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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSummary of Plans for Development in the Town of Southold 1977DRAFT COPY SUMMARY OF PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE TOWN OF SOUTHOLD BEGINNINGS AND.HISTORY, Planning began in the.Town,of Southold with the creation of -a Planning Board on April 259 1955 by resolution of the Town Board, Norman Klipp,, Supervisor. Shortly thereafter, the members, of 'the'.; Planning Board were also named as a Zoning Commission by the.Town Board and charged with the -preparation of a proposed Zoning Ordinance. The Planning Board and Zoning Commission consisted of John Wickham, Chairman; Robert Gillispie, Jr., Vice --Chairman; Harold R. Reeve, Sr.; Charles Van Duzer; Serge Doyen from Fishers Island.- They were fortunate in having the assistance of John M.. Muddeman, a Planning'Consultant retained by Suffolk County to help towns: 'r It is interesting to note'that, "in.reality, Southold had certain land use controls long before this.in its Duck Farm Ordinance enacted May'24, 1949 and a Trailer Camp Ordinance on June 30, 1953 0 The proposed Zoning Ordinance that was prepared was based largely upon the ordinance of the Town of Ithaca, New.York, being one of the very few -ordinances. in the state at that time .that combined agriculture with the residential district.: In due time, the proposed ordinance was presented to the people of the town in a series of well attended information meetings. After deliberation and fulfillment of all legal requirements, the proposed ordinance was adopted by resolution offthe Town.Board on April 9, 1957.. A year later,, the Zoning Ordinance was amended in its entirety on April 8,-1958.. In the meantime, with the assistance of Mr. Muddeman, the .Planning Board prepared the first Rules and RegLilations for the Subdivision of Land. After submission at a public hearing, these .were adopted by the Planning Board and approved by the Town Board. M' The policy statement of the Planning Board stated that the development of ,the town's marine shorefront was fully as important a -s the development of the town's highway frontage. The rules also . required that highways in -subdivisions. meet town highway specifications and requirements for dedication. { In the .early .19601s, it was proposed by New York State.to -:. build a. bridge from the end of Long Island -to New England. Accordingly, it was felt necessary to review our zoning to decide where the interests of the town lay. Fortunately, the town was able to interest Cornell University in making a pilot, study here ' as a research project This study beganas an interdeparamental economic base study of a developing rural - area and was -undertaken" largely „with university funds.. : At about.the same time, the town engaged.the services`.of, Malcolm,Pernie Engineers to study the potable water resources of' - the town and -Raymond and May, Planning Consultants, to correlate, - organize and .present all available information.in a P170111 master plan study with both state and federal assistance. Subsequently, this effort was approved by H.U..D. The Cornell,study was undertaken in the.base years.of 1964 and 1965 and teams from the Department of Rural Sociology, Agricultural Economics and Conservation were sent into -the town for'some six weeks or more to make indepth studies. Nearly 95% of all farmers were. -personally interviewed .and over 10/ of the. summer residents.' 'The water -resource study was.also undertaken in these base years. The Rural Sociology Study culminated in.1965 with a.report of 86 pages'.entitled A Social Analysis of Southold Town, Long Island by Robert L.'Carrol1. ; The. Department of Conservation Study produced in 1967 a report of 131 pages entitled Outdoor Recreation and the Commercial Fishery in the Town of Southold -by Bruce T. Wilkins. `The Department of AgricAltural Economics reports were entitled Agriculture as a Land.Use by David J. Allee, 17 pages, and Presentation of the Input -Output Tables for. the Calendar Year 1963, Southold, Long Island,'New York by Morton and Allee, about 30 pages. The Malcolm Pernie report consisted of 57 pages with numerous additional maps. It is entitled Town of Southold,'Investigation of Water Resources, June 1967., This was prepared by Ernest.'' -2- owned the same per cent of land they operated as Cornell 'found five .years earlier® '. In. late 1970, another information meeting was held presenting all the information so.far.accumulated and, at this time, the.: response indicated that those attending favored adoption..:v'At this time, Part II Comprehensive Development Plan,. Town of Southold by Raymond and.May was released and placed on file and in every library.in-the towns was was recommended.with the deletion of pages 41 to 47 inclusive, this being the-airport study. Part I.I is largely,interpretation and proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinan.ce.: Interestingly, the Town Board, *hile recognizing the very. great �ralue of.the studies and the analysis ` -of them by Raymond. and May,did not accept all of their deductions and recommendations..' Specifically, they were not willing to: scrap the original.ordinance and.institute an entirely new one as Raymond and May would like 'In.fact, the.Town Board,, -Planning .. Board and Zoning Board of.Appeals.concurred in feeling that it would be preferable to amend the ordinance which had served us so well.by including most.of Raymond and MayIs suggestions. Subsequently, a large scalemap was prepared by the Planning Board showing proposed.areas for development. Wetlands are shown on this map even though they are in the "A1°.zone. They are both of fresh and salt water'origin and, in general, are at or below the three foot contour. Concurrently,,a large scale zoning map was prepared showing proposed precise zoning of all properties in the town..`. A final. information meeting was held on October 2-, 1970, at which time 85/ of those attending expressed approval of the presentation. As,a result, the Town Board on November 23, 1971. amended the-Ordinance in its entirety including adoption of the. revised. zoning map. �. A Plan for Development Map had been approved by the Town Board. at an,earlier stage. ,. Finally, on September 11, 1973, the Town Board authorized the Code Book resulting in revision, some renumbering and codifi- cation of the foregoing actions, as well as all Town Ordinances, Local Laws and rules and regulations of a permanent nature. Whitlock, Senior Vice -President (deceased February 1976). Much of the cost of this report was borne by Southold as it did,not all qualify for '►701" . The Planning Consultant report consists of 76 pages entitled Part I Comprehensive Development Plan, Town 'of Southold, Village of Greenport by Raymond and May. Each of the above reports was the subject of very careful study by the Planning Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Town Board. These reports are on file and, in addition,'a copy of each was sent to every library in the town. Additionally, '~ Participant Data Development, Town of Southold by Bruce T. Wilkins-.,.'