JANUARY 2019
Credit: The East Hampton Star (click image to go to website)
Friends of Havens Beach, an advocacy group seeking to prod Sag Harbor Village officials into improving the condition of the village’s only bathing beach, listed the detritus recently found in the sand there at a public forum at the John Jermain Memorial Library on Sunday. The detritus included jagged pieces of corroded metal, glass shards, and chunks of coal.
The group believes the November 2017 dredging of the wharf, during which 10,000 cubic yards of sand were pumped from the bottom of the harbor onto the beach, is mainly to blame.
Jean Held, a trustee of the Sag Harbor Historical Society, presented some of the history of Havens Beach at the forum, showing photos of the dredging (one was captioned “the event that brought Friends of Havens Beach together”). Another slide showed patches of what she said was heavy blackened sand. “This upsets me,” she said. “I don’t know what it is.” Ms. Held said on Monday that collecting the sand often left her hands stained. She has sent a sample to be tested.
During her presentation, she noted that three stormwater drainage pipes lead to the beach, one emanating from Bay Street, one from the Cormaria Retreat House, and one from the beach’s parking lot.
Terry Sullivan, a member of the group, said the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, which had overseen the dredging, has maintained that clean sand was deposited on the beach at the time, but he showed a photo of what he said looked like “black sludge” issuing from the dredge pipe.
Last January, John Parker, a member of the harbor committee, alerted village board members to the conditions at the beach by bringing three baseball-size rocks he found there to a meeting. Ken O’Donnell, a trustee, disputed the cause of the detritus was the dredge, but said, “We’re going to sift the beach to get rid of the rocks and shells.” The beach had indeed been sifted, but Mr. Sullivan said rain had subsequently caused more debris to be unearthed.
Ms. Held made the same point to the village board during a public hearing on Nov. 13, at which the Friends of Havens Beach invited board members to join them in touring the beach. No one had taken the group up on the offer, Carol Williams, one of the founders said. “They didn’t respond very much,” she added, of her interaction with the board at the hearing. She had also invited the board to Sunday’s presentation, she said, but no one attended. “We really hoped that they would come,” Ms. Williams said. “What we’ve been asking for is to have one person on the village board who would be concerned with the environmental oversight of the beach.”
The group believes the November 2017 dredging of the wharf, during which 10,000 cubic yards of sand were pumped from the bottom of the harbor onto the beach, is mainly to blame.
Jean Held, a trustee of the Sag Harbor Historical Society, presented some of the history of Havens Beach at the forum, showing photos of the dredging (one was captioned “the event that brought Friends of Havens Beach together”). Another slide showed patches of what she said was heavy blackened sand. “This upsets me,” she said. “I don’t know what it is.” Ms. Held said on Monday that collecting the sand often left her hands stained. She has sent a sample to be tested.
During her presentation, she noted that three stormwater drainage pipes lead to the beach, one emanating from Bay Street, one from the Cormaria Retreat House, and one from the beach’s parking lot.
Terry Sullivan, a member of the group, said the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, which had overseen the dredging, has maintained that clean sand was deposited on the beach at the time, but he showed a photo of what he said looked like “black sludge” issuing from the dredge pipe.
Last January, John Parker, a member of the harbor committee, alerted village board members to the conditions at the beach by bringing three baseball-size rocks he found there to a meeting. Ken O’Donnell, a trustee, disputed the cause of the detritus was the dredge, but said, “We’re going to sift the beach to get rid of the rocks and shells.” The beach had indeed been sifted, but Mr. Sullivan said rain had subsequently caused more debris to be unearthed.
Ms. Held made the same point to the village board during a public hearing on Nov. 13, at which the Friends of Havens Beach invited board members to join them in touring the beach. No one had taken the group up on the offer, Carol Williams, one of the founders said. “They didn’t respond very much,” she added, of her interaction with the board at the hearing. She had also invited the board to Sunday’s presentation, she said, but no one attended. “We really hoped that they would come,” Ms. Williams said. “What we’ve been asking for is to have one person on the village board who would be concerned with the environmental oversight of the beach.”
JANUARY 2019
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Credit: 27 East (click image for website)
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The Friends of Havens Beach, of which Carol Williams is a founder, will present an “Indoor Field Trip to Havens Beach” on Sunday, January 20 at 3 p.m. at the John Jermain Memorial Library. Jean Held is preparing a slide show for the event that will give the human and natural history of the beach, including current conditions, and “a look into better future,” according to Ms. Williams, who talked with the Express about the village’s only public bathing facility. An edited transcript of some high points follows:
Who are the Friends of Havens Beach?
We are a group of people that has coalesced over the last year or two, and especially ever since dredge spoil was pumped onto on the beach from Long Wharf in the fall of 2017. We’re all people who really love Havens for very different reasons … I think some of us feel we wouldn’t be living here if there wasn’t the Havens Beach. It's much more than open space. It's a living connection to nature. The Friends feel that Havens Beach needs somebody to speak for it as a living thing.
What’s the history of the property?
The beach was a gift to the village from Lila Havens in 1923. And a lot has changed since 1923. The gift included the beach and 20 acres that surround it, which is actually the largest open space in the village that belongs to the village. It was given for quiet recreation, which was extremely far-sighted because, back then, you could go to the beach anywhere.
What’s your history here?
