Town Hall Notebook: Updates on ADA grant, Cedar Beach Road parking ban

Southold has won $200,000 in block grant funds for updates to bring bathrooms at Town Hall and the recreation center into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Detailed plans have not been set yet, but upgraded bathroom fixtures will likely come with sensors. There are four bathrooms at Town Hall and two at the recreation center that need renovations. 

Government liaison officer Denis Noncarrow proposed making renovations at the recreation center the priority for now, as the town continues to discuss possible construction of a new Town Hall. 

“Entering into those bathrooms need quite a bit of ADA help and I think, once we do all that, I think we’re going to go through that money just through the rec center bathroom,” he said, adding that the town will likely need to outsource for “architectural help.” 

The town has scheduled a public hearing on the renovations for Tuesday, July 27 at 4:30 p.m. 

CEDAR BEACH ROAD PARKING 

Town Board members tabled a vote on whether to prohibit parking along Cedar Beach Road after a public hearing Tuesday night that saw residents comment on both sides of the issue. 

Marcy Fetyani, a Cedar Beach Road resident, spoke in favor of the prohibition. 

“It needs to be a controlled environment because garbage is left on the street and there’s a disregard for the beach, honestly,” she said. “It’s also an issue for those of us who live in the neighborhood, you know. Cars flying down the street at night, it just becomes an issue. It’s a nice quiet area, I’d like to keep it that way.” 

Board member Sarah Nappa spoke on behalf of a local resident who was concerned the prohibition would “effectively make it impossible” to night fish at the beach. 

The Town Board agreed to revisit the issue in two weeks. 

RESTORING WIDOW’S HOLE PRESERVE 

The Peconic Land Trust is applying for funding to finance continued restoration of Widow’s Hole Preserve in Greenport. 

The organization plans to dredge the mouth of Widow’s Hole “for small vessel navigation and aquaculture operations” and use the dredged materials to replenish the surrounding beach and habitat. The land trust also plans to create “low-impact public access” to the preserve through efforts such as establishing an educational kiosk, a boardwalk and native plantings, according to an outline of restoration plans. 

Southold Town has agreed to provide a letter of support to strengthen their grant application. 

MAMMOGRAM SCREENING

Stony Brook Cancer Center’s mammogram screening van will be at the Southold Town Recreation Center on Tuesday, Aug. 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The program is available to women over 40 who have not had a mammogram in the past year. Anyone interested should make an appointment and bring their insurance card with photo ID. Those without health insurance will be processed through New York’s Cancer Services Program, if eligible. There’s no out-of-pocket expense. 

Call 631-638-4135 to make an appointment.