- June 1967, is also on file. On September 26, 1967, the Town Board approved rules and regulations for subdivisions within the limits of the Town in- conformity with Article 16 of the Town Law of New York. Part II, Comprehensive Development Plan, Town of Southold by Raymond and May was first presented December 31, 1967. It included a general aviation airport north of Oregon Road, Mattituck, a required condition of 11701" approval being that if an airport had ever been proposed for the area, it must be included in the study.. Suffolk County and others had proposed this location." Part II also contained a considerable section on the possible New England, Bridge impact and showed large.areas in parks. After some revisions, information hearings were held on August 29, 1969 and September 3,-1969.. The meetings, while generally favorable, indicated that there were two general areas of disagreement.- First,,the airport and, second, the future of agriculture in the town. As a result, the airport was dropped from the plan and a comprehensive study of the future of.agriculture was undertaken. Ninety-six of the town's onehundredfarm operations were interrogated'(3 more being Riverhead Town based). The findings• of this study are available in the Sullivan Report. (A Survey of Agriculture in Southold Town, 1970 by Dr. Joseph P. Sullivan of Southampton College) This study showed that one third of Southold's farmers plan to continue for another -ten years; one third may or may not continue; and one-third plan to sell out. It also showed that farmers still -3- STUDY FINDINGS In the study by -the Department of Rural Sociology of the New York State College of.Agriculture at Cornell, census figures, projections and survey results are presented and analyzed. These may be briefly summarized as follows: Population declined.slightly in Southold from the 1930 census to that of 1950,.the 1950 density being .373 persons per acre. In 1960, according to the census, with a population of 13,295 permanent residents, density rose to .426 indicating that it was still the most densely populated of the five eastern towns. (Riverhead .3349 Southampton .291,. East Hampton .194 and Shelter Island .176) Population projections of high, median and low are given on page .57 table 23 for both permanent and part-time residents. It shows median projection of 22,800 for 1980 and 26,700 for 1985.in the "permanent category".and in the "part-time". 25,080 for 1980 and 32,040 for 1985.. It was pointed out that the construction of,a bridge to New England would invalidate these projections. Much more information is presented in this study but.most enlightening are.the facts,that in the study period, seasonal residents spent $13.1 million per year in the town and all year residents about $23.0 million. Also presented were the results of a survey which showed most people, both permanent and part-time, are in the town because of its rural nature. . Other items of interest were found to be: We have a proportionately higher non-white population than elsewhere'in the metropolitan area except Brooklyn, Bronx, etc. Likewise, our per capita income is lower and median age higher than most of Suffolk'..- County. uffolk' -County. Our part-time residents make up the largest single block of our economic base, nearly 60'0. They bring wealth into the town. in return for goods and services. The study of Outdoor Recreation and Commercial Fishery in the Town of Southold by Wilkins found that swimming was the most important recreation followed by boating, picnicking, shore fishing and clamming. These five categories accounted for 735,000 participant days per year. Again, questionnaires showed that the rustic aura of the town was the most important reason given _5_, for why these people were in the, town Comparisons of 'saltiness were given..showing that Peconic Bay was.salter than Long Island Sound, or Gardiner`s Bay. Summaries of finfish and shellfish harvests were given and there was discussion of limiting seasons on the one hand and expanding processing facilities on the other.. The value of the estuarine areas is shown,both on a broad scale and locally. Means of enhancing and protecting.the.se areas are discussed including easements under Section 247 of the General Municipal Law. In -conclusion, seasonal residents and. commercial fisheries ; brought -$19 million into the�town.in 1963.",Additionally; commercial fisYieries contribute toward the rustic. aura It seems.probabl9 that this industry could be expanded by more research and biological studies,. It was projected that participation in boating will increase by 250/ by 1985 and swimming will double by. then. Agriculture as a Land Use by David JD Allee. Of the.28,150 acres in -the unincorporated town,.13,136 were ingrowing crops in 1963-64 of which 9,871 were in potatoes. In this dry period, there was only an average of 1®87 acre inches of water usedfor irrigation (2.05 A/" on larger farms). ,This study found that nearly all farms were „adjointed by non-farm use and that, in general, there were no problems but,,in response to specific questions,15% to 46% acknowledged that in the following order there were some problems - irrigation, chemical wastes, vandalism, traffic and. dust. . There were 145 farms in the town with an average of 87 acres and 43% of the land was owned and the remainder rented. Partner- ships'. comprise 20% of total farms and total farm receipts were over''$5 million. In a verbal report to the Town Board, the study, team projected that by 1985 there would only be about 70 farms but they would be far stronger and have the same total production as at present. Presentation of Output-Imput Tables for the Year 1963 - . Southold Town by Morton and Allee. Primary industries are those which produce from the natural environment such as farming and fishing and sell to other, -6- industries.who, in turn, sell to consumers - who, in turn, provide labor and proprietary services so that money flows in the opposite direction-. These and other industries and services are arranged in tables in such a manner that by varying one we may find the resultant change in others. We find, for instance-, that a 20% .. increase in seasonal people would have more impact upon returns.to permanent residents than doubling manufacturing. Conversely, a 50% decline in agriculture could be offset by a 13% increase in commuters and retirees. As expansion in fishing would be more beneficial than an expansion in manufacturing and if Plug Island . were phased out, it would take more than a 333% increase in manufacturing to compensate. Of course, there are other factors such as schools, seasonal