The Town Board has transferred wetlands permitting authority to the Planning Board. And, it adopted new rules for Town-owned rights of way and set public hearings for a new Ethics Code and changes impacting owner-occupied vacation rentals.
Also, during Tuesday’s lengthy meeting, the Town Board heard comments on a proposed 12-month pause for large home permits; read our separate coverage at “Objections to and support for large home moratorium.”
Supervisor Gerry Siller and Councilwomen BJ Ianfolla and Meg Larsen supported shifting wetlands administration to the Planning Board. Deputy Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams voted no, saying she objected to “piecemealing legislation.”
Over two sessions of a public hearing since March and in written comments, many Islanders said they wanted the Town’s elected officials to retain the responsibility for vetting wetlands permit applications.
Speakers also encouraged the Town Board to forego altering the wetlands code, expressing concerns the proposed changes might weaken protections.
Town Attorney Stephen F. Kiely advised the Town Board it could handle separately the issues of who should manage wetlands permitting and whether to adopt wetlands code changes.
Councilman Jim Colligan wasn’t present Tuesday but wrote in to say he supported giving the Planning Board primary responsibility for wetlands permitting.
Currently, the Town Board relies on the Planning Board and Citizens Advisory Council to review wetlands applications and usually follows their recommendations closely.
Siller said he was persuaded by arguments made by Larsen, Kiely, and the Town Board’s legislative aide, Kristina Madjisova Martin, that the Planning Board had the time and expertise to manage wetlands permitting.
Find details in our post, “Town Board: Planning Board wetlands oversight would be more effective.”
Brach-Williams, an accountant who had to miss one of the public hearings due to tax season obligations, said she’d caught up by listening to meeting recordings.
“I think we have a lot of opposition where the public does not want us turning this over to the Planning Board,” she said at Tuesday’s meeting. While specific proposed changes were removed from the final resolution, she said the Town Board does intend, at some point, to review proposed code changes.
“I do not like piecemealing legislation,” she said. “I feel like we should get it all fixed in one fell swoop.”
Ianfolla noted that by turning over authority to the Planning Board, the Town Board frees up time to examine any legislative changes. And, while some people have spoken out against the move, others may support it or be indifferent, she said.
Rather than weakening protections, Larsen said that by moving the process to the Planning Board, the Town Board would strengthen wetlands governance because, among other reasons, “there will be more consistent oversight.
The board also adopted proposed Town Code changes clarifying activities in Town-owned rights of way. The purpose is “to protect the health, safety, and welfare of those who traverse Shelter Island roads by prohibiting obstructions within the shoulders.”
Notably, the amendment allows the Town to remove obstructions if a property owner fails to do so. To read the complete text, follow this link to the meeting agenda and scroll to page 42.
The board also granted a waterways permit to Serena Dugan, 37 Tuthill Drive, to install a mooring at latitude 41.073692° N and longitude 72.285299° W.
