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September 11th 2007


Mayor Ferraris and Village Board of Trustees

Sag Harbor Municipal Building

P.O. Box 660

Sag Harbor, NY  11963


Dear Mayor Ferraris and Village Board of Trustees,


On Sunday, September 8th 2007 at 2PM CONPOSH and SAVE SAG HARBOR held a joint meeting in the Sanctuary of the Old Whalers’ Church to discuss the myriad of issues that face our Village today. 


There were 364 people in the audience.


We invited three public speakers to weigh in on the important issues before us.  The speakers were Kevin MacAllister – Peconic Bay keeper;  Bob DeLuca – President, Group for the East End and Jefferson Murphree – Professional Planner and local North Haven resident. 


Other people who gave presentations were Lester Ware - Personal Best; Jim Henry – SAVE SAG HARBOR; Valerie Justin and Molly Dougenis, Local residents re One Ferry Road; April Gornik re SAVE SAG HARBOR’s Sunday, October 7th Benefit from 4 to 7 PM; Barbara Roberts for Susan Mead re  SAVE SAG HARBOR legal committee.

 

As you know at the end of CONPOSH meetings the assembled audience votes on resolutions that they would like brought in front of the Village Board and/or applicable Boards.  It was unanimously voted that the following seven resolutions be presented to you tonight -- the September 11th 2007 Village Board of Trustees Meeting.


We the assembled audience respectfully ask: 


1)  Regarding Our Waters

…that the Village focus available resources to better understand and quantify the storm water-related problems and risks that emanate from the Haven’s Beach waterfront Park and to pursue remedies that would enhance the public benefits of the Park to include effective storm water management.


2) Regarding Our Sewage

We ask that the Village pay extra attention to the performance of the Sag Harbor Sewage Treatment Plant noting that it has a major direct impact on the community’s harbor and adjacent waterways.   The protection of the clean water resources in our Village must be preserved as an essential criteria in all future Village consideration regarding growth and development.


3) Regarding  BOAT DISCHARGE

That the Village clearly understand that as the boating anchorage has expanded and increased over time, there is speculation that illegal sanitary discharges are occurring.  In the interest of ensuring clean and safe surface waters, we ask that  increased enforcement of the No-Discharge Zone is ESSENTIAL and be stringently enforced.


4)  Regarding A MASTER PLAN

We call upon the Village of Sag Harbor to responsibly address the multitude of development projects and community planning issues it now faces through the preparation of a formal community-based, consensus-driven Master Plan.


Properly undertaken the Master Plan will develop a clear vision and implementation strategy for preserving the unique and historic character of the Village in an affirmative and orderly manner rather than a defensive case-by-case basis. 


As part of this process the Village must impose a comprehensive development moratorium that will prevent major development projects from moving forward while the Plan is being prepared. 


The Master Plan must also be supported through the completion of a Generic Environmental Impact Statement to assure that the community’s vision is firmly grounded in the most stringent environmental assessment. 


In addition and among other things, we ask that the Village do an analysis of building and store square footage; that the Village consider Mixed-Use as well as Multi-Use development; that the Village consider maximum building size and height limits; that the Village should prepare architectural design standards that should carefully consider what has already been developed in historic Sag Harbor center -  in particular, the village should analyze its important view-sheds and gateways.


5)  Regarding An Advisory Group to research COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS around the U.S.

That the Village of Sag Harbor appoint a small (3-4) volunteer advisory committee of outside experts to examine the experience of Community Land Trusts and similar institutions around the U.S.  and report back to the Village within 60 days on the implications of “Saving Sag Harbor.”


6)  Regarding The Commercial Moratorium

That the Village extends the Moratorium on Commercial Sight Plans to 18 months or until the Master Plan is completed. 


7)  Regarding Meeting with the Mayor

Conposh and SAVE SAG HARBOR would like to put together a small group (5-6) to talk one-on-one with the Mayor and Attorneys Tohill and/or Thiele in an effort to coordinate our efforts and so work together to keep Sag Harbor a very special place. 