employment, protection of a spacious rural environment, and so forth. Investigation of Water Resources by Malcolm Pernie Engineers® The Pernie report found that.the sole source of water in the town is the ground water and that the total limit of this resource is less than twice present use in 1966. In some areas, greater quantities can be withdrawn than in others and this must be considered in planning. Although the average rainfall is 45" per year, there were eight consecutive years with rainfall below 41.40 inches® The last four of these (63, 64, 65 and 66) were 33.16, 35®45, 26..69 and 33.33 inches per year. Fresh water deposits are in six areas, A, B, C and D, Bayview and Nassau Point. Areas. A and B have 90% of the storage area and . Nassau Point has only storage for one billion gallons. Withdrawal of water adjacent.to the salt water boundaries of each of the six areas cannot'be increased .by any appreciable extent without causing contamination.of the supply by either lateral or vertical intrusion of salt water. Population estimates are for 1967, 16,000 in the town and 2,500 in Greenport and the three month summer resident period has a total population of 32,000. Total withdrawals in 1966 were: Greenport Municipal System 600,000 g/p/d Private wells -.rest of town 600,000 g/p/d -7- Summer resident wells 200,000 g/p/d Irrigation 59500,000 g/p/d 17,000,000 g/p/d Chloride content in wells is usually between 10 and 50 ppm 250 ppm is the upper limit of potable water. Safe yield is estimated at 10 m/g/d or 3 m/g/d above 1966 use. It is estimated that summer residents will increase to 45,000 .by 1985 and will use 1/2 m/g/d of present surplus leaving 2.5 m/g/d or enough for 20,000 more permanent residents. It is estimated that agricultural..irrigati.an uses 200,000 gallons per acre per year on those acres irrigated (substantially, less than the total acres in farms. Also', the 4" to 6" total irrigation per acre is much less than 40% of 30" or 12" of annual rainfall that would percolate to ground water in a dry year) This 200,000 gallons per'acre per year is -the equivalent of .about five permanent residents per acre or more than thirty summer residents. If withdrawal of water for irrigation is decreased in the future, the'safe yield will provide a supply for a greater number of additional residents. Finally, this report lists on page 39, six steps that should be taken to protect our ground water resources. 1. Control of future withdrawals 2.. Location.and spacing of.wells 3. Extension of public water facilities 4. Discontinue approval of dredging projects which bring salt, water ' in 5. Construction of dikes across drainage channels 6. Recharge of acquifer with surface waters Conversion of salt water is Also discussed. Raymond and May Part I. Comprehensive_ Development Plan. "The Development.Plan, a statement of policies and proposals covering. all significant aspects of the community's Physical Advisory is the most important of the planning tools since it forms the basis for all others." (page 2) "The process of developing a development plan for Southold's future begins with:the establishment of certain objectives and goals." 1. The important natural resources of Southold should be N preserved; they include land, air and water. a. Positive measures should be taken to assure that land in agriculture can be maintained in agricultural use. b. 'Inlets, streams and other wetlands should be kept clean and pollution abated where it exists. c.. Sources of potable water should be safeguarded; air pollution should be prevented. d. Land for public use should be secured. 2. Widest possible range of educational, recreational and governmental facilities should be provided. 3. Single family houses will prevail but provisions should be made for other types of housing in selected.areas. 4. Major areas of employment are agriculture, -water: - oriented recreation and industry. Growth should be encouraged. 5. Business and industrial areas should be so developed that they are good neighbors. `6. Business should be limited to the principle central areas. Strip or ribbon development along State Route 25 should be discouraged and positively prohibited along County Route 27. 7. Areas of blight should be corrected. 8. Highway and street network should be provided. 9. Plan should contribute to the.healthy economy of the town and efficient"provision of public services. In 1964, it was found that nearly half the,total land area in the town was in agriculture and over 25% of the resident population was employed in.agriculture. There were 145 farms and the situation is not significantly changed since 1930. .A little over 7% of -the -land is devoted to residential use r "Because -housing is strung.out along the main highways, there is a visual impression that a great deal more of the land is built on than actually is the casein" Total developed land, including parks,'streets and highways, is 18.2% leaving over 80% open. It was found that in addition to the developed ,land and.. agriculture, there was nearly 10,000 acres of land of which 6,242- was ,242was considered hard to develop, leaving 3,636 for.development without reducing agriculture. _.Based on these figures and also on water: it was computed that an increase of more.than 19,000 permanent residents could be accommodated. The housing study'found the town had 9% of its dwellings deteriorating and'3.3/ dilapidated compared to 5.5/ and 1®8% for the county. Median increase of residents in both town and incorporated village was sharply below that of the county. Non-white population of Southold was found to be 7.4% of'the resident population. A Survey of Agriculture in Southold Town by Dr. Joseph F. Sullivan of Southampton College, 1970® This report shows that there were 100 farm operations in the town with 10,000 acres... This is 45 less than the 145 found by the - Cornell study in 1963 with 12,555 acres. It was further found that 56% of this land was.rented -versus 57% in 1963. Further., there was almost no change in farm size, type of production,. mechanization or marketing. Employment of 300 farm workers was 57% seasonal nonresident, mostly Puerto Rican, 25% seasonal resident and 18% year round resident. An opinion poll showed 66% believed Southold's farms should be preserved, only 14% no and 20% undecided.or no answer. 33% expect to. farm 10 years longer and 28% less than 5 years with the remainder uncertain. Finally, 82% would remain in agriculture if some satisfactory land preservation program were available. r THE PLAN AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION TO DATE The plan for. 'the Town of Southold is, in . fact, `-the sum . of these presentations at the information meetings which were so, overwhelmingly supported by 85% of those attending such -meetings. For the first set.of hearings, Raymond and May presented Development Plan, Town of Southold,.Suffolk County, New York. This is shown in digest form as Appendix A. For the, second set of,information meetings, we have Additional Facts and Proposals for Southold's Plan for Development,'October. 