NORTH HAVEN NEWS
April, 2023
Vol. 3, Issue 4
Letter from Mayor Chris Fiore
Good day all! --
First night of Passover is just behind us and Easter Sunday comes up next. Hopefully all who celebrate these holidays are ready and enjoying.
I sent you all an email Tuesday regarding the permissions for work at Lovelady Park, and that will be all I say about that topic. But there's happy news for trees --
- we signed Tr. Boody's clearing update that protects Heritage trees -- procedures and guidelines will be forthcoming shortly from Eileen at Village Hall.
- Claas Abraham reports below we have achieved 18 4-poster locations, thanks to aggressive canvassing on his part and Tr. Diat's. There is $180K in the coming year budget to cover these installations, and our expectations are high. Time will tell and the committee will keep you informed.
- Claas and Tr. Boody are heading up the cell service cmte and will meet right after Easter.
- There should also be a progress report soon on the cmte looking into accessory living spaces -- Tr. Skilbred and Dep. Mayor Abraham will update us by the May BOT meeting, and we will then announce open hearings. This initiative is not about 'affordable housing' -- rather utilizing accessory space you have on your property designated for family members.
- There's another focus for this season --Claas and I want to dig into our overcomplicated fence code! A good candidate for streamlining. Stay tuned.
- Bigtime reminder: May first is the date gas powered leafblowers are silenced for the summer. PLEASE remind your landscapers!
- But if they persist, our new alignment with Sag Harbor will cover Code Enforcement inquiries. Again, procedures and a who's who will be forthcoming. The Sag Harbor team will provide us with fast response, a familiarity with our Village and a very good understanding of our codes.
- Eileen has prepared our Village budget for review. There are 2 major increases from last year: (4 posters, the Sag agreement for fire and ambulance), but Eileen has done a herculean effort to keep most other expenses in check. The budget will be presented at Wednesday's Board of Trustees meeting, April 12.
- Speed limit on Ferry Rd (between the roundabout and the Sag bridge) is due to be lowered in late April to 35mph. Be aware! We will also have radar signs installed on the portion by Stock Farm Lane to slow down the summer traffic exiting the ferry. I have an upcoming meeting with the DOT to discuss other traffic calming measures for SR 114, as well as other issues.
That's it -- it's a pleasure to serve you and this community! Happy Spring and Happy Easter!!
Chris
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This month’s newsletter edition will recap the highlights from the March Village of North Haven Board of Trustee meeting, and the March Board of Trustees Work Session and Special Work Session. We will also preview agenda items of interest for the April Village Board Meeting.
Recordings of the Village meetings can be found on the Village website or by clicking HERE.
Going forward, if you have any questions or if there are any other topics you would like to read about, please contact Terie Diat (Village Trustee) at tdiat@northhavenvillage.org.
Upcoming Board of Trustees Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 12th at 5 p.m. at Village Hall and via Zoom. All residents are welcome and encouraged to attend.
The 2023/2024 Village Budget will be on the Agenda to be adopted at this meeting. The Draft Budget, along with the agenda for this meeting will be posted on the Village website (northhavenny.us) under Minutes and Agendas the Friday before the meeting date. The Zoom meeting link can be found on the home page of the Village website under the calendar entry for the Board of Trustee meeting.
Public Hearings Scheduled for April 12th at 5 p.m.
1. A LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER 163 – ARTICLE I GENERAL PROVISIONS §163-5 DEFINITIONS AND WORD USAGE AND ENACTING ARTICLE XIII – WETLAND/COASTAL SETBACKS AND EXCEPTIONS
View the proposed code HERE.
o It is the intent to introduce minimum setbacks for building activities, structures, and accessory structures within wetlands or coastal setbacks in order to protect and preserve environmental areas.
2. Adopt the 2023/2024 Budget. The draft of the budget will be posted on the Village website.
3. Proposal to pierce the 2% Tax Levy Cap for the 2023/2024 Budget, if necessary.
Village Updates:
Bike Drive for Charity
The Brookhaven Bike Co-op is an organization run by a friend of North Haven from Riverhead. It is an all-volunteer 501c(3) that repairs and refurbishes used bikes and donates them to those who are in need of one. Please scour your garage, basement, shed and barn and see what you have that might be worthy of a gift, once restored/repaired.
We will be accepting donations until April 15. To date over 30 bikes have been donated. Please drop the bikes off at: Village Hall 335 Ferry Road Monday to Friday, 9am-3pm.