Respectfully submitted,


MIA GROSJEAN

For:   Save Sag Harbor  and CONPOSH

Valerie Justin, Priscilla Ciccariello, John Linder, JoAnne Carter, Jim Henry, Barbara Roberts, April Gornik, Seth Grossman, Lester Ware, Helen Samuels, and Susan Mead

 

Report on the meeting of October 24, 2007 at the Sag Harbor Municipal Building


In attendance were Mayor Ferraris, the VillageBoard of Trustees, planner Richard Warren, and attorney Anthony Tohill.  Mr Warren and Mr Tohill gave similar presentations (see above) to what was given at the September 27th meeting, and owners of commercial district properties and others were invited to speak. Some of the concerns discussed by property owners were the vesting-in of large-scale business properties as "anchor stores" in order to protect the property values of such, by considering them a part of the diversity we are all interested in maintaining to preserve the Village's unique composition; questions about the definition of what would constitute a "pre-existing non-conforming" space for the proposed rezoning; the need for people who must move businesses in an emergency to obtain exemptions from the site plan review moratorium now in place; a suggestion to make tax breaks for property owners who would maintain apartments above their businesses at affordable rates, to address the affordable housing issue; worries that any restrictions resulting from rezoning would be anti-free enterprise and the suggestion that free enterprise would result in a natural process of selection that is in keeping with the way the village has developed; and many thanks voiced to the Mayor, Village Board of Trustees, Mr Warren and Mr Tohill for being inclusive in their approach. It was emphasized that the suggestions for rezoning/redistricting, and research into the above, all constitute a work in progress, and that nothing has been formally decided, but all suggestions are under consideration.

What is the Village working on?

This is the text of the October 24, 2007 Worksession Meeting Notice:


The Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees and the Zoning Committee will hold a special work session on the second floor meeting room of the Municipal Building, Main Street, Village of Sag Harbor on October 24th to present the preliminary findings and recommendations of the commercial district to the property owners within the Village Business (VB) District.


As part of an overall zoning code update, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Sag Harbor has commenced an evaluation of the Village Business District zoning provisions to assess whether the existing code sufficiently protects the historic, commercial character of the Main Street core commercial district. On September 27th, a progress report to the Trustees was made by their consultants, Anthony B Tohill, Esq. (Special Counsel to the Village), and Richard E. Warren, AICP (the Village Planning Consultant). The purpose of the meeting was to: (a) outline the issues that have been raised; (b) discuss some of the initial results of the research that was undertaken; and (c) begin dialogue regarding potential recommendations to address the issues.


In general the Issues of Concern were identified as follows:


  1. A.Protecting the existing historic character of the "core" commercial district, changes to which would threaten the "identity" of the Village of Sag Harbor.

  2. B.Maintaining appropriate size and scale of commercial uses.

  3. C.Protecting against change in uses from a retail/shopping district to one which contains non-retail uses.

  4. D.Maintaining the diversity of uses which support the vitality of the shopping district.

  5. E.Encouraging the location of businesses providing services and products used by Sag Harbor population.

  6. F.Establishing provisions to encourage affordable housing within the area for the local workforce.

  7. G.Ensuring that the infrastructure of the Village (parking, sewage treatment, roads, services, etc.) is capable of supporting future development or changes in the Village.

  8. H.Managing the recent influx of attached unit condominium and apartment projects that could potentially change the character of the Village.

  9. I.Maintaining the historic character of the Village by establishing comprehensive and appropriate development regulations.


A detailed inventory of the existing commercial district was presented at the meeting, along with a series of draft recommendations. The meeting included a discussion regarding the avenues available to the Village of Sag Harbor to appropriately control changes in the Sag Harbor commercial district that would negatively effect the vibrancy of the existing historic character of Sag Harbor and its special "sense of place".


A series of Preliminary Recommendations were presented, as follows:


  1. 1.Refine the boundaries of the Village Business District (VB) to follow what is considered the "core" of the commercial downtown shopping district.

