FDlAL COU~~ROAD 5 1COruuDOR LAND USE PLAN I'n:JWW lor roWi\ (W ORCX )I-.IIA Vt.. " Ju~ 2007 Cashn ~ iales, P.C. EJoO"".~"O ·., u~~ M ~UC'O~ ..... Of .. !.' Acknowledgement The Town Of Brookhaven wishes to acknowledge and thank all those citizens who participated in the formulation of the County Road 51 Corridor Land Use Plan through attendance at Public Information Meetings, Public Hearings, and Working Group Meetings. Town of Brookhaven Final CR 51 Corridor Land Use Plan July 2007 2.1.3 Housing 14 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2.2 Land Use 15 2.2.1 Agricultural Land 15 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iii 2.2.3 Vacant Land 15 2.2.3 Residential Uses 17 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 2.2.4 Commercial/Industrial Uses 17 1.1 Need and Purpose 1 2.2.5 Airports 17 1.2 Planning Area Location 2 2.3 Zoning 18 1.3 Land Use Plan Background 2 2.4 Environmental Conditions 21 1.4 Guiding Principles 4 2.4.1 Geology 21 1.5 Methodology 5 2.4.2 SoilslFarmland 21 1.6 Prior Plans and Studies 6 2.4.3 Topography 21 1.6.1 CR 51 Corridor Based Land Use Study (2006) 2.4.4 Groundwater 22 6 2.4.5 Wetlands and Surface Waters 26 1.6.2 Open Space Committee Recommendations 8 2.4.6 Flood Hazard 27 1.6.3 Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve 2.4.7 Ecology 27 Comprehensive Management Plan (2001) 8 2.4.8 Critical Environmental Areas (CEAs) 32 1.6.4 Spadaro Airport Master Plan (1997) 9 2.5 Aesthetic Qualities and Scenic Vistas 34 1.6.5 Central Pine Barrens Comprehensive Land Use 2.6 Town Target Preservation! Acquisition Areas 34 Plan (1996) 9 2.7 Transportation 35 1.6.6 Moriches Four~Hamlet Comprehensive Plan 2.7.1 Airports 35 (1995) 10 2.7.2 Roadways and Traffic 37 1.7 Permits and Approvals 11 2.7.3 Public Transportation 39 1.8 SEQRA Status 11 2.7.4 Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation 40 2.8 Schools 40 2.8.1 Eastport-South Manor School District 40 2.0 INVENTORY OF EXISTING 2.8.2 East Moriches School District 41 CONDITIONS 13 2.9 Fire and Ambulance Districts 41 2.1 Human Resources 13 2.10 Drinking Water 42 2.1.1 Population 13 2.11 Sewage Disposal 42 2.1.2 Socio-Economics 14 2.12 Historic Districts 43 1 Town of Brookhaven Final CR 51 Corridor Land Use Plan July 2007 2.13 Community Character 43 TABLES 2.14 Pending Projects and Applications 43 1. Summary ofland uses 15 2. Summary of zoning districts 20 3. Habitat types and species identified during site 3.0 PUBLIC OUTREACH 44 inspection 29 3.1 Background 44 4. FAA standards 37 3.2 2006 Corridor Study Visioning and Other Public 5. Cost of educating students based on local property Meetings 44 tax levy 2005 41 3.3 Public Hearings 45 6. Suggested outdoor facility development standards 54 7. Compatible Growth Area clearing restrictions 66 4.0 ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES & RECOMMENDATIONS 46 4.1 Open Space Preservation 46 FIGURES 4.2 Scenic Vistas 51 1. Aerial and Boundary 3 4.3 Recreational and Cultural Land Uses 53 2. Land Use 16 4.4 Site Design Guidelines 55 3. Zoning 19 4.5 Zoning and Land Use 58 4. Environmental Features 23 4.6 Tax Base 63 5. Flood Zones 28 4.7 Transportation 64 6. School, Fire and Pine Barrens 33 4.8 Environmental Resources 65 7. Recommendations 49 8. Open Space Priorities A-46 5.0 REFERENCES 67 APPENDIX-A PARCELS IN CORRIDOR PLANNING AREA A-I APPENDIX-B OPEN SPACE PRIORITIES A-43 11 Town of Brookhaven Final CR 51 Corridor Land Use Plan July 2007 preemptively address these issues and to offer a range of EXECUTIVE SUMMARY recommendations that will manage future growth and reflect the community's vision. To allow time to develop the CR 51 DESCRIPTION OF ACTION Corridor Land Use Plan without the pressure of development, the Brookhaven Town Board adopted a 6 month building moratorium within the corridor planning area effective July 31, The Final CR 51 Corridor Land Use Plan presents a 2006. comprehensive land use and growth management strategy that reflects the Town of Brookhaven's and the local community's vision for the CR 51 corridor planning area. It is supported by PLANNING PRINCIPLES considerable public outreach, a comprehensive inventory and analysis of existing conditions, and consideration of various The following principles guided the preparation of the CR 51 land management planning principles. Upon adoption by the Corridor Land Use Plan: Brookhaven Town Board, the CR 51 Corridor Land Use Plan will guide future actions by the Town of Brookhaven, other • Preserve environmentally valuable and locally governmental agencies, property owners and developers. significant open space and farmland. • Maintain the rural nature and scenic farmland vistas of NEED FOR PLAN the corridor planning area. • Provide recreational and social facilities to serve the The CR 51 corridor planning area contains large areas of local community. undeveloped land and farmland. Over the past several years, • Use traditional growth management and long-range there has been a significant increase in the amount of growth in planning