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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