  2. 2.Create a new zoning district–the Office District (OD)–which provides opportunities for development and use for professional offices, financial institutions and the like.

  3. 3.Redefine the Permitted (P) and Special Exception (SE) Uses within the Village Business District (VB) to focus on supporting the retail and shopping trade by restricting the further expansion of office-type of uses within the "core" of the commercial shopping district along Main Street. This would eliminate offices, professional offices, real estate offices, financial services, banks and the like from within the VB District. All of these existing uses would become pre-existing and non-conforming.

  4. 4.Develop a list of Permitted (P) and Special Exception (SE) Uses within the proposed Office District (OD) to encourage the utilization of this outlying business district.

  5. 5.Create general and specific standard that are appropriate for those uses which are deemed to be Special Exception (SE) Uses.

  6. 6.Develop a series of design standards for the Office District (OD) to allow development to occur in an appropriate size and scale with due consideration to the neighborhood.

  7. 7.To encourage and support the local "small-town feel" of the commercial shopping district and maintain a diversity of shopping opportunities, it is recommended that the Village establish a maximum gross floor area (GFA) for any individual use of commercial space.

  8. 8.To encourage and support the local "small-town feel" of the commercial shopping district and maintain a diversity of shopping opportunities, it is recommended that the Village establish a maximum gross floor area (GFA) for any individual use of commercial space. [repetition left in because it is in the original distributed print-out]

  9. 9.In order to further encourage small shops to exist and maintain the diversity of the stores within the Village, it is recommended that the Village establish a maximum street or store frontage requirement for each use within the core commercial district.

  10. 10.Develop regulations that encourage accessory apartments on the second floor (and above) in commercial buildings within the Village Business District (VB).

  11. 11.Develop a provision which will permit offices on the second floor of a structure where such office is an accessory to a first floor commercial use, and establish a maximum gross floor area (GFA) for such an accessory office.

  12. 12.Examine developing provisions which permit, on a limited basis, the establishment of seasonal outdoor seating for restaurant uses located within the Village Business District (VB).

  13. 13.Evaluate and adjust the parking regulations so the requirements meet the needs of particular uses. In addition, it is recommended that the Parking Trust Fund provisions of the Zoning Code be evaluated to determine whether they are appropriate.

  14. 14.Create a process which appropriately deals with the issues related to a "Change-of-Use" for properties within the Village as a whole, and more particularly within the Village Business District (VB).

  15. 15.Create a new and more detailed Table of Uses for all zoning districts within the Inc. Village of Sag Harbor, and tie those uses to the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Code to allow for a standardization of use definitions.

  16. 16.Define an appropriate Site Plan Review process. Coordinate agency reviews within Village. Adjust timeframes to make them reasonable. Establish a pre-application review conference as an option.

  17. 17.Prepare a new zoning map for the Inc. Village of Sag Harbor, which clearly defines the new district boundaries, as well as the limit of the Village Historic District.


The work session to be held on October 24th is intended to allow for business property owners to better understand the issues that face Sag Harbor, and allow them to provide input into the process. We hope to see you there.

Report on the Briefing of Sept 27th, 2007


At a 2-hour meeting open to the public at the Firehouse on Brick Kiln Road on September 27th, Mayor Gregory Ferraris and the Village Board of Trustees were briefed by their planner, Richard Warren and their zoning attorney Anthony Tohill. Since it was a public meeting, quite a few members of Save Sag Harbor were present to hear the first glimpse of the work that the village representatives have been undertaking to try to deal with the growth and  changes in character threatening the village. The planner reviewed the survey of existing buildings and uses in the business district and the potential creation of 5 sub-districts within the Main Street retail and office district. Existing banks and other professional offices will be vested in, but this rezoning would try to retain the vibrant, social, alive-after-6PM character of the village, which is dependent on a healthy balance of retail and professional storefronts. It was suggested that maximum retail size should be considered in conjunction with a Master Plan for the area. Tony Tohill briefed the Board on the legal framework that must be used in the State of New York, including the ability to create development and design standards to preserve the Village's character and the inability of a village or town to ban specific formula stores. This briefing appears to be the start of the public process which may continue for several months. We appreciate everyone's hard work and look forward to hearing more.

