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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHODGSON, ROSA TRUSTEES John M. Bmdemeyer, III. President Albert J. Krupski. Jr.. Vice President Henry E Smith John B. Tuthill William G. Albertson Telephone (516) 765-1892 Fax (516) 765-1823 BOARD OF TOWN TRUSTEES TOWN OF SOUTHOLD SUPERVISOR SCOTT L. HARRIS Town Hall 53095 Main Road EO. Box 1179 Southold. New York 11971 June 30, 1993 Rosa Hodgson P.O. Box 1644 4845 Pine Neck Road Southold, NY 11971 RE: SCTM 9100-70-6-40 Dear Mrs. Hodgson: Starting with Hurricane Bob and subsequently the severe storm of Halloween 1991 and the winter storms of 1992 and 1993 the Southold Town Trustees have been presented with the problem of sections of the groins on your property at the entrance to Town and Jockey Creek breaking off and washing into the creeks. Th~se dislodged pieces of groin are creating navigation and potential property- hazards to the residents and boaters on these creeks. As a possible solution the Trustees have encouraged the Department of Environmental Conservation to permit placement of sand between these groins as a consequence of maintenance dredge projects in this area. Unfortunately that agency has been steadfastly against such a practice. As the situation is worsening without any apparent viable alternatives, we are asking for your cooperation in removing the remains of these structures before anyone is injured or property damaged as a result of their breaking up and being propelled by wind and wave into persons or property. The Trustees would appreciate the opportunity to discuss this matter with you or your representative at your earliest possible convenience. Please call or write us to set up such a meeting. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Very trulytyours, //O,,o,r~i~' ~. Bredemeyer, III ' CP-d'esident, Board of Trustees cc: Don Dzenskowski, Sr. Bay Constable Ray Jacobs, Superintendent of Highways January 31~1993 TOWN OF SOUTHOLD Mr,, James C. McMahon Director~ Community Development Town of Southold Town Hall Main Road 8outhold~ New York 11971 Dear Jim: We have met twice,once at the property down on Calves Neck after the storm in December and once at Town Hail as I was waiting to obtain permite to rebuild. The intent of this letter is to try to resolve the issue regarding ownership of and responsibility for the bulkhead across from our boathouse~ an enormous portion of which very badly damaged the boathouse~ porch~docks~walkways and fences -- structures that have been there a long time~ through several storms. Portions of that bulkhead still stick up from the water in front of the house and out in the creek. Beach and water erosion are one thing; improper maintenance of bulkheading ~s another= ]'he remaining "structure" at the entrance to the channel at the head of Jockey and Town Creeks is a continuing hazard. My property has already been the victim of such carelessness. My neighbor has had our porch~walkways and portions of the dock forced onto his property. We are both at risk and want to have something done about it very soon. Stated simply, the bulkheading should be removed AND replaced as a necessary function of safe water travel. The reason for the structure in the firet place - the island once known as Roon;s Island- should be built back up again ~ the sand from which is now totally dispersed creating further problems for safe water passage. The island was there for many decades and provided a safe barrier for the homes in the entire head of the creek area. It also was a great nesting place for terns~ fiddler crabe, and the fairly recent Osprey program. The lack of addressing this situation because there may be an alleged lack of funds is unsatisfactory. Please lend me your assistance in seeking to recover our beautiful wildIif~ areas and homes. Let's begin with a search for the real owner and responsibile party of the island and/or bulkhead. Thanks, in advance~ Very truly~yours~ Judith F. Phinney ~ 19 Radcliffe Road Wellesley, Mass 02181 {617) 237-4409 and Mrs. Arthur L. R. Francisco Calves Neck SouthoId~ New York 11971 cc: John Kramer, Southold IT F SOUTFiOL j Calves Neck Southold, New York 11971 July 24, 1994 Dear Jockey and Town Creek Property Owners: It has come to our attention through a meeting on July 22, 1994, that Judith F. Phinney of Calves Neck had with Jim McMahon, the Director of CommUnity Development for the Town of Southold, that the Board of Trustees of the Town of Southold is considering the feasibility Of acquiring the island/peninsula at the mouth of Jockey and TownCreeks~ This land now belongs to Mrs. Rosa Hodgson, the owner of 'Lighthouse Farm'. This island and its jetties and bulkheads have been allowed to deteriorate over a period of many years to the point that it no longer serves as an effective barrier to winter northeast storms and hurricanes and their very damaging water surges. It is our belief, and we hope that of the majority of the Jockey/Town Creek , owners that the island should be rebuilt and that resultant effect all prope~ the Board of support of rebul of these Trustees ~tties and bulkheads should be restored. The one of increased protection and safety for ~'creeks. on of this move and A1 Krupski.Jr., President of and leave a message in to stay abreast of the Board of may cc: A1 Krupski, Jr., President