1, 1970. This is shown as Appendix B. As Appendix C, we have'.the statement distributed at- the.time the development map was presented to the public entitled.Southold's Plan for Development. After recommendation by the Planning Board., the Town Board :officially adopted the new zoning map and amended the .zoning ordinance in its entirety November 23, 1971... It is.to be noted that, as mentioned earlier,, the official.. boards of the town did not accept,. unreservedly, Part.Il of Raymond and May's,study which called for an airport, completely new zoning ordinance, a multitude of parks and specific layouts for population centers.' It was decided instead to amend our existing ordinance as -noted above on November.23, 1971. Subsequent.to this, there have been many amendments since each change of zoning which is granted by the.Town Board is; in'. reality, an amendment to the zoning map. In addition to these, the Cluster Development section was approved May 29, 1973 and on the .same day, amendments to the,Bulk and Parking schedule requiring 40,000 square feet minimum area in the A,'zone as required by the County Board of Health. With this, there is a further requirement of 150 foot frontage. The wetlands ordinance was enacted June 29, 1971 and amended during codification. It was further amended to include fresh water wetlands August 26, 1976. The rules and regulations for the subdivision of land were adopted by the Planning Board September 6, 1967 and approved by the Town Board September 26, 1967,and.amended duaring.codification., There.have been other minor amendments May 8, 1973 to'c.onform to: changes in-state and county law and December 9, 1975 to prouzde' for improvements. As regards the position of agriculture,* implementation at the town level has been by "use assessment contracts" or negative easements and it is noteworthy that. this town was the. ,first municipality in the state to use Section 247 of the Generali. Municipal Law to preserve agricultural land® Subseque4tly9'the State"Agricultural Districts Law was passed unanimously by the: State Legislature. This towns, farmer s had:the first individual: commitments on Long Island under this program. Currently, the Suffolk County program of preserving agricultural lands by purchase of the development rights (again, under Section 247) is well,. supported by the town's farmland owners..In 19779 farmers in 'this town have,organized to form an agricultural district under the state law.with.some forty farmland owners and 2,800 acres.. r= ONGOING CONCERNS AND FUTURE BUSINESS Agriculture - In 1977, thanks to several good years in potato farming, our farm operators are in stronger positions. Then, too, there is the County Farmlands Preservation program which is expected to help keep land in food production. The Agricultural Districts Law of the State is currently helping through individual commitments and will help -more through the emerging Agricultural District and there are the use assessment contracts at the town level. Each of these is seen as an attempt to.create a more favorable climate for farming in our town and, to a degree, is helping. Help has also been received at state -and national level in the liberalizing.of inheritance tax laws for farmers. At the same time, we are being faced with inflation which increases farmland value each year and thus the taxes and/or reduces the equalization rate. We are also faced with the almost certain prospect of 100% assessment in the near future. Since a continuing agriculture is seen as the key to the rural nature of the town and thus to a thriving part-time resident and tourism industry, it would seem that the town must be alert to the probable changes and prepare to adapt, where necessary. This town has-been a leader in this field in the entire state and should continue in like manner. Part-time residents and tourism Our shorefront along the bays and creeks is now largely developed and it has been greatly to the advantage of the town. The Sound shorefront is now being.developed rapidly and considera- tion should be given to the collector roads a short distance south of the roughland at the Sound as proposed by Raymond and May and the town's development map. Failure to provide these roads will result in "bowling alley" subdivisions from present highways to the Sound, often three- quarters of a mile long and 300 feet wide. Such sub divisions are not attractive and have been found to be very detrimental to adjacent farms. Another means of treating this problem might be to amend the -13- zoning ordinance to provide for "estate' 'or "ranchette" lots. The Planning Board has approved minor subdivisions lately with lots four acres or larger. Th.e'Planning Board has officially recommended to the Town Board the establishment -of such an amend- ment, thinking particularly of the major water resource areas (the central areas of A and B in the Pernie Report) and.the,out-.. lying islands of the town. Multiple residences - Multiple residences have been developed primarily in conformity with the Raymond and May Comprehensive Development Plano This spelled out areas of location for the hamlets of Mattituck, Southold and Greenport. All these areas have filed for multiple -type dwellings. To date, none have been. constructed. This would lead to'the assumption that there is either not an'outstanding need for this type of housing or construction costs are presently prohibitive for this use.. We can conclude presently that there is some need for this type of development within the town.. However,. there has been no performance demonstrated.by the developers. Some place where the need is demonstrated for this type of use in another location for a specific purpose, changes of zone can be requested. Transient As one of the major income-producing industries in the town, recreational facilities should be encouraged in the future. Specific proposals.for marine -related facilities throughout the town have already been created. Further development in the marine use area should be encouraged. The motel industry is a primary factor for employment in this.area. The expansion of this industry within the town would prove advantageous to the recreational industry. Finfish, shellfish and salt water recreation As small sail and powerboats have proliferated, the state has instituted registration, but closer control is needed at the local level to avoid accidents and the nuisance factor. Apparently, both water skiing and jet propelled craft are particularly -14- As times and. needs. change, planning and zoning must change, -too. It is both hoped and expected that both planning and zoning will serve the town as well in the future as they have in the past. Dated: October 17, 1977 -16- dangerous to others. The oyster industry has staged a partial comeback and, erratically, scallops have also. Because the fish trap industry has had a few good years in the past, there seem to be a larger than usual number of these structures in both bays and the sound. It would seem that the town might request the State Department of Environmental Conservation to limit the number of traps in specific areas to a reasonable number. Finally, our creeks.and inlets should be kept in the natural state insofar as possible, particularly above the channel or outlet. Maintenance dredging of outlets to restore flow and navigation should be considered on their merits. The proposed Department of Environmental Control Wetlands, Preservation.Program and town 'Fuse assessment contracts".for salt, water wetlands should be strongly encouraged. Water As the higher sites have been developed,' new homes are being built along the lower fringes of our shorefront. As a result, there, is ever more trouble with salt intrusion of domestic wells. National Flood Plain legislation is being implemented and the town is currently involved in this, but it is probable that town zoning and planning should be more restrictive at lower elevations of the marine.fringe. Concurrently, the town should continue working for a water district or districts in problem areas and people in such areas should be willing to carry the costs of such a district. Business and industr The large area zoned industrial north of County Road 27 at Cutchogue would -appear to belvery much larger than necessary. Consideration might be given to reducing the size of this area. Business development between villages.along State Route 25 should be kept at an absolute minimum and prohibited along County Road 27. In general, zoning and planning are not ends in themselves. They are only a means to control growth in reasonable patterns. -15- N. Y, SUFFOLK COUNTY, 3 . t. t i HIGHLIGHTS'. OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE TOWN OF SOUTHOLD i I WHY A PLAN FOR- SOUTHOLD For Southold, a community with a history of more than 200 years, planning has now become essential for maintaining its agricul- tural character, protecting naturaland historic features which attract seasonal residents and tourists, preventing obsoles- cence and decay, and preserving the Town's rich coastal re- sources. P, large increase in population is predicted for Suffolk County by 1985. The Town with its 14,780 residents in 1966, is bound to feel the pressures of this growth. The question before the Town is whether it can meet the demands of new residential development, traffic, and commerce without losing the rural character that Southold now enjoys. The answer will be pos- itive only if the Town plans its future by establishing and pursuing the community goals shared by its citizens. It is,important to understand that planning for community im- provement is a continuing process. Although any area is al- ways subject to unforeseen changes, the community without a plan may find itself the victim of such changes. With plan a community can adapt and take better advantage of changing conditions. THE DEVELOPMENT PLANT This leaflet presents a summary of the Development Plan for the Town of Southold, a two -volume work prepared by the plan- ning consultants working with the Planning Board. Valuable background for the plan was provided by the Cornell Univer- sity studies of agriculture, the economic base, recreation and fisheries, and the analysis of underground water resources by Malcolm Pirnie Engineers. PartI of this Pian contains the background studies dealing with population composition, housing conditions, the local econ- omy, and land use. It describes the goals and objectives of the Town's planning program and contains a discussion of various means to carry out the proposals in the Plan. Fart II contains the detailed proposals for achieving the objectives .. set forth in Part I. It establishes broad planning policy with respect to transportation, future land uses and community fa- cilities. The.Plan proposals are graphically expressed on the Development Plan Map which is reproduced on the reverse side of this leaflet. Whether proposals are precisely set forth or only generally described and located, their interrelationships are significant, and these must be studied with each new step in Southold's growth. Beyond certain needs which exist today the Development Plan sets no precise timetable for the achievement of all its rec- ommendations but should rather serve as a guide to the loca-. tion -of various land uses and facilities.as they develop in the future. HOMES The Town of Southold is primarily a residential andagricultural community, and the Development Plan proposes that this char- acter be maintained in the future. Over the next twenty to thirty years the Town can be expected to grow from its pres- ent population to about 34,000. Because buildable land is abundant, care must be taken to see that new homes are not developed in a random pattern destroying the agricultural economy and the countryside. The Development Plan proposes that, in general, intensive residential development be confined. to the vacant land south of State Route 25 and a nairow strip on the north shore along Long Island Sound. Prime farm land lying north of Route 25 should be preserved for agricultural uses, and any develop- ment that might. occur in this area limited to a very, low density. Two residential categories are proposed (see Plan map) 1 The Agriculture-Residence Area covering most of Southold's important agricultural land is located primarily north of Route 25. Housing types are limited to one family homes and density recom- mendations vary grom .5 to 1 dwellings per net acre, depending upon the availability of a public water system. Low-density residential development is shown on the Development Plan primarily along the south shore and in a narrow strip along Long Island Sound. Housing types suggested here are limited to single family houses, but a higher density than in the Agriculture-Residence Areas, The densities. for these areas are 1 to 2 dwelling units per net acre depending upon the provision of a public. water system. ( AGRICULTURE fApproximately half of Southold's 28, 150 acres of land area are i'. in agricultural use. The 1965 value of the total farm cropwas in excess of eight million dollars, making Southold one of the leading dollar-value agricultural towns in New York State. If the Town is to exert effective control over the development of agriculture and open lands, financial measures will have to be.employed in addition to the normal regulatory devices pro- vided by zoning. The following are several ways which the Town may consider in seeking to preserve its farm lands: j1. Adjusting tax assessments on the basis of periodic contracts. 2. Purchase of development rights. 