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Montauk homeowners seek wetlands variances for 336 sq ft pool; planners recommend denial
Summary
Applicants Matthew and Cheryl Schechter requested a natural-resources permit and two 25-foot variances to install a 336 sq ft pool, relocate sanitary facilities and add revegetation; planning staff recommended denial because the pool forces a sanitary system closer to wetlands, though the applicants proposed IA-OWTS and revegetation as mitigation.
The East Hampton Zoning Board of Appeals on March 31 heard an application from Matthew and Cheryl Schechter of 189 Fairview Avenue in Montauk to build a 336-square-foot swimming pool, fencing and related site work within freshwater-wetland setbacks and to upgrade the home's sanitary system.
Laurie Wiltshire, the applicant’s agent, told the board the project includes an advanced IA-OWTS septic upgrade and mitigation. "The proposed shallow leaching trenches ... will sit 2 feet above the groundwater and filter out nearly 100% of the nitrates," Wiltshire said, adding the applicants plan 1,645 square feet of revegetation and a 3,502-square-foot scenic easement adjacent to the wetlands and that the project has a DEC freshwater wetlands permit.
Tyler Borsak of the planning department urged denial. He said the parcel already exceeds clearing limits and that the proposed pool "necessitates the relocation of the sanitary system, not as mitigation, but as a requirement," which he judged would reduce setbacks and increase off-site impacts. Planning staff noted the lot has 17,148 square feet of clearing where only 10,000 is permitted and cautioned that even IA systems release nitrogen into effluent.
Board members probed engineering and design details, asking for pool cross-sections, clarification on how much of the pool would sit above grade and whether alternative septic layouts exist. Wiltshire and a consulting engineer disputed that the upgrade would worsen off-site impacts and said the IA-OWTS would reduce nitrogen relative to the existing cesspools. Planning staff countered that a conventional five-ring system might be feasible elsewhere on the property and that moving the sanitary system closer to the wetlands is a substantial and avoidable impact.
The board heard a field-inspection report that described standing water near the parcel and a nearby community preserve and reviewed photos showing the proposed pool location and a proposed shed/bin relocation. With no callers from the public line, the board closed the public hearing and made the project record available for deliberation.
Next steps: the board will consider the application against variance and NRC standards; planning staff requested time for additional comparisons to past approvals referenced by the applicant.
