Government Briefs 04.07.16
East Hampton Town
Time to Buy Recycling Permits
New East Hampton Town recycling permits for 2016 have been needed since April 1, for dropping off garbage and recyclables at the town’s two centers in Montauk and East Hampton.
The annual permits, which cost $115, or $55 for senior citizens aged 65 and up, are available at the town clerk’s office at Town Hall and at the Sanitation Department office at the East Hampton recycling center, which has reopened after being closed since Valentine’s Day, when its sprinkler system froze and there was a water leak.
A secondary recycling permit, for a second car in one household, costs $40.
Accabonac Condominiums
A town affordable housing project, 30 condominium units to be built on Accabonac Road in East Hampton, is moving forward, though Suffolk Health Department approvals are still pending, Councilwoman Sylvia Overby reported this week.
The Health Department has required additional information on the project before issuing the needed approvals, Ms. Overby said. Meanwhile, a request for proposals from builders who could construct the manor house-style development is being prepared, so that it may be issued as soon as the county approval comes in.
More Comfort at Ditch Plain
Renovations to the comfort station at Ditch Plain Beach in Montauk are under way, Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc reported on Tuesday. The work will double the number of bathroom stalls in both the men’s and women’s restrooms.
Debris Found on Montauk Beach
Debris found along the downtown beach in Montauk, which appears to be torn pieces of the geotextile bags used for the Army Corps of Engineers buried sandbag wall, will be collected and the source investigated, Mr. Van Scoyoc said Tuesday. The wall is virtually complete.
The debris was discussed at a meeting of the Montauk Citizens Advisory Committee on Monday night, after a cleanup effort by residents.
FEMA Grant for Gerard Drive
The two causeways along Gerard Drive in Springs, which are often overwashed during storms by waters from Gardiner’s Bay, cutting off access along the narrow finger of land between the bay and Accabonac Harbor, will be rebuilt and elevated, using money from a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant obtained by the town.
The FEMA grant will pay for 90 percent of the $826,750 project, which will include rebuilding portions of a revetment along the road. The work will ensure better access for homeowners and emergency responders, Supervisor Larry Cantwell said in a press release.
The grant was secured by members of the town’s finance department, including Charlene Kagel-Betts, the town’s chief auditor, and Nicole Ficeto, the grants coordinator, along with Highway Superintendent Steve Lynch, according to the release. Mr. Lynch will oversee the construction, which is expected to begin, and be completed, in the fall.
Southampton Town
Traffic Tests on County Road 39
In anticipation of the blinking light test program on County Road 39 at Tuckahoe Road during the week of April 18, county engineers will be on the road next week to collect baseline data. Crews will set up strips and run test vehicles through traffic, and this could add to the commuting logjam. Traffic may already be worse as drivers steer clear of a paving project on Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays.