Once again this has been a busy year for the Orient Association. Thank you to all who have participated in and supported OA’s activities. Here are some of the things that have been on our agenda in 2023.
Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting was held on May 27th, 2023. I was re-elected along with Drianne Benner for Vice President, Tony Asch for Treasurer, and Imogen Rose Smith for Secretary. At the meeting, Mary Anne Taylor a consultant with CDM Smith filled us in on some of the initial findings of the Orient Water Study. Update on that below. Save the morning of May 25th, 2024, for our next Annual Meeting!
North Fork Civics of Southold
Once again, several members of the OA Board met regularly throughout the year with leaders from the other hamlet civic organizations to work together on shared priorities. This year the group focused on code enforcement, housing, and coastal resiliency. We like to think that our persistence paid off with stricter short term rental code and a 2024 budget allotment to start coastal resiliency planning. We look forward to continuing to work together in 2024 on issues we have in common. This year, we will be focused on the Town’s progress on the Zoning Update in addition to the other shared priorities. More about the Zoning Update in this newsletter!
Orient Water Project
Since initiating the study almost two years ago, the OA Water Committee and OA Board have come to the realization that probably the biggest threat to the sustainability of water resources is climate change. We asked the consultants to do some extra work to see how sea level rise will affect homes in Orient over the next 75 years. We were able to add these services thanks to those donors who generously supported this study. Meanwhile, we decided to conduct a Water Recommendations survey to find out more about how the community was addressing some of the issues that came up in our discussions with the consultant.
To see the survey results click here.
Suffolk County Department of Health Services Water Survey
In Fall 2022, the SCDHS issued a Water Quality Advisory after determining that several properties in Orient Village had high levels of PFAS compounds, “forever chemicals,” in their well water.
The survey area was expanded once in January 2023 to include all of the Orient Historic District and again in August to include homes near the Main Road up to Platt Road for a total of 227 properties. The participation rate has been very high, but there is no deadline, so if you are in the survey area, you can still get your well tested for free, and if remediation is needed, a water filtration system will be provided by the DEC. If you are not in the survey area, SCDHS will test your water for $100. You must request the PFAS testing be included. SCDHS recommends water testing once a year for all private wells.
Contact: 631-852-5810
OA Events in 2023—Recap
Here is a list of the events that the OA sponsored/co-sponsored:
January–Coastal Resilience Forum with Elizabeth Hornstein from Sea Grant as guest speaker.
February–Jason Hime from Suffolk County Department of Health Services joined us for a second information session about the SCDHS survey.
April–Earth Day Clean-up!
May–Annual Meeting with presentation by Mary Anne Taylor about the Orient Water Study initial findings
June–Forum on Town Code (and enforcement)
October–Candidates Forum a discussion with candidates for local offices
(the latter two events were co-sponsored by the East Marion Civic Association in collaboration with all of the North Fork Civics.)
November—“Trash Talk”, a discussion of composting and other ways we can reduce trash.
Deer Management
At the end of 2023, Governor Hochul signed a bill to allow Southold to develop a Deer Management Plan that would involve professional hunters. What does that mean for us? Read more about it below in this newsletter.
Upcoming Events—Save the Dates
March 3—Zoning Update Meeting
Sunday March 3rd at 2:00 in Poquatuck Hall
Zoom Link: https://orientassociation.org/zoning-update
March 4—Flooding and Hazard Mitigation Forum
Saturday, May 4th at 10:00 in Poquatuck Hall
April 21—2nd Annual Oysterponds Earth Day Clean Up
Sunday, April 21st
May 25—Orient Association Annual Meeting
Saturday, May 25th at 10:00 in Poquatuck Hall
Thank you for your continuing support of the Orient Association. We are looking forward to 2024 as we continue to uphold and sustain the interests of the Orient Community. Please use our website to learn more, renew your membership, and to share your thoughts and concerns.
Barbara Friedman
President, the Orient Association
Zoning Update Program
On Sunday, March 3 at 2 pm in Poquatuck Hall, the Orient Association is sponsoring a Meeting focused on Southold’s Zoning Code Update. OA is offering this program in coordination with all of Southold’s Civic Associations and the Town of Southold.
Having adopted a Comprehensive Plan in 2020, the Town is now working on one of the Goals of the Comprehensive Plan, updating the Zoning Code. The other goals of the Comprehensive Plan will serve as a guide for these updates. There are 13 goals in all, examples include: Protect the Town Character, Protect Natural Resources and the Environment, Preserve Farmland and Open Space, and Prepare for Natural Hazards. The Comprehensive Plan—Land Use Chapter pages 40-43 covers zoning, build-out potential and goals/issues specific to Orient.
The last major revision to the Zoning Code was in 1989, followed by incremental updates and revisions. The Zoning code shapes the visual, cultural and economic foundation for the Town through use definitions and permissions, lot coverage, bulk and height restrictions for both residential and commercial property. The Zoning Update is an opportunity not only to “clean-up” the code and make it more user-friendly, but also to codify a vision for the future. To read Southold Town’s Zoning code, find it here.