Below are the results of the September 8th meeting at the First Presbyterian (Old Whalers') Church. The letter, below, was read to the Mayor and Board of Trustees at the September 11th meeting.

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE:


Thanks to your support, Save Sag Harbor has hired legal and planning experts/advisors. 

We have retained Dwight Merriam of Robinson & Cole, LLP, author of

"The Complete Guide to Zoning", and Frank Fish of BFJ Planning,

a member of the New York Planning Federation, to complement research into the

updating of the Village's zoning code and to investigate trusts, comprehensive plans,

and other creative solutions to protect Sag Harbor's integrity and character.

For information on their respective fields of expertise, please visit:

 http://www.rc.com/BioDHM.htm   and    http://www.bfjplanning.com/


We, and they, look forward to working with Mayor Ferraris, the Village Board of Trustees, and the Village's representatives in finding fair solutions to the challenges that now face us.

THE FORMATION OF A BENEFIT DISTRICT


On December 14th, Mayor Gregory Ferraris met with concerned citizens at a talk sponsored by CONPOSH at the First Presbyterian (Old Whalers') Church regarding a "Benefit District" he has proposed, and for which a New York State grant has been written and will be submitted for funding. It is thought that the Village will hear whether this grant has been funded in about 6 weeks' time.


In brief, Benefit Districts have been formed all over New York State in response to problems shared between villages and towns. Our Benefit District would include East Hampton Town, Southampton Town, North Haven Village and the Hamlet of Noyac. At the meeting, the mayor said that the need for a Gateway Study had spurred this idea--the gateway problem being the Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike's potential development into a sort of Country Rd 39, with big boxes looming on the edge of Sag Harbor. Such a study couldn't include both Sag Harbor's input and Southampton Town's input with districting as it is now.


The concurrent need for cost-sharing was brought home by the proposal of many villagers who wanted to purchase the Methodist Church for shared use by the community and its congregation. The Benefit District, once formed, could apply for New York State municipal services grants. Shares involved would be determined by use assessments (Southampton having the greatest share). In spite of the fears of some, it would NOT involve tax-assessments/reassessments.


Other concerns addressed by the Benefit District would be affordable housing, traffic and traffic circulation problems and environmental concerns (including waste treatment, storm water runoff and harbor pollution). Shared services could be, for example, the purchase of co-ops and police sharing. Although inter-municipal agreements can presently occur, if a Benefit District were established Sag Harbor would be able to work more expeditiously and specifically on its own behalf.


The formation of a Benefit council could necessitate the appointment of council members by the Village/Town Boards. This Benefit District Council could become a potential lobbying body in regard to developmental problems.


The Mayor also mentioned his continued interest in a comprehensive plan for the Village of Sag Harbor. A comprehensive plan would be separate from the establishment of a Benefit District as the Benefit District includes lands outside the Village Boundary and does not tackle zoning or code issues.


We applaud the Mayor for taking this very forward-looking initiative!

Save Sag Harbor has been accepted in the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce


     As you know, Save Sag Harbor is committed to various public awareness activities and campaigns in an effort to reach out to the entire community. We are planning public gatherings to expand our and the community's involvement and education in the pressing issues facing us, and we have most recently applied to join the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce. We have done this specifically to invite renters, business owners, and commercial property owners to express their concerns, views, and to give us general input. Those opinions and concerns will be brought to the advisors and planners we've hired to educate us and the community on creative solutions that will benefit both merchants and the Sag Harbor community at large. We will be sharing information with the Mayor and Village Board of Trustees, the business community, and the community at large in such a way that we can all benefit, and can all participate in keeping our village sustainably intact while it continues to grow. And of course, keeping in mind where this all started, we want to remind you to shop locally!