3. Restriction of municipal services to areas proposed I for intensive development in the plan. If the basic policy of agricultural land preservation set forth in the Plan is adopted an intensive effort should be under- taken to devise an appropriate program for the achievement of this aim. COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY Industrial areas. More than 600 acres in the Town are pro- posed for industrial uses,' in areas well separated from res- idential development but convenient to transportation routes. The. largest such area is west of Mattituck Central Area be- tween Routes 25 and 27; two others are located west of the Village of Greenport and in the northwest portion of the Town (see Plan map) . The nature of the industries attracted to i these areas and the impact they have on residential areas and highway traffic can be controlled through appropriate zoning regulations. COMMERCIAL. AREAS � Retail development is primarily limited to business centers which are presently in existence. The Mattituck CentralArea is of major importance since it is already subject to develop- mental pressures from growth spreading eastward from River- head. To strengthen the retail development of established business. centers, commercial ribbon development should be discouraged along State Route 25 and absolutely prohibited along County Route 27 TRAFFIC CIRCULATION Street system proposals are designed to satisfy present defi- ciencies as well as those which will surely develop as the result of the inevitable increase in traffic resulting from the population growth and greater use of the automobile in the Town. The major goal of the Development Plan is a highway network that will eliminate present hazards and bottlenecks and accom- modate the greater traffic volumes anticipated in the future. To this end each thoroughfare in the Town has been identified. either as a major street;.a collector road (linking major and minor streets); or a minor street (giving direct access tohomes and stores) . Proposed' standards for each type of street are set forth, and specific recommendations are made for raising existing and future streets to these standards. Schools.. To meet future educational needs, the Development Plan endorses the recommendations of the 1958 New York State Master Plan for school district reorganization to centralize all seven school. districts in the Mattituck -Southold Area. Public Buildings.. New public buildings proposed by the Plan include a new Town Hall, and several new firehouses. ' Public Utilities. Residential grodvth along the south and north shore is predicated upon the development of a public water supply system. The Greenport water system should be grad- ually extended eastward along the main road to supply water to East Marion and Orient. The areas along the southerly. shore line, between Greenport and Mattituck, could be sup- plied by an extension of the Greenport System or by a new system developed by.the Town or by the Suffolk County Nater Authority. MAKING THE FLAN WORK The preparation and adoption of a Development Plan does not alone insure the development of the Town in accordance with the Plan's objectives and proposals. Animportant partof the planning program is that which describes ways of implement- .. ing its proposals. Some of the planning tools available to the Town are: Zoning and Subdivision Regulations_ Through zoning, a community can regulate the use of each parcel of land, the density of development, and the size and location of buildings. The Town's present ordinance is, in mostinstances, not adequate to enable the Town torealize the aims of the proposed Plan. The new regulations recommended by the consultants will be reviewed by the Planning Board and the Town Board, and with such changes as may appropriate submitted to the.community at a public hearing prior to adoption. Subdivision regulations are designed to insure high standards of residential development. A new set of One of the major streets proposed is a link between Routes 25 and 27 that would enable through traffic to by-pass the Vil- s is Pro- posed of Greenport. To solve this problem, a by -pas 1 posed west of the Village at Chapel Lane. Perhaps the most important collector street proposed is an ex- tension of Sound View Avenue along the north shore. The De- velopment Plan also proposed the extension of Bowery Lane to Sound View Road. Both of these recommendations would facil- itate more direct access to and from the residential develop- ment and proposed parks and beaches on the Long Island Sound shore. COMMUNITY FACILITIES Recreation. The rural character of Southold has heretofore pre eluded the need for an extensive program for active and pas- sive recreation. However, as the community character becomes ly leisure time increases, new more suburban, and as fami demands for recreation facilities will arise. The Plan proposes that a number of new parks be developed that will take advan- tage of.the Town's extensive shore frontages. Beachfront recreation areas should be developed in the vicinity of Matti - tuck inlet, between Peconic Inlet and the Great Pond, and in the vicinity of Hog Neck Bay. - Both State and Federal aid is available to acquire park land. In addition, the State Park at Orient Point should be enlarged to include the salt marsh areas to.the north. Wetland and Inlet Preservation. The Development Plan recom- mends the permanent retention and public control of wetland and inlet areas. The dredging of wetland basins can jeopar- dize the fresh water character of the underlying aquifers. In addition, such dredging seriously contributes to salt water intrustion into fresh water storage areas. The Proposed Zoning Regulations prohibit developmental encroachmenton "Wetland Areas" designatedonthe Proposed Official Map. These areas can still be used for private purposes of an open nature which will, not adversely., affect the natural attributes of the wet- lands and inlets i regulations were prepared by the planning consultants and after a public hearing, they can be adopted by the Planning Board with the approval of the Town Board. Official Map An Official Map is a legal documentwhich prevents building in future or widened streets, parks,'anddrain- ' age rights-of-way. In this way the eventual cost of in- stalling such improvements can be substantially re- j duced. The first step is the adoption of a map showing all existing streets, parks, and drainage areas. Based on the Development Plan proposals forthese facilities, amendments to the Official Map should then be made. Capital Improvement Programming I The Plan urges' the Town to undertake a systematic pro- cedure for preparing annual and long range programs for all improvements to be financed wholly or partly with Town funds. Under this procedure a program is drawn up annually for public improvements needed in the next six years. Priorities are then assigned to the projects, and