of the Board of Trustees Alexander F. Treadwell MI. John Holzapfel Sonthold Trustees Town of Sonthold, Town Hall 53095 Main Rd. P.O. Box 1179 Southold, NY 11971 Dear prel: STATE OF NE~W YORK DEPARTMENT OF STATE: ALBANY. NY 12231-000! January 6, 1995 As per your request, I have briefly reviewed available information related to coastal dynamics in the vicinity of the :Rosa Hodgkins p[ope~ty at the junction of Town and Jockey Creeks with Southold Bay. I also made a site visit during September. Please remember that my judgments are based on a limi!ed data set and a thorough understanding of the problem and the range 0f Solutions would require more extensive studies. The property in question is a landform of coastal origin which was a barrier island at the junction Of the creeks and the bay during the late'1800's. The barrier island probably formed from alongshore transport of sand from adjacent beaches. Sometime during this century the southern channel around the island closed, making it a barrier spit. The former channel was evident during my site visit, but appears to no longer carry water between bay and creek except during extreme high water. I do not know if closure of the southern channel occurred naturally or through human action. Recent aerial photography, maps, and the site visit revealed that the present shoreline adjacent to the property is heavily armored with groins and bulkheads. Indeed, the property itself contains a decaying groin field. The shoreline armor has certainly influenced alongshore sand migration in the area, but it would be difficult to quantify the detrimental effect this has had on the property in question. Recent maps and photos demonstrate that the barrier spit has periodically widened and narrowed. My deduction is that the spit, because of alteration of natural processes, is gradually eroding. However, regular erosion has been periodically offset by disposal of dredged material on the spit. Widening of the spit seems to correlate with disposal times based on dredging records. Between disposal periods the spit eroded. Disposed dredged material was evident along the southern(western) axis of the spit during the site visit. At present, the spit is in a badly eroded condition. During my site visit the northern (eastern) tip was submerged during mid-fide conditions leaving the groin field completely ~ printed on recycled paper surrounded by water. Given present shoreline conditions, there is little likelihood that this condition will improve unless artificial nourishment is undertaken, or the cause of the erosion can be corrected. Furthermore, the barrier spit appears to be prevented from acting as a natural barrier by the navigation channel immediately behind it and parallel to the spit axis. Under natural conditions, a barrier subject to erosion maintains itself in some form by retreating landward across the bay bottom. In this case the deep channel behind the barrier serves as a sediment trap. Sand accumulating in the chamael is periodically dredged and disposed elsewhere, resulting in a net loss of sand to the barrier system~ As a result Of my brief investigation, I would recommend to the Trustees that they not accept the H0dgkins property unless they axe confident that it can be perio, dically renourished with dredged material. The likelihood of rectifying the cause for erosion ~s remote. Without periodic renourishment, the.property could gradually disappear (it could remainas a submerged sand shoal)and t0se its protective ~mcfion for land along the mouth of the creeks. The required volume and frequency £or renourishment is unceitain and unless detailed studies are donee, should be approached on an experimental basis. It is even possible that dredging would yeild insufficient sand ~ completely stabilize the spit. It would also be useful to move the navigation channel immediately behind the spit to a more landward position. Restoration of the groin field on the barrier spit would probably do little to check the erosion. However, if periodic disposal of dredged material on the spit is implemented, restoration of the northern most (eastern) groin may prevem movement of sand into the inlet channel. I would recommend that repair of the groin only occur after it has been documented that disposal sand is adversely affecting the inlet channel. The Town of Southold is presently working toward development of a Local Erosion Management Plan with the Department of State. The plan should identify similar sites in Southold where beach nourishment with dredged material makes good sense for coastal resources. Once all of the sites have been identified, the intent is to sit down with DEC regulators and resolve issues so that a multi-year permit can be granted for disposal of dredged material in a beneficial rammer. This plan should be completed by sprmg/summer of 1995. You may want to withhold any discussions with DEC regarding the Hodgkins property until that time. If you have any questions regarding my observations or conclusions please feel free to give me a call. Since~relp, Fred J. Anders Coastal Preservation Specialist Division of Coastal Resources cc: Ruth Oliva Jay Tanski Robert White ,RHN~ ..... IOM REPORT DATE START REMOTE T~RNNqAL NODE TIME RESULTS TOTAL DEPT, TiME IDENTIFIs~T!OM PAGES CODE MOORs & CABOT, INC. P.O. BOX 143~ SOUTHOLD, NEW XORK 1.1971 516-765-5100