     Some of us attended a dinner given by the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce Thursday evening, the 31st January, at the Paradise Restaurant in Sag Harbor, in order to formally introduce ourselves to the Chamber. We have invited their input on any and all fronts.


     We warmly invite business leaders, all merchants, our members, and everyone else in the community to express your concerns, input, and ideas to us so that we can offer them to the people we've hire to advise and educate us. Please feel free to write us at info@savesagharbor.com; no emails will be overlooked.

PROPOSED One Ferry Road CONDOMINIUMS


As you may know, our friends at CONPOSH held a very informative meeting February 15th at the Old Whalers' Church regarding a proposal from a developer who would like permission to build 22 condominiums, with 22 boat slips, beside the Sag Harbor/North Haven bridge, where the Harborview Professional Building now stands along the waterfront.  Many Sag Harbor and North Haven residents (and others!) have expressed concerns about the size and placement of the proposed development, noting that it will block traffic, water views, and possibly even access to the waterfront.  The review process will move forward soon, with most of Sag Harbor's boards involved. Many local residents would like to see some or all of this waterfront property preserved as a public park.  You can add your voice to this effort by contacting Mary Wilson, Community Preservation Fund Manager for Southampton Town, asking that she make the property (1,3 & 5 Ferry Rd.) a priority, and by contacting Southampton's Town Council (same address as in the above letter) with the same message.  Also, we urge you to copy Sag Harbor Mayor Gregory Ferraris on your messages, since he has expressed the hope that we might think about regional planning for the greater Sag Harbor area.


[date], 2008


Mary Wilson

Community Preservation Fund Manager

116 Hampton Road

Southampton, NY 11968


Dear Ms. Wilson,


I/We wish to express my/our concerns at the proposed development for condominiums to be erected at the base of the Sag Harbor/North Haven bridge. if constructed, this development would restrict access to the waterfront, alter and obstruct traffic patterns, increase environmental concerns, and certainly alter the aesthetic appeal of what is arguably the most beautiful gateway to Sag Harbor Village, enjoyed by all residents of the Village and surrounding areas, and by visitors.


I/We urge you to make it a priority, when the parcel becomes available, to begin the process of allocating Community Preservation Fund money for purchase of this land for use as a public parkland.

 

Yours most sincerely,



__________________

name(s)


__________________

street


__________________

city, state, zip code



This letter should also be sent to:

Mayor Gregory Ferraris

PO Box 660

Sag Harbor, NY  11963


(To print out this letter, simply highlight the text by passing your cursor over it. Then copy (Command-C on a Mac, Control-C on a PC) and paste (Command-V on a Mac, Control-V on a PC) it into any word processor or text program and print it out. We urge you to add personal information, opinions, and any necessary changes!)


Our notes from the May 15th zoning code meeting at the Sag Harbor Village Hall. Please note: this is information was taken down by Save Sag Harbor volunteers, and is not intended to be an official transcript of the meeting!


WE ALSO URGE YOU TO READ THE ARTICLES ON OUR "NEWS" PAGE FROM THE PRESS!


Rich Warren introduced the meeting, inviting everyone to look at the new map of the various districts - VB, (Village Business) OD, (Office District) the Waterfront District, etc- of Sag Harbor as proposed in the new "Chapter 55" zoning revision proposal (which would replace the old Chapter 55). In a nutshell, the new map appears to eliminate the old marine district and merges it into a new waterfront district, and eliminates the so-called family district, which was a moderate income zone that has never been implemented. A  historic district  boundary line  is shown  marked  around the village, including a flood plain zone taken from the FEMA map.


Next, the table of uses was discussed. These new codes will have uses clearly stated within the various zones as per official use-code parlance. The goal is to maintain diversity. An expedited review by planning board ONLY will be available for use changes not mandated by the revision. This is different from the current need to run use changes by more than one board.


Village core area would now be reduced to 17 instead of 23 acres, and would be all retail. But immediately outside the village core would be zoned for offices (real estate, banks, etc). The most special exemptions (SEs) would be available in the office district.


