Hashamomuck Cove Roundtable Scheduled By Town

SOUTHOLD, NY — Residents of storm-battered Hashamomuck Cove, which was hit hard when a "bomb cyclone" slammed the North Fork recently, wrote a letter this week asking the Southold Town board when a roundtable to discuss solutions might be held. And on Thursday, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell announced that the roundtable had been scheduled.

The roundtable will take place on Feb. 7 at 11 a.m. at the Peconic Community Center on Peconic Lane.

Last week, Lynn Laskos and a group of her fellow residents implored the Southold town board to help them find a solution to a desperate situation at Hashamomuck Cove that they say could mean devastating impacts sooner than later, should another major storm batter their homes and breach County Road 48.

Laskos was not immediately available to comment on the scheduled roundtable Thursday.

After the recent storm, a fishing shack that has stood since the 1920s at Hashamomuck Cove was smashed, battered and completely washed away. Bulkheads were destroyed, homes severely damaged.

In the letter Tuesday, Hashamomuck Cove families wrote that it was their understanding at the end of last week's board meeting that the town would host a roundtable of state, county, Suffolk County Department of Public Works, town officials, Hashamomuck Cove property owners, the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, so all parties could discuss and resolve the questions regarding the Hashamomuck Cove project and the next steps.

"Can you tell us when that meeting will take place?" the letter read. "It also seemed that the board was going to make a decision regarding the project at the next board meeting on January 30. We are asking the board to postpone that decision until after the roundtable."

The Hashamomuck Cove families added: "With the understanding that the town has little or no funds to support the project we would also like to continue to pursue the possibility of asking commercial entities for funding as well as forming a special tax district of homeowners. Will you help us navigate this process?"

The letter was signed by the families who live at Hashamomuck Cove.

When asked about the letter, Russell responded: "The roundtable will do little else but to clarify the costs, which seem to be a moving target. The ACOE seems to keep changing the costs every time they get a call from Ms. Laskos." And, he added, "It's for the board to decide if they want to make a decision or not Tuesday."

Southold Town Councilman Jim Dinizio said he agreed that the residents of that area deserve "an open and honest hearing of all of the agreed upon facts."

The town engineer, Dinizio said, is in the process of evaluating the most recent proposal from the United States ACOE. "Everyone needs to agree on the estimated cost and decide if they are willing to accept the responsibility. If not, then the residents of Hashamomuck Cove deserve a decision. This has gone on too long," Dinizio said.

Councilwoman Jill Doherty, who was away at the time of the last meeting, said she had not yet caught up with all that happened in her absence. "But I do think a roundtable is a good idea," she said. "Communication is always good."

Added Councilman Bob Ghosio: "I have always been supportive of the folks at Hashamomuck Cove finding a solution to the erosion they experience. Getting the Army Corp study finalized is a big step. Of course, I welcome bringing all interested parties together to discuss the Army Corps proposed solution, albeit with a realistic budget to frame the conversation. Frankly, the budget I've seen assumes an unrealistic financial commitment from a small town such as Southold. I look forward to hearing other ideas and solutions."

Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski said he is always willing to meet to discuss solutions at Hashamomuck Cove, short term and long. "Our coastal geography and Mother Nature are 2 variables that we have to work with," he said.

Councilman Bill Ruland said he did not want to comment until he'd spoken to his fellow board members.

Justice Louisa Evans did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.

After the recent storm, Laskos said, of the damage, "It's a war zone."

However, she said, the damage was not unexpected. For years, Laskos and neighbors have been asking government officials for help; their homes, they said, stand as a buffer between the raging Long Island Sound and County Road 48 and during a storm event, rushing waters threaten to breach County Road 48, a vital evacuation route in the event of a hurricane or emergency.

After the most recent storm, Laskos said, "We always said we're the buffer to County Road 48. Now, our houses are so damaged that even if we wanted to be that buffer, we couldn't be. Now it's time for the county and town to step it up."

At the last town board meeting, Laskos said that numbers disseminated at the morning's work session were incorrect.

"The numbers that were shared were, unfortunately, inaccurate," she said. The ACOE sent her the correct numbers earlier, she said; she said she'd sent those numbers to the board before the meeting. "I'm confused why inaccurate information" was put out for the public, she said.

Dinizio posted the inaccurate numbers on Facebook, Laskos said. "It ended up being a lot of controversy with a lot of people having some really bad information," she said.

According to the new numbers, Laskos said the portion for a local sponsor — which could be the town, county, Water Authority, or another party — would be a $1.5 million initial cost, with 50 percent of that, the town's share, or approximately $764,500.

Renourishment every 5 years would be $273,000 every 5 years, or $54,600, for the town's share, she said.

"How much does the town spend a year for the band aid approach?" she asked. Under the proposed plan, a solid beach of at least 25-feet out with 6-foot elevation, would be created.

Dinizio pointed out that the numbers he initially posted were the numbers most recently available.

At the work session, Russell said questions needed to be answered, such as what the town's portion would be if a nor-easter hit the area hard. He added that the numbers presented by town engineer Michael Collins were the numbers he'd been given by the ACOE.

Laskos, at the meeting, said the ACOE had told her in certain situations, if the storm wipes out a "significant" area of the town, it would fund 100 percent of the repairs.

Russell said he'd like the terms defined under which the feds would pay 100 percent and said not all areas were clearly delineated, or defined — and were, instead, "subjective" — and other costs needed to be specifically outlined, such as mobilization costs, maintenance, town costs, and other issues.

Also, he said, the state has not officially signed on for its portion of the plan.