Claas Abraham Appointed to Suffolk County Tick Control Advisory Committee
Deputy Mayor Claas Abraham has recently been appointed to the Suffolk County Tick Control Advisory Committee at the suggestion of Legislator Bridget Fleming. He will represent the experience that the Village of North Haven has gained with the successful Kick Ticks Out of North Haven program.
The committee’s membership is comprised of various representatives from the Suffolk County Legislature, Suffolk County Department of Health Services, NYS DEC, Tommy John Schiavoni, Southampton Town Councilman, as well as other representatives with relevant expertise.
Congratulations Claas! We look forward to your learnings from, and your contributions to, this esteemed committee.
Please see an update on the Kick Ticks Out of North Haven program below.
North Haven Code Enforcement Update
During the March Board of Trustees meeting, the Board voted to enter into an Inter-Municipal agreement for the Village of Sag Harbor to provide Code Enforcement services to the Village of North Haven effective May 1, 2023.
Code enforcement services have been provided previously to North Haven by the Town of Southampton. The Sag Harbor team will afford us quicker response time, better familiarity with our community, our neighbors, our residents and our codes. Watch for a Constant Contact email outlining the new procedures.
Speed Limit Reduction on Ferry Road
Kudos to Mayor Fiore and Assemblyman Fred Thiele who were successful in working with the Department of Transportation to lower the speed limit from 40 mph to 35 mph between the bridge and the round-about. This change will be enacted within the next several months. This development, along with radar speed signs, as well as increased police vigilance, will make Ferry Road safer for all of us.
Water Quality Committee Update
The North Haven Water Quality Committee, with the assistance of the Village Engineer, Vincent Gaudiello from The Raynor Group, submitted an application to the Town of Southampton Community Preservation Fund Water Quality Improvement Project Plan Fund on March 15th for a grant to install an innovative alternative (I/A) sanitary system for Village Hall. The grant request was for $73,250.00 with matching funds of $4,000.00 to be funded by the Village of North Haven. A public hearing to present the project to the Southampton Town Board will be held later in the year.
North Haven Parks & Trails Association Update
On March 15th four of the five board members of the North Haven Village Park and Trails Association (501c3) informed the Board of Trustees of their resignation. Those members who have submitted their resignation are Jim Vos, President, Anastasia Gochnour, Sercretary, Stephanie Joyce, Treasurer, and Stella Sands.
Update on Kick Ticks Out of North Haven Program
Dear Neighbors,
Spring is just around the corner, and with the warmer temperatures, ticks become active again.
Thanks to an overwhelming support from our residents, in the last 13 months we received over 400 consents to place a 4-Poster station within 745 feet of their property line, and only 4 residents opposed any such measures to combat ticks in our village.
Ticks are a constant and ever increasing threat to our health and our wish to spend as much time outdoors in our beautiful village as possible. 4-Poster stations, if sufficiently and continuously deployed, are a proven measure to combat ticks.
After the DEC changed the rules for the deployment of 4-Poster stations, the village went from 18 4-Poster stations down to 3. Throughout 2022 we were able to increase the 4-Poster station count to 13.
The 4-Poster stations were removed in November for the winter, and with the new consents we received since then, we are now able to deploy 18 4-Poster stations throughout the village as we enter the spring season.
If you haven't joined our consent list yet, please sign up through the link HERE, or just visit our website or village hall. Every consent counts!
The village conducts tick drags every 4 months, and the results from the fall drag were very promising. Trustee Diat and I will update you about our deer & tick management program throughout the year at the monthly BOT meetings and through the village newsletter.
In late March of this year, we conducted a tick count on a deer from North Haven, which resulted in finding 40 adult lone star ticks. This number is high by average standards, but a deer found in a neighboring village, revealed lone star ticks in excess of 100 on just one deer. These above average numbers emphasize the need for a strong tick & deer management program, which the Village of North Haven is actively engaging in.
To further protect the health of your family and pets from Lyme disease, Babesiosis and Alpha-Gal throughout the spring and summer, we suggest deploying tick control tubes around the perimeter of your backyard as an additional measure. These tubes help mitigate the tick population around your property and are biodegradable.
As always, Trustee Diat and I are available for any questions, concerns or recommendations.
Wishing everyone a pleasant and tick free start into spring and summer!
--
Claas Abraham
Deputy Mayor
(m) 631-251-6113
(e) cabraham@northhavenvillage.org
Additional information can be found on our village website: http://www.northhavenny.us – please go to Services -> Deer & Tick Management Programs.
