Comments on: Brookhaven Politics Threaten The Future of Carmans River

By: Mike Orland

Mike Orland — Wed, 16 May 2012 02:17:17 +0000

Will somebody please explain to me why cleaning up a river has anything to do with housing? It seems as if the political machine is rearing its ugly head once again in CROOKhaven.

By: DP

DP — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:41:36 +0000

We don’t need anymore new housing built on the Island. There are so many vacant homes already because people are leaving because the can’t afford to live and pay taxes here anymore. Young people are graduating college and moving out-of-state where the tax rates, electric, and all other utilities are much cheaper to be able to afford to raise a family. Our Council people should be more creative in making the empty housing in the areas that they are in more attractive to the younger generation.

By: Nikola

Nikola — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:32:09 +0000

This “affordable housing” bit is getting old. If you want housing to be affordable, you put it where there are existing transportation, gas, sewer, etc. networks for people to tap into. You don’t put it on virgin land next to an unnavigable river.

I’d also like to note that the charges of NIMBYism are rich — Yaphank/Brookhaven hamlet already has to deal with a giant landfill, a giant compost facility, police HQ, a jail, and a target-shooting facility. This area carries more than its share of Brookhaven Town’s burden.

By: J F

J F — Sun, 13 May 2012 05:03:30 +0000

The Carman’s plan that the task force created protects the waters of the river, but only for a few years (roughly 5 to 10) and it does not address the accelerated pollution that will take place along the other rivers (or to our drinking water) as a result of the heavy use of multi-family zoning in the rest of the Town of Brookhaven. And while the alternative plan has the advantage of making sure the Pine Barrens credits are finally paid for (that is the land owners finally get some money for the rights they gave up), it fails to provide as much complete protection of the Carmans.

We should be creating a plan to protect all the rivers and our drinking water for the next 100 or 1,000 years. What it will take is a change in the regulations of the county health department so that homes can be occupied without having to have a water based toilet. In other countries around the world, in other states (e.g. Vermont), and in places as near as the Bronx Zoo, non-flush toilet systems have been in use for quite some time so they not new nor are they unproven. They not only prevent water pollution, they also prevent excessive draw down of water from our aquifers thereby preventing salt water intrusion. But the county health department will not let go of a regulation that requires every new building to have a flush toilet to get a certificate of occupancy.
As we debate the pros and cons of the proposed plans and try to choose the best of each to construct a better plan, we should be pressuring the health department to take a very serious look at non-flush effluent treatment. Only if such systems are allowed can we get a plan that preserves the wilderness feeling of the Carmans and protects all of Suffolk’s water.

For the record, were I made aware of the many (so called) public meetings that took place during the Carmans plan creation and were I to have been told pubic input was desired, I’d have attended more than two of the meetings and spoken up sooner. But I got the distinct feeling that public input was not welcome at the meetings I attended.

By: Doug Swesty

Doug Swesty — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:49:00 +0000

I’d also like to clarify one other point, for the sake of the reader, regarding Mr. Rook’s comment. The Meadows lies entirely within the Carmans River watershed. Figure 3 of Appendix B of the Carmans River plan shows that the entirety of the parcel in question lies within the 25 year groundwater contributing area of the Carmans River (90% of the parcel lies within the 10 year boundary). If it is built the septic waste for the project would be pumped offsite to the Dorade STP. However, the storm-water waste would remain within the Carmans watershed.

By: Doug Swesty

Doug Swesty — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:33:17 +0000

In response to Mr. Rook: It is not the STP discharge for The Meadows that poses the biggest threat to the Carmans River. It is the surface storm-water runoff from the project. If you review the site plans for The Meadows you will see that the groundwater sump for entire project is located at the southwest corner of the parcel. This location, where all the runoff from parking lots, fertilized landscaping, etc., will drain to, is approximately 2300 feet upgradient from the Carmans River. The groundwater travel time from this sump to the riveris less than two years. In between the discharge sump and the Carmans River is Weeks Pond (a coastal plain pond that contains rare plant communities) which empties directly into the Carmans River.

It has been stated that storm-water runoff “is held on site” for this project. This misleads the public into thinking it has no effect beyond the property line when in fact the discharge into this sump is quickly being carried, via the natural flow of the water table, into the river.

I agree that the discharge of septic wastes from the STP for The Meadows does add to the nitrate load for the Peconic River and that is indeed a serious issue that must be addressed.

By: Johnny Rook

Johnny Rook — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:20:13 +0000

Also, in response to Doug – you’re 1/2 right. The Meadows @ Yaphank is much bigger threat to the Peconic River as the STP that serves it is located literally in the headwaters of the Peconic River – the site is 90% in Peconic watershed – not Carmans.

By: Johnny Rook

Johnny Rook — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:18:07 +0000

Editor: it’s the CarmAns river – not Carmens.

By: Doug Swesty

Doug Swesty — Fri, 11 May 2012 03:25:01 +0000

Councilwoman Kepert’s record of supporting development projects within the Carmans River watershed speaks for itself. Within the last year she has actively campaigned for zoning changes on behalf of two mega-projects built near the river: The Meadows at Yaphank and the Sandy Hills development in Middle Island. Both projects place large numbers of housing units and retail space in close proximity to the waters of the Carmans. The Meadows is the biggest threat: 800+ units of housing, a 200+ unit hotel, retail space, and commercial space all built on currently undeveloped land at the edge of the two year groundwater contributing area of the Carmans River (and this development is proposed in a reach of the river that the NY DEC has already classified as “Moderately Impacted”). Both projects have resulted in the Town of Brookhaven being tied up in environmental litigation by groups that are attempting to defend the river against this assault. The facts speak for themselves and I stand behind my statement as quoted in Mr. Rumsey’s article.