Laskos said she'd spoken with New York State Senator Ken LaValle and was speaking to U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer.

Dinizio said, adding that he wanted a letter from the county stating their position. County Road 48 is a county road and the county has responsibility, he said.

At the meeting, Russell reminded that County Road 48 is not a town road, and the town "has taken no action to cause this." Residents, he said, pay county taxes.

Even if a taxing district was established, as has been suggested by Russell — residents have said now that they understand the concept, it's an idea they would be willing to pursue — there would be other costs to the town, the supervisor said, in the event of major storm damage.

Calling for a roundtable discussion

After the work session, Laskos said, "My takeaway is there is a lot of misinformation and inaccurate facts floating around. The homeowners would welcome a roundtable with elected officials, the ACOE, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation," she said. "We'd like to sit down and figure out a solution that will make everyone comfortable."

At the town board meeting, Laskos said she's a registered voter, with her home on County Road 48. The issue, she said, is not about the homes, but the fact that County Road 48 is a major artery in danger should a storm breach that roadway again.

Residents on Bayberry Way and Ruch Lane could find themselves trapped on virtual islands, should Country Road 48 become impassable in a storm, she said.

If the road breached again, emergency responders could find it impossible to reach residents in a crisis, she said.

"This is scary," Laskos said.

Laskos urged the town board to organize a roundtable with all representatives on all levels of government, as well as homeowners, at the table. "We want skin in the game," she said. "We're not asking for freebies. We want to understand how to help."

Russell said he wanted to meet with all involved to get the accurate information. "I want them all in one room and I want the numbers in black ink, for a change," he said.

To suggest the town, as a local sponsor, would only have to do "modest maintenance, is irresponsible," Russell said.

An emergency plan, previously suggested, to put sheathing on the road, Laskos said, could damage the houses, but even if residents were reimbursed for that damage, the issue remains that it's still a band aid approach.

As for the town beach, Russell said the town hasn't spent money on the beach when it couldn't absorb the costs and even a band aid approach costs less than the annual costs of maintaining some town recreational facilities. The most recent sand brought to the beach was donated by the Cross Sound Ferry, Councilman Bob Ghosio reminded.

Residents implored the board to help.

Kathleen Phelan, who lives in Hashamomuck Cove, said while she understands the financial component for the town is difficult, she was asking the town to help residents find a means of financial support, whether through infrastructure or commercial entities. Forming a tax district, she said, is something residents would consider. Once residents understood the meaning of easements, she added, they were not against them.

Russell said it wasn't just about the cost: "It's a fundamental, underlying philosophical issue of whether the town wants to be in the business of restoring private property. This isn't all about protecting County Road 48."

Laskos said if County Road 48 weren't a concern, residents wouldn't have received the attention they've garnered to the current day.

Residents' homes, she said, are protecting the county's road. "We're getting beaten. We're all running out of money. We can't fix our houses," she said.

Southold's Doug Hardy, a retired oceanographer, spoke about the "elephant in the room," which was sea level rise.

By 2100, the sea level could rise between 19 and 59 inches, he said. "The most recent forecast is 6 to 7 feet," he said.

"The solution is going to be unfavorable and this could cause some resentment. You're not going to like what's going to happen. But it appears poor real estate decisions have been made," Hardy said.
Solutions should focus on preserving and saving County Road 48 and New York State Road 25, as well as the Long Island Rail Road for at least 100 years, he said. Decisions need to be made for strategic fortification of those roadways and the railroad, he said.

"What you should be looking at is not to be held hostage by people who have made poor real estate decisions but the most cost efficient engineering to protect County Road 48 for the next 50 to 100 years," Hardy said.

Route 48 could be moved landward, he said.

Laskos countered Hardy's statements: "Our houses were not poor choices," she said. The homes are older, standing since 1908; her family's home was built in 1918. When those homes were built, there was 200 feet of beach before them, she said, and about 160 feet when her family purchased the home.
It was a groin approved by the Town of Southold trustees that caused the severe erosion, she said.

Harry Bashian said his house sits 2 houses west of the Soundview. "High tide hits my house," he said.
During the last devastating storm, his bulkheads and deck collapsed. "If another wave comes by we're going to lose the whole property," he said.

Once the houses are swept away, or if owners can't afford to fix them, "the bigger issue" will be that County Road 48 will no longer have a buffer, he said. "I'm worried in a month, my house won't be there anymore. We as a community need to rise up and put this above every thing else," he said. "What is going to happen in a few months when I don't have a house. Who's going to help me?"
While there's much talk, nothing is being done, he said.

"Our houses should not be protecting Route 48. It's not fair. Who's going to help us?" he asked. "We need to stand up as a town and as a county, get together and put this at the top of the agenda. We need to fix this problem. It won't go away on its own."

John Katsigeorgis agreed, and said County Road 48 is needed by all. "When our houses are gone, someone will have to pay for that road. The town has a vested interest in saving that road, and if it's not a town road — be on our side. Help us to get the people that the road belongs to, to get them to step up and help us to save that road."

Joseph Yenna said, of the beach, "This is accelerated erosion," brought about by a groin. In other communities, such as the Jersey Shore and the Hamptons, eroded beaches have been re-nourished, while Hashamomuck Cove residents wait. "We're still sitting here waiting to solve a problem we really need to get behind," he said."

After the recent storm, Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley said a portion of Route 48 between Boisseau Ave. in Southold and Chapel Lane in Greenport was closed due to flooding at Hashamomuck Cove.

Patch file photo.