Updates from the March 15th Board of Trustee’s Meeting:
Public Hearings:
1. Clearing Limitations
· A public hearing was held on the proposed amendments to CHAPTER 163 ZONING- ARTICLE I SECTION 163-5 – GENERAL PROVISIONS – DEFINITIONS AND WORD USAGE AND ARTICLE II SECTION 163-20 USE AND REGULATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS – CLEARING LIMITATIONS.
The March 15th BOT meeting marked the third public hearing on the proposed code, with changes made to the caliper of protected trees, revised from 21" to 19", additionally residents can appeal the decisions made by the Building Inspector to the ZBA.
Five residents made public comments with four speaking against and one speaking in favor of the proposed code. Trustee Diat stated she was disappointed the Board did not expand the criteria for a permit to remove a healthy mature tree. Such a process could have involved for a resident with a protected tree to come before a Village Board to make their case to remove an otherwise healthy tree. She further stated it is her opinion the code is too restrictive, prohibits property owners from developing their properties and she would like to continue the conversation to the next BOT meeting.
Trustee Boody, the author of the code revisions, and the remaining members of the Board, felt that the criteria outlined in the code to remove a tree is reasonable, fair and liberal and the language in the code is flexible enough to allow a permit to be granted for a tree to be removed and therefore declined to consider Trustee Diat's request. Trustee Boody stated "if a tree is perfectly healthy and not causing any problem, and a resident just doesn't like it, they are not going to get a permit to take that tree down. If we are going to put in a provision where you can come and ask (to take down a healthy tree) I don't think that is protecting trees. If we allow anyone at anytime the ability to take down a tree they wish to, it completely eviscerates the intent of a protective code."
The Mayor closed the public hearing and called for a vote. The code amendment was approved by a 4 to 1 vote, with Trustee Diat voting against it.
2. Wetland/Coastal Setbacks
· A LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER 163 – ARTICLE I GENERAL PROVISIONS §163-5 DEFINITIONS AND WORD USAGE AND ENACTING ARTICLE XIII – WETLAND/COASTAL SETBACKS AND EXCEPTIONS
· Trustee Diat introduced the proposed code as the intent to introduce minimum setbacks for building activities, structures, and accessory structures within wetlands or coastal setbacks in order to protect and preserve environmental areas.
· Summarized as follows:
o Wetland Setbacks – no building, structure or accessory structure shall be erected, constructed, placed, enlarged, installed on or within a wetland, or within 75 feet of the upland boundary of a wetland.
o Coastal Setbacks – No building, structure or accessory structure shall be erected, constructed, placed, enlarged, installed, on a beach, dune or bluff or seaward of the bluff line or dune crest. Properties situated in high bluff areas as defined in 163-98 no building structure or accessory structures shall be
o erected, constructed, placed, enlarged, installed within 100 feet of the bluff line, dune crest or the landward most edge of the beach. All other properties no building structure or accessory structures shall be erected, constructed, placed, enlarged, installed within 75 feet of the bluff line, dune crest or the landward most edge of the beach.
· Two residents made comments regarding waterfront lots less than 0.5 acres. The residents requested the Board to consider lowering the setback requirements to 50’ or making the setbacks proportional to the size of the property. A suggestion was also made to allow the Planning Board to make the decision on the wetland/coastal setback instead of requiring a resident to go to the Zoning Board of Appeals to obtain a variance.
· Mayor Fiore requested the public hearing be held over to March for the Board to consider lower setbacks for properties less than 0.5 acres.
3. LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER 151 – ARTICLE VI
EXEMPTION FOR FIRE AND AMBULANCE MEMBERS §151-35 Section 1.
· Legislative Intent - It is the intent to reduce the enrollment period required to receive this exemption to two years to correspond with the new State ruling.
· No comments were made by the public. The public hearing was closed and the local law was subsequently passed by the Board later in the meeting.
4. LITTERING - A LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER 103– Section §103-1 – Deposit of wastes on Public or Private Village-owned property within the Village of North Haven and Section §103-2 Penalties for offenses Section 1.
· Legislative Intent - It is the intent to amend this code to include both private and public properties within the Village and to increase the associated fine from $250.00 to $500.00.
· No comments were made by the public. The public hearing was closed and the local law was subsequently passed by the Board later in the meeting.
Resolutions Approved by the Board of Trustees:
-
Local Law No.3 of 2023 amending Village Code Chapter 163 Article I Section 163-5 General Provisions – Definitions and Word Usage and Village Code Chapter 163 Article II Section 163-29 Use and Regulations and Requirement – Clearing Limitations. Four Trustees voted in favor, Trustee Diat voted nay.
View the final amended code HERE.
-
Local Law No.4 of 2023 amending Village Code Chapter 151 – Article VI Exemption for Fire and Ambulance Members Section 151-35.