Mayor Ferraris mentioned that "enhanced SEs" would allow a variety of uses to happen in all districts. Rich Warren followed up, saying that the best way to maintain the village's character is to  accommodate uses but have  the power of review over the site plans.  Only going to the Planning Board only should make obtaining SEs be a smoother process, instead of having to go to the ARB AND the Planning Board.


Some other things mentioned: a need for affordable housing was stressed. The maximum square footage of new businesses, based on an average of existing businesses, would be 2,000SF.


In the Office District, all the numbers are new, since the district itself is new, whereas the waterfront district remains exactly the same as its incarnation as the Marine district. Size limitations may be imposed on new apartment units.


Anthony Tohill introduced "next steps" which included:

    The importance of the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).

    That the village must have a comprehensive plan. Interscience is drafting the plan based on Chapter 55, and if the Board of Trustees wants to act on zoning changes, the new comprehensive plan must be adopted.

    All this must be given to town clerks of E Hampton & S Hampton, then given to the Suffolk Co Planning Commission.

    It was suggested that the map exhibited at the meeting be reproduced in the SH Express, along with a summary of the new Chapter 55.

    Public hearings must be made available in re: SEQRA, considering a new comprehensive plan, and Chapter 55, in order to get enactment of these changes.

    Mr Tohill also mentioned inquiries from individuals & groups wanting to have meetings with town planner, the attorney and the Village Board, saying that he does not recommend this, as he feels it could in fact nullify the enactment of the code.

  

WHAT IFs mentioned by Mr Tohill:

1. ...someone under the present code in a current location proposes an apartment building: in the present case, the zoning code board of appeals and site planners meet, discuss parking requirements (1 parking space per unit). In the newly proposed Chapter 55, the review process would go only to the planning board, and the number of bedrooms would indicate parking spaces (at least 1.5 per bedroom), which would drastically reduce amount of residences available on any given piece of land, forming, in essence, a cap on apartment building sizes.

2. ...someone wants to build a 10,000SF store in the VB district: Under the old plan, parking would be 1 space for each 200SF, with a minimum area of 800SF: under the new ch. 55 there would be a cap on empirical data of a maximum SF area of 2,000SF, but with a 50% expansion opportunity with ARB approval.

3. ...someone wants to establish a large grocery or home furnishing type store: There would be an obvious need for more than 2,000SF, so it falls under the need for a SE use. Under the new plan, this would be applied to planning board, and the maximum space could reach 8,000SF. BUT for every 1,000SF in that kind of use greater than 3,000, there MUST be an affordable-housing upstairs apartment available.

4. ...someone wants to bring a superstore to the village: The present code doesn't address this. The new Ch. 55 prohibits it in all uses under its table of uses. (A "superstore" was later defined as any store greater than a certain amount of square footage, either in total or as a combination of stores, by which size would be out of character with the Village's norm.)

5. ...someone wants to understand how affordable housing might be available: The moderate income resident district has been available but it's never been implemented. Now, it is recommended that this article be removed from the code and instead there would be 3 different ways to introduce affordable housing: above grocery or furniture store in the VB district; in the new OD district, 10% would have to be affordable. If a property owner declines to do this, the property owner could pay $372,000 per apt proposed as off-site housing which would go into afund at 200% of going rate. If an owner did this, and then attempted to later subdivide the space, this would be penalized. Third, accessory apt would allow loans from trust fund to allow occupancy in R20 zone, not VB zone, limit bedrooms to 2 (accessory apts), require code compliance, does allow amnesty if someone already has an accessory apt., right of transferability, and caps the number of apartments at 50 for reappraisal.

6. ...someone wants to change use in VB district. The new Chapter 55 would have a simple table of uses. Under the old plan, to change from use A to use B there would be site plan review necessary and no change available with respect to parking. Under the new plan, one could apply to planning board and not have to have the full site plan review, making it an easier process.

It was also recommended that the parking trust fund be eliminated.