a budget is adopted to finance the coming year's projects. This process would enable the Town to an- ticipatefuture expenses and to assure long-term pro - ijects such as parka cquisition and street improvements. Federal and State Aids New York State and the Federal government provide many assistance programs relating to specific community im- provements. These include park site acquisition, school construction, water supply and treatment facilities, housing for the elderly, and beautification. Under the Housing Act of 1949 as amended, the Federal government, through the Department of HousingandUrban Development assumes three-fourths of the net cost of re- Pop-newing deteriorating areas in communities of 50, 000 ulation or smaller. The other fourth is shared equally by the State of New York and the locality. Communities may qualify for aid only if they have undertaken compre- hensive planning programs and other measures to pre- vent future blight such as concentrated code enforcement. YOUR ROLE The Development Plan summarized here represents two years of careful thought and study by your Planning Board and its professional consultants. Now itis ready to be consideredby those it will most directly affect --the citizens of Southold. The Planning Board urges you to study the plan and register your reactions and suggestions. Public meeting with oppor- tunities for open discussion may be held.. Only after such meetings and a review of citizen opinion will the Planning Board consider acceptance of the Plan as its official policy. Bear in mind as you review the Plan that it has no power to automatically bind present or future generations. Itis essen- tially an advisory document, a guide, and one that will have to be adapted to Changing times : Acceptance of the Plan does not necessarily assure its success. The citizens of South - hold must provide the impetus and vigilance to carry the plan into action. In the. more than seven years of .continuing study of trends in the Town of Southold many revealhig facts havebeen uncovered and, in general, the Planning Board has tried ; to present them to the public..At the same time it is recognized that change is .the order. of the day in Southold and further study is necessary. Nevertheless five years have elapsed since the first reports and projections were made, and there is now an opportunity to evaluate and recapitulate. POPULATION. The 1960 census shows Southold with a population of 13,295 and a population density of .426 persons per acre (Riverhead .334 and Southampton .291). The Cornell study in 1964 showed 14,186 exclusive of Fishers Island, which agrees with the Lilco figure of 14,626. If present estimates of about 17,000" are correct the population density would be 6 persons per acre. Cornell's medium projection for 1970 was 15,885. In 1975 we will have 19,750, in 1980 - 23,000, and in. 1985 - 28,000 by the estimates of the Nassau -Suffolk Planning Commission. WATER. The water study made by Malcolm Pirnie Engineers in. 1963 and 1964 was made during a series of deficient rainfall years and thus established the danger point. -Subsequent years have seen greatly reduced pumpage for irrigation. Pirnie's factor of 40 TO "run in" would contribute 16 inches of rainfall per year to the ground water reserve. Since irrigation never exceeds 6 inches per year, and in 1970 was less than 3 inches per acre actually irrigated, it can be seen -that open land in agriculture contributes tremen- dously to Southold's water resource and thus provides for existing areas of denser popula- tion. Water must be properly distributed and sources of water adequately protected. AGRICULTURE. Southold has 10,0,00 cropped acres of some of the most productive . land in; America. It is probably the Number Two agricultural town in New York State. 'An average sized farm of 80 acres in Southold produces enough potatoes to feed 24,000 people with potatoes every year..Clearly Southold farms supply food not only for the local market, but also a large area of the eastern seaboard. Although total land in farms . is somewhat higher than the 10,000 cropped acres there has been some movement out of agriculture. Nevertheless tenancy has not increased. Farmers still own about 43% of what they operate. Much of what they rent is owned' by former farmers. r• t LAND USE. The Plan for Development indicates that in 1.963-65 there was in ' agriculture 13,136 acres or 46.7% of the'Town's total area. Development of all kinds was 5,133 acres or 18.2%, including homes, commercial, industrial and public uses as well as highways. Still remaining in vacant and private open space was 9,881 acres or 35.1% of Southold's land. Since this base period and contrary to trends elsewhere there has been a building boom with June 1970 setting an all-time high for any month. It would seem that a resident population' of 28,000 in 1985, being slightly over Cornell's medium projection for that year of 26,700, could readily be housed on - the 10,000+ acres in the Town not in farms, and that existing land in agriculture might well remain in that use, at least until that time. The study and report just submitted by Dr. Joseph Sullivan for the Town Board indicates considerable interest in this direction on the part of the Town's farmers. This study also points out in detail what has happened to agriculture and the Town in the past 7 years, and our deductions have been drawn as a result of this study. Planning at all levels, National, State, and. County all recommend retaining land in agriculture as long as possible: It assures a supply of food for future needs, it relieves the tax burden for all local services as shown by the Suffolk County Planning Commission and by lowering the population density greatly, it enhances Southold both for permanent and part-time residents. ; Since the Cornell study stresses the importance of maintaining Southold's rural atmosphere, it is hoped that means will be found both to preserve open space in agricul- ture as well as woodlands, wetlands, scenic areas, and shorefront. "Progress is being made. at the flown level in each of these areas. SOUTHOLD'S PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT History and Background The Town of Southold started work on a plan for development more than 7 years ago.. The first studies were made in 1964 and 1965 by Cornell University as s pilot research projett. These studies included agriculture- part-time residents, and tourism; finfish and shellfish; and an 9 . economic base study. Reports were submitted and are available for further study..'