View the final amended code HERE.
-
Local Law No.5 of 2023 amending Village Code Chapter 103 – Sections 103-1 and Sections 103-2 related to litter.
View the final amended code HERE.
- Related to the Town of Southampton CPF Water Quality Improvement grant application for an Innovative Alternative Wastewater Treatment system at Village Hall, the Board reviewed the provisions of the NY State environmental quality review act (SEQRA) as it related to the proposed action. The proposed action is classified as an Unlisted Action. The Village Board conducted a review of the information contained in the SEQRA documentation consisting of a Short Environmental Assessment Form (SEAF) prepared by The Raynor Group and the potential impacts and the magnitude and importance of potential impacts and benefits were considered and a Negative Determination was recommended. The Village Trustees adopted a Negative Declaration pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act for the Installation of an Innovative Alternative Wastewater Treatment System at Village Hall.
- Approval to schedule and advertise a public hearing on a proposed local law to pierce the 2% Tax Levy Cap for the 2023/2024 Budget, if necessary on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
- Grant the request of the Clerk/Treasurer to obtain a credit card linked to the Village’s checking account at M&T Bank to facilitate purchases that require a credit card. Monthly limit not to exceed $5000, a total credit limit not to exceed $10,000. The Clerk/Treasurer will submit a monthly report of all uses of the card.
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Approval of the Inter-Municipal Agreement with the Village of Sag Harbor to provide Code Enforcement services to the Village of North Haven for a one-year period commencing May 1, 2023 for the sum of $30,000 annually.
- Approval of the Inter-Municipal Agreement with The Town of Southampton to provide Shared Computer Services for Tax and Assessment Services through December 31, 2023 for the sum of $14,938.49.
- Appointment of the following individuals to the Water Quality Committee: Trustee Terie Diat, Jeff Sander, Stephanie Joyce, Chris Remkus, Chris Duryea, Wes Frye
Other Discussions:
· Agreed to change the April Board of Trustees meeting to April 12th from April 19th.
· During the public comment section of the agenda, a resident questioned the reason for the resignations of the four members of the North Haven Park & Trails board members as well as the roles of the 501c3 and the Advisory Committee. He expressed concern over the resignations.
Working Session – March 14th – Topics Discussed
· Wetland/Coastal Setback Code
· SEQRA review process for the installation of the innovative alternative wastewater treatment system at Village Hall
· Changing procedures for approving designs for Lovelady Park
o The Board voted to change the Approval Process for designs for Lovelady Park. The process previously approved in November, 2022 required the North Haven Village Parks & Trails Association Board to present a Final Design Plan for the Park to the Board of Trustees for approval and identify phases of development and anticipated timeframes for each phase.
o The Board voted to remove the requirement for a Final Design Plan and allow the North Haven Village Parks & Trails Association Board to present design plans in individual piecemeal components for approval. While the Board initially was in favor of a final master design plan, after seeing the current progress on the park, the majority of the Board felt it is no longer viable to have a master plan but to take it idea by idea. The current stage might as well be the final stage since the park looks beautiful as is and is very usable as intended hence it doesn't require any additional elements (after the completion of the north path and the catwalk).
o All other elements of the previously approved Approval Process remain the same.
o Four Trustees voted in favor. Trustee Diat voted nay. Trustee Diat commented that she feels the development of Lovelady Park will be best served by having a comprehensive, overall, visionary plan. She does not feel developing one component at a time best serves the Park.
· Review Draft of 2023/2024 Village Budget
Resolutions Approved by the Board of Trustees:
· Approval of the installation of an innovative alternative (I/A) wastewater treatment system at Village Hall. The Board also authorizes the North Haven Water Quality Committee to apply for a grant from the Town of Southampton Community Preservation Fund.
Working Session – March 28, 2023 – Topics Discussed
· Wetland/Coastal Setback Code
· FAR/Building height Code changes
· Review Draft of 2023/2024 Village Budget
North Haven Code Trivia – Did You Know….
As per Village code, Chapter 163-20 Section 2(D) a permit must be obtained to remove mature native trees with a caliper of 19” or greater or American holly or cedar with a caliper above 10” at a height of 4.5 feet above ground level.
A permit to remove a mature tree shall be granted only if in the reasonable opinion of the Building Inspector or an arborist:
(a) it is diseased, dead or dying; or
(b) it poses a danger to people or property or it may cause or contribute to damage to a primary or accessory structure; or
(c) it is within or near the building envelope of construction plans on file with the Building Department
You can read the code section HERE.
