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Councilwoman Cynthia McNamara is sponsoring a bill to reduce the speed limit on Shrubland and Sebonac roads in Tuckahoe. KITTY MERRILL
The July 26 meeting of the Southampton Town Board brought a number of discussions to their conclusions, while setting several others on the table for further debate.
The board voted, 4-1, to lengthen the number of years members of the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals may serve. The new term length, seven years, falls in line with other municipalities in the state.
Councilwoman Cynthia McNamara cast the sole dissenting vote. Seven years is a long time, she said, arguing that the current four-year term provides for greater oversight of board members.
“I feel that loss of oversight is not a good thing,” she said.
“I’ve wrestled with this myself,” Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said.
But he pointed out that the longer terms are designed to give those land use reviewing bodies immunity from political vicissitudes. “That relative immunity is why entities that specialize in planning receive longer terms,” he said.
Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni felt the seven-year term was appropriate. “We need boards with knowledge, experience and security in those seats,” he said. “This is good government, in my opinion.”
Schneiderman recalled that when he was appointed to the ZBA in East Hampton, he served with veteran member Phillip Gamble, who’d been on the board for over 20 years. “That helped me as a new member,” he said.
Councilman Rick Martel agreed with the longer length of service but expressed concern about term limits being set at three. He said he had an issue with people serving 21 years.
Responding to that concern, McNamara sponsored a resolution setting a public hearing on a town code amendment that, if adopted, would allow the land use board members only two, rather than three, terms. The hearing will be held on August 9 at 1 p.m.
Later this month, another McNamara measure — a hearing on decreasing the speed limits on Shrubland Road and Sebonac Road in Tuckahoe — will be held. During discussions of a pilot program reallowing turns off County Road 39 onto Shrubland during the morning rush this summer, community members complained of speeding vehicles rocketing through their neighborhood.
The councilwoman’s proposal would reduce the limit from 40 to 30 mph. That’s in line with limits on other surrounding roads, she explained.
The hearing will take place on August 23 at 6 p.m.
