Huntington Town Board Approves Major Update of Marine Conservation Law

The Huntington Town Board, at its March 8, 2016 meeting, approved a major update of the Town’s Marine Conservation Law, incorporating revisions suggested by several Town departments, the Town’s Conservation Board and the Harbor and Boating Advisory Council.

The changes cover a wide variety of areas, including updating and streamlining the approval process for

dredging and deposition of material and the construction or reconstruction of marine structures. The changes also establish engineering standards for marine structures and establish a separate permit for emergency maintenance or storm damage.

The changes also clarify that a permit is not needed for routine maintenance of a marine structure and exempts municipalities and special improvement districts from having to get permits for marine structures, provided the construction or use is for a governmental, municipal or district purpose.

In other action, the Town Board:

— approved an amendment to Town code allowing the granting of parking variances to allow restaurants or service businesses in large office and industrial buildings.

— appointed Craig Levy, Glenn Murrell and Joanne Minieri to the Melville Plan Advisory Committee as the representatives, respectively, of the Melville Chamber of Commerce, New York State Department of Transportation and  Suffolk County IDA. They replaced representatives who had left their respective groups.

— authorized the Town’s Community Development Agency to administer a $370,000 state grant on the Town’s behalf, part of which will be used  to perform needed renovations to the circa 1900 farmhouse called the Teich House at 12 Academy Place, Huntington Station for use as part of Gateway Park. The Board approved retaining Ravco Construction of Coram to do the renovations. The house will be used for educational programming about Huntington’s agricultural history, for meeting and exhibit space and to provide a handicapped-accessible restroom for Gateway Park.

— approved settlement of dispute between the Town and Center Island Services Inc. and Cablevision over the number of road opening permits Center Island Services obtained on Cablevision’s behalf. The Town is to receive $100,000 under the settlement.

— accepted the donation of funds from the Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs to purchase two No Wake buoys. The buoys will be deployed seasonally in Town waters. Ones presently in use have proved effective in reducing speeding.

— set an April 5 public hearing on a resolution to repeal the section of Town code limiting where registered sex offenders may live. The repeal will bring the Town into conformance with a State Court of Appeals decision that the state, not the Town, makes that determination.

— set an April 5 public hearing on several changes to the Town building code, including changing the language regarding cellars and attics to indicate that the spaces cannot be used as habitable space unless they meet the requirements of the State Building and Fire Code.