Transportation Planks

Goals of Transportation Proposals:

1.   Reduce dependency upon the automobile for residents, tourists and travelers. 

To make accessible by public transportation:  Cross Island Ferry at Orient Point; shopping, entertainment and recreational cites such as: the Atlantis aquarium, Tanger Outlet, Splish Splash, museums, the courts, vineyards, festivals and special events.

2.   Provide transportation for the young, the poor, those who do not drive or do not own cars; those looking to save money due to the increasing cost of gasoline.

3.   Reduce traffic and conserve energy.

4.   Stimulate business and the economy.

5.   Allow for opportunities to commute to work.

Facts:

1.  MTA has not provided adequate transportation to the North Fork, yet we pay the same payroll tax as those in other areas who are well served. This tax is extremely unpopular here, especially amongst employers.

Greenport has two trains arriving from the West and three trains going East, many at odd inconvenient hours.

 An independent East End Transportation Authority would be governed by representatives of the East End towns whose sole interest is in public transportation for those towns.

2.  The rails, roadbed, signaling, grade crossings and the few existing stations are handicapped accessible, in excellent condition and well maintained.  What is lacking is train service.

Frequently scheduled trains open up employment opportunities in western Suffolk; would stimulate the tourist and business economy; reduce traffic on some crowded roads; allow access to shopping; recreational cites and the courts.

3.  Currently eliminated station stops at these locations once had rail service. 

4.   At newly created stops, connecting bus and, or, van service may well be provided at no public expense by Tanger Mall, Splish Splash, vineyards and B&B owners.  These locations are often inaccessible for those who cannot or do not drive or own automobiles or need factor the cost of gasoline into the trip.

5.  The number of cars traveling to and from the Cross Sound Ferry, Orient Point has created traffic problems on North Fork roads, particularly on the two lane Rt. 25 East of Southold and parking problems at the location.  Many now park on the side of the road as the parking lot becomes full.

A train-bus connection to the ferry at Greenport would stimulate business in  downtown Greenport, reduce traffic and parking problems.

6.   Special excursion service had always been a part of LIRR service.  All such special service has now been almost eliminated.  Special service and excursion trains enhance the viability of events, encourage tourism, stimulate the economy and reduce traffic.

7.  Throughout the U.S. and other countries there are hundreds of tourist railroads many with steam powered engines.  The LIRR Museum, located in downtown Riverhead across from the train station, is in the process of restoring LIRR Steam Engine #39, one of the last steam engines to run in regular service.   Remaining repairs are estimated to cost about $2 million.  When completed it is envisioned the oil powered steam engine will run between Riverhead and Greenport which also has a LIRR museum.  Public funding, though initially costly, will benefit all stops along the way including vineyards; help restore economic activity in the currently depressed downtown Riverhead area and make Riverhead and Greenport tourist destinations.  Long term tax revenue should well exceed initial public investment.  Atlantis Aquarium is within walking distance of the Riverhead station as are many restaurants and other cities.

8.  The newly rebuilt siding from the Main Line to the former Grumman property is ready to serve new and existing businesses and industries there.  The New York and Atlantic, a short line rail provider, now handles all freight once moved by the LIRR which now concentrates on commuter operations. 

A railroad freight car generally can carry what is contained in three tractor trailers, significantly lowering the cost of transportation for industry.  Every freight car arriving on Long Island eliminates three tractor trailer trucks from our highways.  This new siding has the potential to attract new industries to the East End; lesson our seasonal dependence upon agriculture and tourism and increase employment in business, service and manufacturing. 

9.  Frequent service between Greenport and Ronkonkoma for connecting van or bus service to MacArthur, but few miles away. 

Throughout the year North Fork residents make sometimes frequent trips to MacArthur Airport to pick up, leave off a relative or friend or fly from.  Round trip from Southold village about mid point on the North Fork is about 100 miles.  Many do not like to leave cars there in the parking lot due to additional expense and concern for their automobiles.

