Fresh & Co to move building to the west
The Southold Planning Board met Monday with representatives of the Tenedios Agricultural Building, a proposed 8,664-square-foot building to house livestock and store feed, supplies and farm equipment on 34.5 acres of farmland owned by Fresh & Co adjacent to Narrow River Road in Orient.
The board discussed the many concerns the public brought up at past public hearings, like the scenic impact, wetlands and surface water protection from animal waste, and the possibility of special events at the location.
Representatives for the landowner, Pat Moore and Bill Kelly, said that they understand that there are no special events permitted on land where development rights were sold, which includes the land where the barn sits.
“If anywhere else on the property, it goes to the Town Board and is out of our purview,” planning board chairman Donald Wilcenski said.
The board completed a site visit at the proposed location, where they determined the paddocks had good quality grass cover and flood zones were checked. The Southold Town Trustees were also able to verify the building is far enough away from wetlands. The board did recommend the applicant move the pig enclosure 50 feet off the southwest border of the property to prevent runoff into the wetlands.
The Architectural Review Committee and the Land Preservation Committee recommended that the Planning Board require the structure be moved 200 feet to the west. The applicant complied.
The Agricultural Committee said that the scenic vista should not be impacted, but rather that this barn could be part of the scenic vista since it is set so far back from Main Road, according to Planning Board staff reports.
As for environmental concerns, the Southold Town Trustees admitted that the proposed barn location is outside its jurisdiction, but would like the applicant’s cooperation in contacting professional guidance from Cornell Cooperative Extension and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Planning Department director Heather Lanza said that the landowner provided information about how he plans to manage the animals and that he had good farm management practices such as rotational grazing and buffers from the wetlands.
The Long Island Farm Bureau also submitted comments to the board saying that it would be a concern if the town sets a precedent on restricting farm land, and they would encourage but not require the farm to have a voluntary Nutrient Management Plan and Integrated Pest Management Plan done by the local Soil and Water Conservation District.
The planning board closed the public hearing on the Tenedios Agricultural Barn proposal last month.
Photo: Bill Kelly and Pat Moore talk to planning board members and staff at Monday’s work session.