At the March 3rd meeting you will learn about zoning and get an overview of the Zoning Update Program by Town planning staff. You will also have an opportunity to voice your opinions about important community issues that can be addressed through zoning code changes. This is Orient’s chance to state our concerns and our priorities with regard to the shape of future development.
The Town website at southholdzoningupdate.com outlines the process the town intends to use for this zoning code revision. For more detailed information about the update process, please explore the project description presented on this site.
This project is being managed by the Town planning staff with assistance from a planning consulting group. Project financing has been provided through Town budgeted funds as well as a New York state grant.
To further assist in preparing the revised code, the Southold Town Board appointed a Zoning Advisory Committee comprised of nine community members and two planning staff members. This committee will have the responsibility to review and provide constructive feedback about all aspects of this project including community participation and recommended code updates.
To learn more about zoning in Orient and for a quick review of the zoning districts in Orient, find the maps here.
Food for Thought for Orient:
Goal: Protect the Town from Natural Hazards
Should the Town have a vision for how to deal with homes threatened by sea level rise?
Goal: Protect the Town Character
Should the zoning in the Historic District better reflect the context?
Should the code include scale, massing and placement typologies to assist in achieving desired development patterns for residential and commercial redevelopment and infill construction?
Goals: Preserve Farmland and Open Space, Retain and Advance the Business of Agriculture
What should be permitted on Conserved land?
What should the limits be on farm stands and Agritainment?
Goal: Create Attainable Housing
Should the rules be changed for Accessory Dwelling units?
How/where/in what form could Orient support multi-family housing?
Goal: Protect and Enhance the Town’s Natural Resources and Environment
Should a Special Groundwater Overlay District be used to protect the aquifer?
Should Coastal Zone Overlays be used to protect the waterfront?
Goal: Improve Traffic Congestion and Safety
Can pedestrian and bike paths be improved?
The future of Plum Island is still unknown- are enough guardrails in place that limit its potential to increase traffic?
What zoning topics are on your mind? Please come and share your thoughts this Sunday at 2:00pm. We are also offering a Zoom option for this meeting and will try to offer an opportunity for interaction on Zoom during the discussion part of the meeting.
Southold Deer Management
One of the enduring charms of the North Fork is its abundance of wildlife. Deer, turkey, ospreys and migratory birds bring life to the other natural beauties of our landscape. There are great risks, however, when populations explode beyond manageable numbers. Currently, it is estimated that there are 3,000 white-tailed deer in Southold Town, but the number could be much higher. Consequences of deer overpopulation include the prevalence of deer-related motor vehicle accidents, agricultural damage, overbrowsing of wooded areas, and an increase in tick-borne illness.
Southold Town has been proactive in combating deer overpopulation. According to Craig Jobes, environmental analyst for the Southold Department of Public Works, there have been about 4,000 deer harvested in Southold since 2020. Long Island deer hunting is done by archery only. The town maintains a facility in Peconic where recreational hunters can donate heir deer for processing at state-approved butchers. Deer meat is then donated to soup kitchens and anti-hunger efforts on Long Island. For more information on Southold’s deer management prior to 2024, you can listen to Hazel Kahan’s interview with Craig Jobes here.
Recreational hunting has not made a significant dent in the deer population, however. As of January 1, 2024, Southold Town has a mechanism for working directly with the NYS DEC on a pilot program that targets our unique challenges. The bill, signed by Governor Hochul in December, provides Southold with additional measures to manage overpopulation. This pilot program is currently only applicable to Southold and Syracuse and will be tested over the next two to three years. Town councilman Greg Doroski told the Orient Association that the program has the potential to allow professional hunters to utilize hunting methods previously only allowed under nuisance permits issued to private landowners. These methods could include the use of crossbows, lights, baiting and trapping. Since the passing of the bill, the town has been working on a formal proposal for the plan and a budget to pay professional hunters. The program does not change the restrictions on recreational hunting, although the original draft of the bill did include some additional privileges for recreational hunters.
As more and more large land parcels are fenced in, white-tailed deer have moved to smaller residential parcels without deer fencing. This migration increases the risk of tick-borne illnesses; each year, experts predict that the tick season will be worse than the last, and 2024 is no exception. There are some residents who would prefer to see a sterilization program instead of a hunting program. At over $1K/deer, the costs associated are prohibitive for the current local deer population. But it is not only the cost, it is the logistics of trying to sterilize such a large deer population on over 30,000 acres. More property owners willing to allow hunting on their property can help bring the deer population numbers down to a manageable number.Meanwhile, as always, residents should take care to avoid areas where ticks are abundant, apply repellent, and check for ticks on skin and clothing.
Recent Happenings
Saltwater Intrusion Forum
State Of The Bays 2024