principles in commercial, recreational, and the area. A number of development applications have recently residential districts. been submitted to the Town for the corridor planning area and • Achieve site design that is compatible with the natural there is every reason to believe that additional applications for landscape and the historic character of the Eastport and development will be submitted to the Town in the not-to­ East Moriches communities. distant future. Recent, proposed, and future development have • Ensure quality growth that enhances the community the potential to significantly alter the corridor landscape and and protects valuable natural and aesthetic resources. affect the quality of life for residents in the area. For this • Promote tax ratable development to support the local reason, the Town of Brookhaven decided that a land use plan school districts, fire districts, and other community should be prepared, the CR 51 Corridor Land Use Plan, to services and facilities. 111 Town of Brookhaven Final CR 51 Corridor Land Use Plan July 2007 • Maintain a development density and scale that is planning area, which is currently under considerable characteristic of a rural residential community, and that development pressure. The corridor planning area fulfills the investment-backed economic expectations of presently exhibits a variety of physical, environmental, property owners. aesthetic, and community character qualities, which the • Balance the amount of added public service plan identifies and attempts to protect; expenditures with increased property tax revenues. • recommending the most suitable land uses and/or zoning in • Provide a safe and convenient traffic corridor. the corridor planning area, particularly Spadaro and Lutker • Protect the area's groundwater resource. airports that are tailored toward the specific sites, • Maintain habitat diversity. themselves, and the needs and requirements of property • Protect the surface waters of Little Seatuck Creek and owners and surrounding community, as well as limited Seatuck Creek. commercial development to provide tax ratable development to support the local school and special service districts; PLANNING AREA LOCATION • considering and recommending numerous ways to preserve and protect open space and natural resources and mitigate The area being considered by the CR 51 Corridor Land Use environmental and community impacts that could otherwise Plan consists of a corridor of land located on both sides of CR adversely affect existing land uses and land use patterns, 51 (East Moriches Riverhead Road) between the intersections the environment, public health and welfare, transportation of CR 51 and Montauk Highway (CR 80) and CR 51 and systems, public services, facilities, and special districts, Captain Daniel Roe Highway (CR 111), a distance of 2.3 community character, visual attributes, and others; miles. The corridor planning area has 717 tax lots comprising • offering growth management and long-range planning 837 acres plus an estimated 181 acres of road rights-of-way for standards and guidelines for future development along the a total land area of 1,018 acres or 1.59 square miles. corridor; and • creating a new, expanded and unified plan for the corridor BENEFITS OF THE PLAN planning area rather than allowing for piecemeal development that is inconsistent with community goals, The benefits of adopting a land use plan are many, including: issues, and concerns. • providing a carefully considered land use strategy to guide future growth, mitigate development-related impacts, and protect valuable land resources within the CR 51 corridor IV Town of Brookhaven Final CR 51 Corridor Land Use Plan July 2007 RECOMMENDATIONS buffers, use of conservation easements, or other appropriate techniques. The Draft CR 51 Corridor Land Use Plan includes the • Rezone property to more suitable classifications or promote following recommendations: the establishment of appropriate land uses on certain sites in order to provide for balanced growth, create more logical • Establish minimum 100-foot wide wooded buffers with land use patterns, protect natural resources, generate tax fringing evergreen plantings for development along CR 51. revenues, offer public recreational opportunities and The plantings should be spaced so as to ensure survivability provide some limited neighborhood goods, services, and and sufficient screening as determined by the Town Board employment options for the locally expanding population. during development reviews. Enforceable covenants and • Ensure that development is of a reasonable scale to restrictions or easements should be filed in support of maintain the unique rural character, quality of life, and screening requirements. This will help to protect scenic sense of place of the area by recommending strict vistas, existing rural character, provide or maintain limited conformance with existing setback, density, and height wildlife habitat, promote groundwater recharge, and screen restrictions.