Greenport Trustee Brings $6 Million Plan To Expand Sewer System to Southold Dems

GREENPORT, NY - With an eye toward improving water quality and nitrogen reduction, Greenport Village Trustee Jack Martilotta came before the Southold Town Democratic Committee Tuesday night to pitch a plan to expand the village's sewer system.

According to Martilotta, currently, Greenport's sewer plant handles .6 million gallons per day and runs at approximately half capacity, with 50 percent still available. The approximately 12.5 miles of pipes cover around 900 homes, which are not reliant on traditional, aging septic systems.

Effluent is treated twice before it's sent out into the Long Island Sound, he said.

The goal would be to expand the sewer system to include dense populations of homes that sit within 10 feet of the water and currently send nitrogen into the waterways at a rapid rate, Martilotta said.

Martilotta said while the idea is one he and Trustee Doug Roberts would like to pursue — Roberts was unable to attend the meeting — the plan is expensive.

As for potential sewering expansion areas, he mentioned a number of residential buildings in the south of Greenport, plus the large former Lewis Marine building, as well as two sections of the village to the east, and a final piece, that would include Stirling Harbor and Brewer Yacht Yard, as well as homes on Sandy Point, where septic systems can be seen out in the bay after a windy storm.

Altogether, about 200 homes would be brought hooked up to village sewers under the proposed expansion, Martilotta said.

"We feel we'd have a very positive impact on water quality," Martilotta said. "We're looking to go beyond our borders to clean up water."

While a lot of oystering takes place in Greenport, Martilotta said pathogen levels in Stirling Harbor are too high to allow for such endeavors. "The way you mitigate that is with a sewer system."

In order to consider the large capital project, which would cost approximately $6 million, a regional approach would be needed, Martilotta said.

Although the idea is expensive, he pointed out that it could mean almost 200 septic tanks eliminated in the village, with effluent going from the backyard into the bay. "If we want to clean up the bay this is the way to do it," he said.

And, he added, Greenport is unique because it does have its own sewer system. "The infrastructure doesn't exist in Cutchogue," he said.

Democratic Committee Chair Art Tillman asked about the town's involvement.

Martilotta said a suggestion has been made to designate up to 20 percent of Community Preservation Funds for water quality improvement; residents across the East End would need to vote upon in a public referendum this November.

Southold Town would need to draft a proposal to put the matter up for public referendum, he said.

"Preserving open space is a a good thing, but it would also behoove as North Fork residents to look not only at open space but also at what's offshore," Martilotta said.

Art Tillman, chairman of the Southold Town Democratic Committee, said Roberts had told him the village did not expect to receive the full 20 percent of CPF funding should the measure be green lighted, but said some funding could be utilized.

"We need help, though how much is to be determined," Tillman said. "The issue is whether you want it spend on farmland or water quality."

Roberts has said at past village board meetings that while Greenport residents pay the two percent CPF real estate transfer tax, they do not get their fair share of the benefits since there is no land to be preserved in the village.

Tillman said Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell "Is against" putting the matter to public referendum in November and said he feels there are "real estate interests behind the proposal" and if the sewer lines were to be expanded, that could spark further development and density concerns. "Scott does not want to put it on the ballot, at this point," Tillman said.

Tillman said he'd spoken with Russell about possibly speaking at a future Democratic committee meeting to discuss the issue.

Supervisor responds

In an email after the meeting, Russell responded and said Tillman had not accurately represented his thoughts on the issue: "I support the referendum being placed on the ballot to extend the tax," Russell said.

However, he noted, "I can't support allocating money to any specific projects until all projects are vetted and priorities are set."

And finally, the supervisor said, "I am not suggesting that powerful real estate interests are behind the expansion. However, we need to be mindful of all potential impacts on future development when infrastructure is expanded."

Russell added, "Attending a Democratic committee meeting to drum up support for a plan that doesn't even exist yet makes me question Mr Robert's and Mr Martilotta's motives."

And, Russell pointed out, "We need to keep in mind that the proposal to extend the CPF fund will not create new revenue. It merely authorizes the town to divert some of its preservation revenue away from preservation and be used on water quality improvements. As perverse as it is, for every dollar we spend on water quality there is one dollar less for preservation. We need to evaluate the ramifications of that fact, as well."

Glynis Berry, executive director of Peconic Green Growth, said the best solution is focusing on existing infrastructure and said some funding could come from the community bloc grant program, to help pay for hookup fees. She added the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation could also considered for a low interest loan; the county could also be brought into the discussion, she said.

"We can't do this alone," Martilotta agreed; he said the village would need to speak to Southold Town, which owns the streets.

One man said he was concerned with taking CPF funds because the CPF program was designed to foster land preservation. "Stealing from Peter to pay Paul seems a little dishonest to the purpose of the fund," he said.

Abigail Field said the aim was to put a referendum on the ballot that authorizes but does not require the town to spend 20 percent of the CPF funding on water quality.

Martilotta said if a decision was made just to sewer the western piece of the puzzle, or just about 60 homes, the cost would be approximately $1 million. Some properties outside the village, including San Simeon, Peconic Landing, and Silver Sands, he said, are hooked up to the village sewer system. "It's not impossible," he said. "It's just a matter of bringing the line down the road."

Field said discharging into surface waters into the Long Island Sound is "archaic" and she'd like to see the village perhaps purchase acreage to allow for modern recharge basins.

Bill Stamatis agreed the aquifer needs to be recharged.

The group discussed having Russell attend the next meeting and Tillman said he would invite the supervisor.

Some said they'd rather wait and see if the matter would be put on the ballot before extending the invitation. Tillman said he wanted Russell to attend. "Trust me on this, let's get him here," he said.

Martilotta said the expansion of Greenport sewers would have impacts beyond village waters and would prove a benefit to residents of Southold Town. "I think it's a pretty good solution," he said, adding that the issue needed to be looked at in a "big, holistic way" with county, state, and town funding.

"I'm glad Jack was able to visit with another civic group in the region. Water quality is a regional problem and it will require a regional solution, and we'll tell the story of our shovel-ready WWTP expansion project to anybody who is willing to listen," Roberts said.

Roberts said they have already spoken with town officials, county officials, and state officials, and he knows the mayor and village staff are also working hard on this. "It is a team effort. If it doesn't fit into the town's CPF program, so be it, but I do hope they'll consider it. Our village/town liaisons have had an initial conversation about it. If the town can help at some point I'm sure we'd be grateful. I know they have many priorities to consider beyond just this one project."

Mayor unaware of the meeting, shocked

Greenport Village Mayor George Hubbard was shocked to hear that the pair had met with the Dems; no one had notified him or fellow Village Trustees Julia Robins or Mary Bess Phillips. "They didn't talk to the village board about it. It was just the two of them doing whatever they want, just two trustees with their own opinions, wholeheartedly," he said.

Hubbard said he had talked to them about not meeting without village knowledge. "They did it, anyway," Hubbard said.

The mayor said he's been speaking with Russell about the CPF fund but there are guidelines and rules that must be followed. "We are moving forwawrd with the expansion," Hubbard said, adding that there are ways to secure funding.

Martilotta and Roberts, he said, went ahead "without board approval or sanctioning. I was shocked when I read about it. This is not the way we should be doing things."