The Railroad runs in pretty much a straight line from Greenport to Ronkonkoma, no traffic, no cost from increasing expensive gasoline, convenient and available to non-drivers.

Environmental Planks

PREAMBLE 

Environment matters. Irrigation and water use; rural amenities and soil conservation; land use,   value and management; organic farming and marketing; all matter. Natural and historic resources; marine and built environments; green building design and energy conservation, all matter. Economic prosperity and environmental well-being; environmental governance and sustainable development; eco-system health and human health; water and air quality, all matter. Southold Town’s ability to meet its current and long-term environmental stewardship and comprehensive planning responsibilities, matters. The members of the Southold Town Democratic Party recognizes that the 2011 election cycle represents a critical moment and an excellent opportunity for it to field, and the voters to elect, a full slate of candidates fully engaged with and responsive to the general public for whom environmental matters.

The emergence of a Democratic majority on the Town Board will represent a fundamentally new architecture in Town governance and would enlarge those voices that matter most: long time residents and recent arrivals, year round residents or second home owners, local farmers or farm producers, vintners, vine and farm workers; retirees, artists and artisans, restaurateurs, and local fishers and boaters of all sorts as well as  those individuals and families who seek to preserve and improve Southold Town for their children, residents, and visitors alike.

Therefore, we the members of the Democratic Committee, recognize that Southold’s social, environmental, and historical heritage is found in the people who live, work, and play here; and that  the importance and  value of its villages and hamlets, landscapes and marine resources, require a carefully considered approach that brings forth the significant benefits derived by integrating environmental management with human needs, and the need to engage from the full spectrum of private sector businesses, agricultural and coastal landowners, home owners and renters, hereby recommend the following resolutions:

• The STDC respects individual property rights.  However, consideration must be given to ensure individual property rights do not interfere with or diminish the health and well-being of neighbors, community and natural environment. 
• The STDC acknowledges the reality of Global Climate Change and proper legislation and appropriate public policy can mitigate the some of the effects of and help us prepare for a changing climate. 
• The STDC believes our locally elected officials must take an active role in ensuring that the operations of the Millstone Nuclear Power Facility do not adversely affect the health and safety of east end residents or our environment.  Effective emergency planning must be in place in the event of an incident.
  
• The STDC supports the adoption and enactment of a Comprehensive Master Plan with the following components:

1.   Preservation of our rural character and the Agricultural Industry. 

The world food supply is stressed by increased production and shipping costs, the continuing loss of productive farm land, and by the effects of climate change.  The food supply is further pressured by increasing world population and hence an increase in world hunger.  In the face of this, it will become more critical to maintain Southold’s agricultural base and the ability to produce food locally.  Incentives should be created for those who want to grow food for local markets. In addition, CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and community gardens must be supported.

Preserving farmland is beneficial to the local economy.  Reducing build out will keep taxes down. All reputable planning groups agree that added housing raises taxes:
Please see the Economic Benefits of Open Space Preservation issued by the Office of the State Comptroller, March 2010: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/environmental/openspacepreserv10.pdf.  In addition, preservation of agriculture and the production of local wine and foods maintain Southold’s rural character, which in turn supports tourism, a key component of our local economy.

Currently, as codified in Town Law, Agricultural Conservation (AC) land can become residential development.  Although the Town identified prime farm land and acknowledged the importance of preserving AC land to preserve farming, AC land permits the same uses as R80 (2 acre/res. unit) land.  The Town has a fairly successful Purchase of Development Rights Program (PDR), but it relies solely on the willingness of land owners to participate, the success of which is heavily influenced by market forces, and doesn’t guarantee farmland will be preserved.  Current zoning has created a situation where farmland is often too expensive for farmers, especially for new farmers and those wanting to grow food crops as they are competing with developers for land.