. A study of the fresh water resources of the Town was made by Malcolm Pirnie Engineers in 1965 and report submitted. This report indicates that we were currently using for all purposes about. .2/3 of our total safe water resources at that time with 1/3 which could be used for addi- tional growth. This would accommodate approximately twice the 7965 population if other uses remained constant and more at the expense of agriculture. The. planning consultants, Raymond and May, selected by the Town corelated all findings, made studies of population centers, traffic flow, possible bridge impact, population density, and other factors and prepared, first, a report of findings, and then a plan for development and de- velopment plan map. The latter were subsequently revised and presented at a series of Infor- mation Meetings in 1969. The map at that time consisting only of. a small scale, colored map printed on the information folder. The meetings, while generally favorable, indicated that there were two general areas of disagreement: first the airport north of Mattituck, and second, the future of agriculture in the Town. As a result the airport was dropped from the plan and a comprehensive study of the future .of agriculture was .undertaken. Ninety-six' of the Town's one hundred farm operations were interrogated (3 more are Riverhead based). The findings are avail- able in the Sullivan Report. They show that 1/3 of Southold's farmers plan to continue farming for the next 10 years, another third may or may not continue, and finally one third plan to sell out in the near future. This report also showed the amount of owned land in these operations to bethe same percent as the Cornell Study found 5 years earlier. The next step was to hold another meeting in 1970 presenting all the information so far accumulated and the response at this meeting indicated that. those attending favored adoption. At- that tthat time Part Two Comprehensive Development Plan, Town.of Southold by Raymond and May, Planning Consultants -was released and placed on file in each library and Town office ifi the Town.. This we recommend with the deletion of pages 41 to 47 inclusive being the airport study. V. i.,�t. r' SOUTHOLD'S PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT History and Background The Town of Southold started work on a plan for development more than 7 years ago.. The first studies were made in 1964 and 1965 by Cornell University as s pilot research projett. These studies included agriculture- part-time residents, and tourism; finfish and shellfish; and an 9 . economic base study. Reports were submitted and are available for further study..'. A study of the fresh water resources of the Town was made by Malcolm Pirnie Engineers in 1965 and report submitted. This report indicates that we were currently using for all purposes about. .2/3 of our total safe water resources at that time with 1/3 which could be used for addi- tional growth. This would accommodate approximately twice the 7965 population if other uses remained constant and more at the expense of agriculture. The. planning consultants, Raymond and May, selected by the Town corelated all findings, made studies of population centers, traffic flow, possible bridge impact, population density, and other factors and prepared, first, a report of findings, and then a plan for development and de- velopment plan map. The latter were subsequently revised and presented at a series of Infor- mation Meetings in 1969. The map at that time consisting only of. a small scale, colored map printed on the information folder. The meetings, while generally favorable, indicated that there were two general areas of disagreement: first the airport north of Mattituck, and second, the future of agriculture in the Town. As a result the airport was dropped from the plan and a comprehensive study of the future .of agriculture was .undertaken. Ninety-six' of the Town's one hundred farm operations were interrogated (3 more are Riverhead based). The findings are avail- able in the Sullivan Report. They show that 1/3 of Southold's farmers plan to continue farming for the next 10 years, another third may or may not continue, and finally one third plan to sell out in the near future. This report also showed the amount of owned land in these operations to bethe same percent as the Cornell Study found 5 years earlier. The next step was to hold another meeting in 1970 presenting all the information so far accumulated and the response at this meeting indicated that. those attending favored adoption. At- that tthat time Part Two Comprehensive Development Plan, Town.of Southold by Raymond and May, Planning Consultants -was released and placed on file in each library and Town office ifi the Town.. This we recommend with the deletion of pages 41 to 47 inclusive being the airport study. Most of the time since then has been spent in .preparing a large scale map which, if ad- opted, will be the Plan For Development Map of the Town of Southold. The, Map . The map should, theoretically, show, such development as is best for the Town of South- old as a whole: Since the original planning effort. was to cover 15 years or target date 2980, this map does not include plans for more than the next ten years. By - far the greatest portion of the Town is shown as a single residential and agricul- tural (A) zone. The State Legislature, County Planning and the Bi -County Planning Commis sions, all emphasize the importance of preserving agriculture and the Cornell Study points out its importance in retaining our part-time resident industry. The special Agriculture Study indicates that farmers, generally, are in accord. Neighborhood business is clustered around existing centers. of population in an attempt to avoid "ribbon' development, Light industry is encouraged, partic ularly research type, and boat building and maintenance. Some growth in the motel business is anticipated and some general industry. However, industries which are heavy users of fresh water.. t should not be solicited. Wetlands Wetlands are shown on the map even though they are generally included in the °`A°° zone. They are both of fresh and salt water origin' but typically are areas below the 3 ft. contour where the land is regularly inundated. Wetlands are shown on the map to -emphasize their importance to the Town and to fa- ; cilitate a program of assistance in their preservation. They should be preserved because of their ecological value, their buffer value, and their scenic beauty. It is planned to offer to wetland . owners use assessment contracts under _which the assessment for tax purposes could be limited to the use and not related to development value. Such contracts are provided for under "Section 247 of the General Municipal Law of the Sate. Any planning effort is quite simply an attempt to peer into the future. No one really knows what will happen by 1980. it, is, however, reassuring to find that at the one third mark the . Town is well within the range projected by Cornell • as regards population, agriculture, and tourism. The Planning Board is confident that the projection will continue to be reasonably accurate and unhesitatingly recommend this plan and map to the people of the Town.