Commission opens public hearing on proposed outfall extension and seawall repairs at 10657 Oaks Lane

The Harbor Coastal Zone and Management Commission opened a public hearing June 18 on a marine-structure permit for work at 10657 Oaks Lane after hearing engineers describe a proposed outfall extension and limited seawall repairs intended to reduce beach erosion.

Azure d Sleicher of Race Coastal Engineering told the commission the project would extend the existing outfall with a 74-foot, 6-inch cast-iron pipe buried a couple of feet under the sand and discharge onto a rocky area below the mean high water line. Sleicher said the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Environmental Conservation had reviewed and approved permitting for the work and that the proposed construction would be temporary and limited to low-tide windows, with an anticipated three-day construction window during consecutive low tides.

"We're going to pipe it on a 6-inch diameter cast-iron pipe, and it's going to then follow along the seawall and discharge right around here," Azure d Sleicher said, explaining the design and its intent to move discharge off the beach to reduce runnels and erosion.

Commissioners pressed the applicants on ecological effects of moving the discharge point. The commission’s wetland-science discussion noted Spartina alterniflora and other intertidal species in nearby habitats and asked whether relocating the daylighting point from the high-beach sand to a rockier intertidal area could alter conditions for small invertebrates such as fiddler crabs and snails. "All we're doing is moving about a handful of stones around," Sleicher said, adding the applicants will submit a supplemental wetland report and additional photos to address those concerns.

The chair emphasized the commission’s standard practice of requesting up-to-date wetland opinions when project scope extends closer to tidal waters than prior approvals. The commission asked the applicant to provide the Army Corps and New York Department of State consistency documentation and an updated wetland-scientist opinion with photos for the next meeting; Theresa, a village participant on the call, requested quantified estimates of construction impacts and photographic documentation in the updated materials.

The chair moved, and the commission voted to open the public hearing; the hearing will remain open through the next meeting to allow written comments and the requested supplemental materials to be filed for the record. The commission also invited harbor-master feedback on navigability and construction methods; the harbor master said he had no navigational concerns based on the submitted plans.

The public hearing will remain open; the commission expects the applicant to file a wetland-scientist report and supporting photos prior to the next meeting.