Residential development with private marina pitched for waterfront property in East Marion

A developer proposed building a household development and personal marina at the internet site of an abandoned oyster farm in East Marion at a general public listening to on Tuesday.

Edward Butt, an architect representing property operator FTKS Holdings LLC, questioned the City Board for the chance to existing strategies for growth that “makes feeling for everyone concerned, such as the City of Southold” at a long run perform session. 

The group is “still in the system of analyzing the zoning that is currently being proposed,” he reported, and emphasized they’re “trying to develop a communication among ourselves and some of the group boards, exclusively the East Marion Local community Association.”

“It’s our desire not to appear in and attempt and pretend that we’re steamrolling by this or attempting to produce some thing other than what was previously proposed,” he mentioned. “In point, we’re making an attempt to build a residential progress below, with a non-public marina and with public entry at least for the seaside, or a portion of the beach front that is there with some other probable public accessibility on the Shipyard Lane site.”

Mr. Butt advised there may perhaps be boat taxis obtainable for people to mitigate street visitors as perfectly. “We’re seeking at diverse ways to slice down on website traffic to hold the place non-public and peaceful, which I think is to the benefit of the group,” he said.

FTKS Holdings LLC purchased the home for $6 million in mid-October, according to authentic estate documents. An legal professional symbolizing the team originally pitched an 80-unit condominium with affordable housing to the Town Board at a operate session in November. 

At the time, the town experienced currently started off discussions about break up-zoning the house. The 18-3-acre parcel on Shipyard Lane is currently zoned Maritime-II, which could make it possible for “a extensive range of water-dependent and h2o-relevant uses” these kinds of as commercial marinas, boatyards, dining places, inns and ferries. 

City Supervisor Scott Russell has reported beforehand that the zoning could permit for “over 120 rooms, eating places, an amphitheater and a marina on the overall home.”

The general public listening to on Tuesday was to rezone the property as a combine of RR, or resort household, and R-80, or residential two-acre zoning that prioritizes solitary relatives units. RR however will allow for some professional advancement, like a compact resort, but advancement likely is considerably less intensive than less than MII. 

The town reviewed stories and tips on the prospective alterations, including SEQRA and Local Waterfront Revitalization Method recommendations from the town setting up division and Suffolk County Setting up Commission. 

There was a letter of guidance from the county planning fee and at least just one resident on file at the start out of the public hearing, which has been held open an additional two months for penned remark. 

Howard Weisler, president of the Cleaves Place condominium neighborhood, thanked the Town Board and preparing office for their “tireless efforts” to tackle zoning at the controversial home. Cleaves Point is a residential condominium in East Marion throughout from the Oki-Do parcel. 

Mr. Weisler reported the neighborhood supports the break up-zoning, even however RR would not be their “first decision for the property.” He outlined several requests, on the other hand, for the foreseeable future of the assets — such as a substantial buffer all around the parcel on all sides except the south entry from both Shipyard Lane and Gillette Push and minimized intensity. 

The local community does not object to “non-professional recreational boat docking facilities that could be used by one-relatives property homeowners or lodge company,” but would get problem with inexpensive housing, wind turbines, wineries, free of charge-standing eating places, convention services and tourist camps on the internet site.

“We question that the Town Board make certain the current home operator manage and immediately protected the residence, as it has been in disrepair and a … nuisance for many years,” he explained. 

Ellen Zimmerman, president of the East Marion Group Association, similarly thanked the Town Board for their efforts to lessen likely intensity on the house and stated the group supports the rezoning of the parcel. 

“This is a necessary phase to ensure the preservation of the character of the neighborhood bordering this residence and of East Marion in normal,” she mentioned. “It was the misconceived proposal to build a grandiose spa on this web page that bundled a 114-space transit motel, 72-seat cafe, 99-seat cafeteria and 10-seat bar that spurred the business of the East Marion Community Association in 2007. We will keep on to shield East Marion’s true character and agricultural heritage and enrich the neighborhood existence of our hamlet.”

A resident who life inside strolling length of the parcel, having said that, said she’s concerned about obscure code language on RR zoning. 

“When I read through what RR truly says, it’s very pretty amorphous and this seriously actually worries me,” she mentioned. “It seems that there are only two things that are truly prohibited and that is a vineyard or loud music that could be listened to above the borders of the residence.”

Mr. Russell responded that RR is “fairly restrictive,” functioning based on bulk routine. 

“It would involve 4,000 sq. ft of land for every just one home you want or 6,000 sq. ft of land for each and every place you want if you never have obtain to a sewer procedure and public water,” he explained, pointing out that segments of the land to be zoned RR are not buildable. “Under the zoning that’s proposed, dependent on the good deal yield or buildable portion of that parcel … our calculations were if you had general public sewer and public water, you would be authorized to make up to 44 rooms” or 29 rooms devoid of general public sewer and community water. 

Jennifer Hartnagel, speaking for Group for the East Conclusion, also expressed thanks for the zone adjust and problem about RR. Although the recent MII district could consequence in “disastrous progress purposes,” the environmental group stays “concerned that regardless of what reduction that you are taking away from the again is not heading to be ample to mitigate or negate what could acquire area on that front portion.”

“You could have up to 40-something units in a resort there,” she explained. “It could be a mini-Enclaves east and it is most likely to occur. The website is quite constrained, it’s surrounded by the household makes use of, it’s a narrow street and it leads down to Route 25A, it is a critical site visitors issue there. So however when you appear at the utilizes permitted in the RR zoning compared to the MII, some of the extra intensive employs like that hotel are however there.”

In addition, some maritime uses of a doing work waterfront are not permitted in RR, she claimed. “I know it is a give and just take here, but are you truly gaining anything with the RR zoning?”

Mr. Russell reported the idea that a hotel like the Enclaves could be built there is “a scare tactic,” and any probable lodge there would require obtain to public sewer to maximize progress. 

“That’s a major if. Very good luck discovering it,” he said. “Secondly, if you’re going to maximize at 44, you’ve presented up all other utilizes due to the fact you have eaten all of the bulk plan … It’s nowhere in the vicinity of what is remaining permitted at the Enclaves. It just doesn’t have the zoning to accommodate those people takes advantage of.”

“I’m not declaring that the RR is even worse than the MII, I’m saying that the RR may possibly not be the finest that you could create for this web site,” Ms. Hartnagel responded. “That’s just my position, remember to be knowledgeable this could be problematic. That’s our position.”

At the very least two residents also questioned the town to contemplate the worth of maintaining a operating waterfront on the residence. 

A person who explained on their own as a maritime contractor argued that there are “only a few parcels of land in the entire Town of Southold that you can market and establish a doing work waterfront.” 

“The clamming and oyster corporations are being chased out. Glance at Greenport,” he explained. “I’m in the organization of waterfront enterprise, and I can notify you I’m becoming chased … and I’m not the only maritime contractor. There’s a number of. I assume that these are men and women that are component of the constitution in Southold Town.”

“We will need to retain and maintain our recreational and professional maritime industry. Our doing work waterfront properties, I would counsel, are just as essential as our aquaculture, farms and open spaces,” additional Patrick Brennan, a Greenport resident.