that are visine on the
screen, use the "Print" link ne)4 to the rr~p.
Get Directions My MaP_s
Print S~D~ Link
1/20t0 1 l:36 PM
J ~!~ I ~"~. COUNIY OF SUFFOLK