Just a few decades ago, Greenport Village looked very different. READ
Tag: Pat Mundus
RACHEL YOUNG PHOTO | A view of Peconic Bay from Sterling Street in Greenport.
Greenport property owner Paul Henry wants to build a two-story yacht club on Sterling Street — but before he submits an application for site plan approval, the Greenport Planning Board said it wants an idea of what the proposed building will look like and exactly how the property will be used.
During an application pre-submission conference at the village Planning Board’s Thursday work session, board members discussed their concern that the structure Mr. Henry hopes to build might infringe on residents’ views of Peconic Bay. The lot, which is 25 feet deep and faces the water, is owned by Osprey Zone LLC, a private holding company of which Mr. Henry is the principal. Osprey Zone also owns a marina on the property that currently rents boat storage space to eight tenants, Mr. Henry said.
“This is a very small piece of property and it’s separated from the other side of the street,” board member Lynn Atkinson-Loveless said. “It might seem very imposing and have a very big impact on that neighborhood in terms of changing what’s there.”
David Kapell, who retired as Greenport mayor in 2007 and continues in his real estate business, attended the meeting as an authorized agent for Osprey Zone. In a phone call, Mr. Kapell said the proposed yacht club would sit six feet back from Sterling Street. To maximize parking, the structure would be built eight feet off the ground, allowing cars to park underneath it, he said.
When board member Lynn Atkinson-Loveless said she was confused as to how the proposed yacht club would be used, Mr. Kapell told her he envisions having a restroom and shower facilities, storage space, an ice-making facility and marina office. The men said they’d also like to create a sort of common room for yacht club members on the building’s second floor — a place where people who store their boats at Osprey Zone’s marina can “congregate, socialize and relax,” Mr. Henry said. He added that he has no plans to operate a restaurant, construct a bar or serve alcohol in the building.
At the meeting’s conclusion, board members said they hoped Mr. Henry would present a thorough application for site plan approval.
“I think that we’ve made our points and what we hope to see on the application,” Ms. Atkinson-Loveless told him. “We don’t have it yet, so we’re trying to give you a sense of what our concerns are.”
Standing outside the firehouse after the meeting, Mr. Henry said he thought what the Planning Board told him and Mr. Kapell was “informative.”
“It gives us some homework,” he said. “I feel like we’re all on the same page.”
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story suggested Mr. Kappell was the principal on the project. He represented the project as an authorized agent.
KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | Greenport Business Improvement District members (from left) Rita Hagerman, Linda Kessler, Pat Mundus and Peter Clarke. Ms. Hagerman is a founding member, Ms. Kessler and Ms. Mundus are new members, and Peter Clarke is a member and President of the BID.
Two new members were elected to the Greenport Business Improvement District’s board last Friday during the group’s annual election, held downtown at Claudio’s Restaurant.
Linda Kessler, owner of the vintage and antique shop Kessie, and Pat Mundus, who rents space at Hanff’s Boat Yard for her business, East End Charters, were elected to the 11-member board.
BID members Peter Clarke and Rita Hagerman were also re-elected last Friday to serve another term. Mr. Clarke is the owner of Clarke’s Garden on Main Street and has served as BID president since January. Printmaker Ms. Hagerman has served on the BID board since 1994 and is a village property owner.
The BID’s board consists of three appointees and eight elected members. Each seat carries a two-year term.
The elected members of the BID are voted on by anyone who owns property, operates a business or resides within the district. The three appointees include one chosen by the mayor, one chosen by the Village Board and one chosen by the village treasurer. In April, Greenport Village Mayor David Nyce appointed Greenport Harbor Brewing Company co-founder Richard Vandenburgh and the Village Board appointed Mr. Nyce. The BID is currently looking to fill the village treasurer’s appointed seat, formerly held by Leueen Miller.
Half of the elected board members must own property within the district and the other four elected members must be tenants. This make-up is a fixed proportion.
Ms. Kessler will serve on the BID board as a property owner and Ms. Mundus will serve as a tenant.
Mr. Clarke said he believes Ms. Kessler’s years of experience as a downtown business owner will help the BID plan future events.
“I think she has an active interest in helping us organize to create more events that will contribute to the economic vitality of the business improvement district,” he said.
Ms. Mundus, sailor and daughter of well-known shark fisherman Frank Mundus of Montauk, was appointed to serve on the village Planning Board earlier this year. She also sits on the board of directors of the Brecknock Hall Foundation and was a Greenport Maritime Festival organizer.
“One of our objectives is to increase our work on the maritime, boating and water aspects of our village and I think Pat will really help us with that,” Mr. Clarke said.
In addition to electing its board, the BID also approved its 2014 spending plan at Friday’s meeting. The BID’s current fiscal year began July 1 and ends June 30, 2013.
Mr. Clarke said the BID’s future goals includes launching a marketing plan, increasing support for village events and improving signage to the district’s boundaries and municipal parking areas.
He said 20 percent of the organization’s $45,000 budget will be allocated for a marketing/social media/public relations program.
“We had a good summer season and we are filled with ideas to continue to unite the district and make Greenport a great place to do business for both residents and visitors,” Mr. Clarke said.
The BID board is expected to elect its officers — president, vice president, treasurer and secretary — during its regular meeting in January.
For more information about the Greenport BID, visit www.greenportvillage.com.
JENNIFER GUSTAVSON FILE PHOTO | The Greenport Village Board meeting is tonight at 6 p.m.
The Greenport Village Board is expected to appoint an all-new planning board at its monthly meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at the Third Street firehouse.
The entirely new five-member board will include real estate appraiser Peter Jauquet; attorney Linnea Atkinson-Loveless; realtor Julia Robins; Patricia Mundus, sailor and daughter of well-known shark fisherman Frank Mundus of Montauk; and Reverend Bradley Ben Burns, a former village board trustee.
Greenport Farmers’ Market organizers Lara McNeil and Eileen Rich left the planning board in March shortly after the Village Board increased a permit fee to $2,500, up from the $1,000 the market paid last year to use a municipal parking lot on Saturday mornings. Village officials had said they believed the increased permit fee would be more equitable to the business community.
The market ultimately rebuffed the village’s offer and worked out a new deal with the Greenport United Methodist Church on Main Street to operate there this season.
Ms. McNeil has said her decision to leave her post as the planning board’s chairwoman wasn’t based on the village’s actions over the market permit. After serving on the planning board for five years, Ms. McNeil said the combination of running the market, work and studying to become a registered dietitian became too much to handle all at once.
Village Administrator David Abatelli said planning board member Amy Martin left the board in the spring and member Jack Reardon left this summer. Both decided to step down from their posts due to family obligations, Mr. Abatelli said. David Bauer left the planning board shortly after Mr. Reardon did, he added.
If the Village Board approves the planning board appointments tonight, Mr. Jauquet’s term would expire in April; Ms. Atkinson-Loveless’ term would expire April 2014; Ms. Robins’ term would expire April 2015; Ms. Mundus’ term would expire April 2016; and Rev. Burns’ term would expire April 2017.
Scroll down to view tonight’s complete agenda and check back later for live updates.