2.   Preservation and restoration of critical environmentally sensitive lands and habitats.

Preserving habitats will preserve biodiversity on the North Fork.   Southold Town can achieve this by continued partnerships with the NYS and Suffolk County to purchase critical environmental parcels of land, through Planning and Zoning initiatives and by strengthening and adhering to environmental protection laws

http://www.suite101.com/content/benefits-of-biodiversitywildlife-conservation-a282597
 

3.   Protection of Ground Waters

Climate change is creating water shortages globally.  The North Fork water is provided by a sole-source aquifer.  We are bound to face water shortages in the coming decades and we cannot depend on out-of-town supplies of water to meet community needs.  The heavy use of both residential and agricultural fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides have polluted both ground and surface waters and jeopardized human health.  We must eliminate the use of dangerous chemicals, encourage best management practices, and phase out the use of household lawn and garden chemicals.  In addition, we must carefully conserve our resource.

4.   Protection/restoration of wetlands, shorelines and surface waters and facilitate/restore public access to our shorelines. 

Our beaches, wetlands and water bodies have been degraded by pollution, inappropriate shoreline development and overfishing.  Subterranean septic systems are responsible for much of the harmful nitrogen that leaches into our groundwater and our surface waters, damaging wetlands, killing fish and encouraging the growth of invasive species. 

The Peconic Estuary Program is one of only 28 such marine preservation programs in the country. It is a heavy responsibility on Southold to control pollution and to join in bringing back our marine life. We are part of a world wide effort:   http://www.peconicestuary.org/CCMP.html

Current law regarding the maintenance of septic systems is inadequate, routinely ignored, and rarely enforced. Run-off from roads and farming operations has further polluted creeks and estuaries. (http://www.peconicbaykeeper.org/sitecontent.cfm?contentID=4&storyID=10 )

Shoreline hardening in the form of docks, bulkheads and groins has hastened the erosion of our shores and limits public access to our shorelines.  The accelerating rise in sea level confronting our hardened shoreline will result in the disappearance of salt marshes and intertidal zones.  Episodes of storm surges launched from higher sea levels will cause destruction and financial hardship to public and private properties.

To this end we promote the following actions:

   A.   Adherence to the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan     http://www.nyswaterfronts.com/LWRP/Town%20of%20Southold/default/Town_of_Southold_LWRP.htm
   B.   Adoption of the proposed “Residential Dock” legislation (please see attached)
   C.   Creation and adoption of a Comprehensive Shoreline Plan as outlined by the  

         Conservation Advisory Council (CAC)

   D.  Adoption of progressive septic codes, based on current science.   

5.  Decrease the potential number of building unit allowed under present zoning and redirect development away from farm land and open space to more appropriate areas.

Tourism is a key piece of Southold’s economy. To support tourism, the maintenance of open space, agriculture, our clean marine environment, and the rural small town feeling of Southold is extremely important. By this means we also maintain the Southold that we all love. 

In addition, Southold has limited resources (especially clean, potable drinking water) and the community has agreed preserving farming and protecting our natural resources are priorities, build out should be substantially reduced from what  is allowed under current zoning.  Rather than creating new subdivisions on AC lands, development should be directed to the Hamlet Centers and Halo Zones, where opportunities for mixed housing, including work force housing, may be greater.  But it is imperative that we attain overall control of land use and planning so that the enactment of sanitary waste purification does not open the development floodgates.  

6.    Promotion of green building standards and LEED certification for commercial buildings. http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=3330

7.   Promotion of renewable energy and mechanisms to lower Southold’s Carbon Footprint

The gulf coast disaster revealed the real cost of continuing to rely on fossil fuels for energy.  If we are to transition from carbon producing fuels and do our part to stem the tide of global climate change, reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources and become more self reliant, the Town must act proactively to promote this transition.  This can be done in a number of ways including through tax incentives, more liberal laws in relation to wind and solar development (especially in AC land and SGAs) and Town Sponsored Renewable Energy projects.

8. Preservation of Plum Island or limitation of uses to R&D of non-polluting uses such as renewable energy research or generation.  Plum Island is both an ecologically diverse and historically significant island and must not be developed commercially or residentially.  Plum Island should be preserved as a National Wildlife Refuge as argued by the Preserve Plum Island Coalition. (http://www.preserveplumisland.org/)