Further comments were as follows:

Suggested changes will continue to be made throughout the summer.

Mayor Ferraris emphasized that the Comprehensive plan is being done to insure the historic character of the Village.

Under the proposed changes, the Village would have agenda & design standards fixed. The ARB would act to to preserve historic character. Theoretically, these changes would make everything quicker and smoother, with fewer surprises. Caps would prevent 3 small stores from becoming one large store, for example.

Tohill mentioned that it will take the entire summer to go over all this, including SEQRA, the zoning code, comprehensive plan, and emphasized the need for public presentations.

He also said that what is available at the Village hall, a 160 page document, is a presentation of the code which includes the remainder of the old, present Chapter 55 and the new language proposed. He said there is no way right now to know which is remainder of present Chapter 55, and the new Chapter 55, and that they must be read side by side.

It was stated that the board will hear EVERY public comment that comes up over next few months. Meetings will start right after Memorial day and continue until everything is heard.

Mayor asked: How to facilitate these meetings? How to incorporate changes into documents? The public suggested that an electronic file to be updated should be maintained on the Village's website.

It was suggested that comments be delivered in writing to Village board, and that groups are also invited to deliver comments.

The Mayor asked for these comments to be delivered over next 3 weeks to facilitate their review.

The Library now has copies of the new Chapter 55.

The Mayor opened up the meeting to comments from the public.

Many members of the public asked for there to be a representation of Chapter 55 available online, and that there be a blog or some other online public forum to be able to extend the discussion. The Mayor and Board stated their preference for written submissions of comments and questions.


QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS CAN BE SUBMITTED BY EMAIL TO:

clerk@sagharborny.gov

The Mayor and Village Board of Trustees held their first public hearing regarding the draft amendments to the Village zoning code last Thursday, June 5th, 2008.


The meeting was opened by the Village attorney for the code revisions, Tony Tohill, with an outline of the Comprehensive Plan review which the Village began in January of this year.


The draft of the zoning code followed that, and the purpose of the hearing was to receive input from the public who have now been able to access copies of the amendments for about 3 weeks.


Save Sag Harbor submitted our list of questions and comments in advance, as suggested, and several of our members were at the meeting, presenting results of our web suggestion box and previous survey.


The Main Street business owners expressed the following concerns:

First, there is concern over ordinary changes of use, permitted to permitted, or from permitted to specially permitted. The problem is that most businesses on Main Street are non-conforming as to parking. Property owners want the process simple and do not understand the need for review and, futher, do not want their uses subject to current parking requirements.                      

Second, the mapping of the new Office District was questioned, especially along Division Street.

Third, the issue of accessory apartments was brought up which would be permitted on Main street, in the Office District, and in limited number in the R-20 (residential) district. Many owners objected to the owner- or owner-related occupany prohibition on Main Street.                    


Our letter to the Mayor and Board of Trustees can be downloaded by clicking:  letter_re_zoning_code_june_2008.pdf.


We feel that the important thing to note is that the process has begun. For it to be meaningful, the Board of Trustees must approve the extension to the moratorium on site plan applications on this Tuesday night, the 10th of June, so if you have not made plans to attend, please do so.

How the August 4th meeting went:


The Zoning Code work session at the Municipal Building on August 4th was lively, and attended by about 100 people. We spoke out, emphasizing our chief concern about zoning against formula-based retail, and urged Village Officials to leave no stone unturned about this vital aspect of the Code. We also emphasized many other issues, and will notify you when the next public meeting, which will be the first official public hearing, is scheduled.


We have also presented results of our last survey, which almost unanimously reflected concern that formula-based retail stores be kept out of the village, and that Village store sizes and uses be maintained, to the Mayor and Board of Trustees.


It is not too late to notify the Mayor and Board of Trustees about your concerns!


The Strategic Planning Document (the comprehensive plan for the code amendments) is now available at the Municipal Building for purchase. We have made a copy available at the John Jermain Memorial Library, and there should be a copy available for download via the Village's website sometime this week.