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Oak Island Beach Association tells Town of Babylon it has state and federal permits for proposed community dock
Summary
Representatives of the Oak Island Beach Association told the Town Board the association has U.S. Army Corps and New York DEC approvals for a reduced six-slip community dock and urged the town not to delay with mediation.
Representatives of the Oak Island Beach Association told the Town of Babylon Town Board on April 9 that the association has federal and state approvals for a community dock and urged the board to act rather than refer the matter to mediation.
"There is no legitimate basis for this board to take the self interest opposition of a few people to hold up the desired use of community property by an overwhelming majority of the members," said Arnie Lanzillotta, president of the Oak Island Beach Association Inc., at the board's open-comment period.
Edwin Mead, a registered expediter representing the association in permit matters, said the association originally applied for 10 slips but trimmed the proposal to six and received approvals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Mead said he had been prepared since November to present details at a public hearing on the association's Coastal Erosion Hazard Area application.
Lanzillotta told the board the association represents 72 homes, 32 of which are waterfront; 25 private docks already exist in the community. The association held a membership vote on Aug. 21, 2021, to permit a community dock; the membership vote recorded in that meeting minutes was 34 in favor and 28 opposed. Lanzillotta said his subsequent poll of members produced 46 yes votes, 2 no votes and 6 abstentions among returned signed ballots with 18 ballots outstanding at the time of his remarks.
Lanzillotta and Mead said opponents include some residents who already maintain private docks on the same beach. Lanzillotta said the association developed rules to address opponents' concerns, including restrictions on parking and having only users pay construction and maintenance costs.
The association urged the town not to require mediation at the town's expense; the speakers said the association would be willing to cover costs but asked the board to move toward approving the community dock or at least hold a public hearing to present its permit details. The association submitted photographs to the clerk for the record.
No formal action on the community-dock application was taken at the April 9 meeting.
