Category Archives: work session

January 20, 2016

January 21, 2016 Progress For WHB Leave a comment

By: Progress for Westhampton Beach

A special meeting was convened to continue and complete two public hearings and hold a third. The first hearing was on Tonino’s application for a special exception to allow for additional seating. The hearing was closed without any further comment.

The second hearing was a continuation and completion on the hearing on the special exception to permit the owner of the old Sunset Avenue bowling alley to provide commercial space of 7,000 additional square feet for a commercial tenant above the 3,000 square foot limit. See CVS Posts, Parts I to V. There was opposition predicated upon the proposed use of this commercial space for CVS, but the village attorney attempted to make it clear, that is not a permissible consideration and that if the requirements under the code are met, then the board of trustees is required to grant the exception.

The third hearing held pertained to changes to the village code as pertains to peddling and soliciting.

The work session is at times a cauldron for ideas to be stirred, and this evening fit the bill. Trustee Rob Rubio asked for a representative from Chargepoint to make a presentation to the board. Chargepoint provides charging stations for electric cars. See list of electric cars. The biggest selling point was that having charging stations available would draw drivers into the village, to recharge and shop / dine while topping off the charge required. This selling point has evident validity during the early stages of an automotive transition to electric cars. The wager on such a transition taking place is the bet being made by Chargepoint and any commercial establishment that puts up a charging station. Hmmm, sounds like something for a Business Improvement District (BID). See e.g. NYC Business Improvement Districts.

Another idea advanced was rental stations for bicycles like those corporately sponsored in NYC by Citibank. Trustee Brian Tymann has already begun speaking with Bart and Toni-Jo Birk at Bike & Kite, with an eye towards employing their expertise in management and bicycle maintenance for such a program. The idea is in its infancy and requires more investigation and discussion.

The village is also entertaining the idea of bringing the beach food concession in-house. The proposal was favorably received, and the details will have to be worked out in the coming months for the 2016 summer season.

work session

July 15, 2015

July 18, 2015 Progress For WHB Leave a comment

By: Progress for Westhampton Beach

This month the work session was Wednesday, July 15th, the earliest date for a third Wednesday. The Work-Session-Agenda was full and with the meeting called to order at 7:00 p.m. public business was not concluded until 9:15 p.m. when the Board voted to enter executive session.

The work session began with a report from Beecher Halsey as the village liaison to the Gabreski Airport advisory committee. Mr. Halsey gave an informative report to the trustees concerning anticipated commercial development, and those matters more directly within his committee’s jurisdiction air traffic and noise abatement procedures in place to reduce the air traffic over the village.

The IGHL Kayak event originating at the village marina was authorized again for this year. Kayakers will launch here and paddle to Smith Point Park to camp overnight.

The Board adopted a Resolution to correct and clarify that the reconstituted Conservation Advisory Council is indeed a “council” and not a “board” as had been incorrectly stated in the original resolution.¹⁾the error was noted, and is now corrected. This council will be called upon to assemble important information concerning marine water quality; and will provide important insights to appropriate cost effective means to address such concerns as it identifies. See NY DEC technical briefing on nitrogen pollution and adverse impacts on tidal marshlands. We can expect Brian Tymann and William Bennett to add their important voices to this discussion with their past experience as Town of Southampton Trustees.

The Board discussed various code changes to: the Peddlers and Soliciting Law; Commercial Temporary Outdoor Displays; and Fast Food Restaurant laws. The Village Clerk was authorized to publish notice of a public hearing to consider a change in the definition of Fast Food restaurant to include establishments with three or more cash registers, at present businesses can only have a single register — otherwise they are classified as a prohibited fast food restaurant.

Brian Tymann agreed to speak with Southampton Town Trustees about coordinating the establishment of a pump out station for boats at the marina with the caveat that such an improvement will be considered in conjunction with the development of a sewer district.

The Board of Trustees in April budgeted funds for a Master Plan update, and insofar as village planner Kyle Collins has informed the trustees that he would prefer to serve in a supportive role rather than a primary architect, the firm of Nelson, Pope and Vorhiss has submitted a proposal to be considered at the next meeting of the Trustees on August 6th.

The Board of Trustees discussed a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the preparation of a sewer district map and plan. Once such a plan is prepared the Trustees and the residents will be able to take the first steps in an informed process that will consider both environmental and fiscal impacts of waste water treatment for the village.

Ron Hill from Dunn Engineering was present to discuss the Main Street project directed towards the milling and repaving of Main Street and sidewalk repair in many portions along Main Street. Of particular note is the rainwater catch basin located by the Beach Bakery that requires structural repair. This will be the right time to address this concern.

The CVS – Sunset West application for a special exception was discussed. The applicant had filed architectural drawings and responses to questions of the trustees. However, those drawings were then withdrawn and a new submission has now been made for review.

References [ + ]

↑

the error was noted, and is now corrected.

Our Village, work session

Special Work Session – Comprehensive Plan

May 30, 2015 Progress For WHB Leave a comment

Follow Progress For Westhampton Beach

By: Progress for Westhampton Beach

The meeting was called to order on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. to discuss a proposal for a review of the Comprehensive Plan for the village that has been submitted by Nelson Pope & Voorhis.

In attendance were Victor Levy, Chair of the Planning Board and Ralph Neubauer member of the Planning Board; Gerard Piering, Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) together with Jim Badzik and Joe Musnicki both members of the ZBA; Greg Minasian, Chair of the Architectural Review Board (ARB), and Laurette Lizak and Marion Covello both members of the ARB.

Kyle Collins, the Village Planner, was unable to attend, but has agreed to submit written comments on the Nelson Pope & Voorhis proposal. Mr. Collins advised the Mayor and Planning Board Chairman, Victor Levy, that the demands of his employment with the Town of Southampton prevent him from undertaking the thorough review of the Comprehensive Plan personally.

The meeting was a good start. Bringing together members of the four boards: Trustees, Planning, ZBA and ARB promotes the sharing of information that often remains in separate silos. There is a lot more to be done.

The existing Comprehensive Plan gives primacy to a thriving B-1 district that is pedestrian friendly. In this plan anything in the B-2 and B-3 districts that might compete with business in the B-1 is to be avoided. Nonetheless, an examination of the zoning map shows there is a Hotel District on the west side of Old Riverhead Road and on Montauk Highway from Old Riverhead Road to Depot Road.¹⁾Now before the Planning Board for approval for construction of a 48 condominium units in this Hotel District.

Village Code §197-16.3 Hotel District (added 2/14/2000)

The Hotel District is intended to provide for reasonably sized and scaled transient lodging facilities appropriate to the Village’s needs. The Hotel District is intended to support the Village’s other land uses, strengthening their customer base, while also providing the temporary visitor with accessible accommodations in modern facilities. The Hotel District is also intended to accommodate a moderate number of reasonable and expected accessory uses. Other compatible uses are senior citizen housing and assisted-living (congregate-care) housing developments.

Doesn’t a Hotel District provide the pedestrians and consumers who would support the B-1 district? At the same time, such a use in the B-1 district would require water treatment. Is our objective to further support or to restrict the B-1 district? How much does the B-1 District contribute to the tax base for the village, town and school district? How much more could it contribute if the infrastructure supported the B-1 District? Would this result in a net gain for the village if a sewer system is installed to service the B-1 District, not only in tax revenues, but in both the greater availability of convenient public accommodations and the enhanced water quality in Moniebogue Canal?

The same could be said for the Multifamily District zone that was adopted for the property where the asphalt plant is currently located at the north end of Rogers Avenue. What kind of quality multifamily housing would be built next to the Long Island Railroad tracks and between the south ends of Gabreski runways 24 and 19? We already have Multifamily Districts for the Patio Villas, the Harbour House and Westhampton Landings.

A review of the Comprehensive Plan may not change the objective of the plan but it is certainly time for fully informed, candid, discussions about the future of our village and the Comprehensive Plan we want to have to be prepared for that future.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00. To be continued…

References [ + ]

↑

Now before the Planning Board for approval for construction of a 48 condominium units in this Hotel District.

A Fresh Start