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Planning board refers 1027 Constable Drive site plan and wetlands permit to Harbor and Coastal Zone Commission
Summary
The Village of Mermanic Planning Board on Jan. 8, 2025 classified the application for 1027 Constable Drive as a Type 2 action and unanimously referred it to the Harbor and Coastal Zone Commission for consistency review. Neighbors raised flooding and seawall‑height concerns and asked staff and consultants to address tidal/seawall interactions with proposed dry wells.
The Village of Mermanic Planning Board voted on Jan. 8, 2025 to classify the 1027 Constable Drive application as a Type 2 action and to refer it to the Harbor and Coastal Zone Commission (HCCM) for a consistency review ahead of the planning board’s wetlands and site‑plan review.
Attorney Jessica Zalen, representing owner Joseph Caserta, said the project proposes to raise the house approximately 2½ feet, add a small rear addition and a spa/terrace, and to install stormwater management infrastructure and 19 new native trees to replace lawn. Zalen asked the board to issue a HCCM referral and to treat the application as Type 2 under the village’s procedural rules so the HCCM can complete its consistency review.
Consultants flagged typical coastal‑zone issues — stormwater, soil testing and FEMA floodplain considerations — and asked for HCCM review because the property is adjacent to Long Island Sound. The board voted to refer the application; members noted that HCCM review and a later wetlands hearing would provide additional public‑comment opportunities.
Neighbors raised concerns about chronic flooding on Constable Drive and how the planned dry wells would perform when seawater overtops a low seawall or when high tides push salt water into the drainage system. Steve Simkin, vice president of the Oriental Point Association and an adjacent neighbor, urged the board to consider seawall height, neighborhood drainage patterns and an apparent inconsistency in submitted plans regarding preservation of a large oak tree. "Adding more water to this street is obviously something that we need to be very concerned about," Simkin said.
The board’s referral means HCCM will review coastal consistency and provide comments back to the planning board; the planning board will schedule a formal wetlands permit hearing after receiving HCCM’s input and the applicant submits any additional materials requested.
No final planning board action on the wetlands permit or site plan was taken at this meeting beyond the Type‑2 classification and referral to HCCM.