I grew up in London but moved to New York as a girl when my mother married an American. I came to Sag Harbor in 1972 right after I finished college at MIT with a bachelor’s degree in science and architecture and I actually thought I was going to work for the UN. I was going to get into environmental planning on a global scale. I was connected to the East End in various ways but the person I met who gave me a place to live in her brother's house was [local environmentalist and historian] Nancy Boyd Willey. She had just started the Planning Board. It was new. She said you could have a room in my brother's house, the Cooper Boyd house next to her house [the Annie Cooper Boyd House], for $5 a week, in exchange for being the secretary of the Planning Board. So I did that. They didn't have a map to plan with. And I said I could make one for them. It turned out I could with help from Suffolk County’s aerial photos. But it involved that whole winter walking the streets of Sag Harbor. That's when I fell in love with the village.
Do village officials recognize there’s an issue at Havens Beach?
I do think they’re beginning to. I have to say they’re responsive. We did go and see them after the dredging. The dreen or drainage swale through the property actually got closed off and we spoke to them about it. [Public Works Superintendent] Dee Yardley, who probably works harder than anybody else, he’s got an enormous job to take care of the roads, the snow, the sewage plant. And I think it’s too much to ask of him to also consider the environmental context of the beach. But somebody has to.
How was the dredge spoil a problem?
I believe there was more than anybody anticipated, forcing the village to remove the beloved playground and benches. They dug a big trench, put the sand to one side and, in theory, the dredge spoil was going to go in the trench and they were going to cover it up with the sand but, in reality, there was more and more and more … That’s what woke people up to the need to pay more attention.
Who’s coming to your ‘field trip?’
We have invited the Village Board because we initially invited them to go for a walk with us to the beach and we realized it’s just going to be too cold. So we thought this would be nice. And hopefully a lot of people from the public will come. Really, I'm thinking that the beach was given to Sag Harbor in 1924 so 2024 will be its centennial. Wouldn’t it be nice if we have in place by then a cohesive plan for how to restore the beach, how to preserve the beach?
Who are the Friends of Havens Beach?
We are a group of people that has coalesced over the last year or two, and especially ever since dredge spoil was pumped onto on the beach from Long Wharf in the fall of 2017. We’re all people who really love Havens for very different reasons … I think some of us feel we wouldn’t be living here if there wasn’t the Havens Beach. It's much more than open space. It's a living connection to nature. The Friends feel that Havens Beach needs somebody to speak for it as a living thing.
What’s the history of the property?
The beach was a gift to the village from Lila Havens in 1923. And a lot has changed since 1923. The gift included the beach and 20 acres that surround it, which is actually the largest open space in the village that belongs to the village. It was given for quiet recreation, which was extremely far-sighted because, back then, you could go to the beach anywhere.
What’s your history here?
I grew up in London but moved to New York as a girl when my mother married an American. I came to Sag Harbor in 1972 right after I finished college at MIT with a bachelor’s degree in science and architecture and I actually thought I was going to work for the UN. I was going to get into environmental planning on a global scale. I was connected to the East End in various ways but the person I met who gave me a place to live in her brother's house was [local environmentalist and historian] Nancy Boyd Willey. She had just started the Planning Board. It was new. She said you could have a room in my brother's house, the Cooper Boyd house next to her house [the Annie Cooper Boyd House], for $5 a week, in exchange for being the secretary of the Planning Board. So I did that. They didn't have a map to plan with. And I said I could make one for them. It turned out I could with help from Suffolk County’s aerial photos. But it involved that whole winter walking the streets of Sag Harbor. That's when I fell in love with the village.
Do village officials recognize there’s an issue at Havens Beach?
I do think they’re beginning to. I have to say they’re responsive. We did go and see them after the dredging. The dreen or drainage swale through the property actually got closed off and we spoke to them about it. [Public Works Superintendent] Dee Yardley, who probably works harder than anybody else, he’s got an enormous job to take care of the roads, the snow, the sewage plant. And I think it’s too much to ask of him to also consider the environmental context of the beach. But somebody has to.
How was the dredge spoil a problem?
I believe there was more than anybody anticipated, forcing the village to remove the beloved playground and benches. They dug a big trench, put the sand to one side and, in theory, the dredge spoil was going to go in the trench and they were going to cover it up with the sand but, in reality, there was more and more and more … That’s what woke people up to the need to pay more attention.
Who’s coming to your ‘field trip?’
We have invited the Village Board because we initially invited them to go for a walk with us to the beach and we realized it’s just going to be too cold. So we thought this would be nice. And hopefully a lot of people from the public will come. Really, I'm thinking that the beach was given to Sag Harbor in 1924 so 2024 will be its centennial. Wouldn’t it be nice if we have in place by then a cohesive plan for how to restore the beach, how to preserve the beach?
NOVEMBER 2018
Credit: The East Hampton Star (click image to go to website)
Havens Beach, the only beach in Sag Harbor Village, has drawn increasing concern from residents who have formed an advocacy group to prod officials to improve its condition. The beach, which faces Sag Harbor Bay, is popular with families and children who swim there, and it is one of the few public places where dogs frequently are walked.
“There’s a tendency to take open spaces for granted in this village,” said Carol Williams, one of the founders of Friends of Havens Beach who has been asking the village to protect the beach for at least a year. Ms. William lists numerous problems at the beach, in particular the proliferation of dog feces and potentially polluted runoff from snow dumped there. “But the major issue is the dredging,” she said.
In November last year, an estimated 10,000 cubic yards of sand were pumped from the bottom of the harbor onto the beach. The spoils left the beach strewn with everything from rusty nails and rebar to musket balls, sea glass, and vast quantities of large rocks.
“There isn’t a blanket thick enough that you could lie down on and not feel those rocks,” said Terry Sullivan, another group member, who said the dredging, authorized by Suffolk County, had not been properly supervised.
The village has combed, or sifted, the beach in an attempt to remove rocks and debris, but Jean Held, a trustee of the Sag Harbor Historical Society, said at a village board meeting on Nov. 13 that more remediation was needed. “Unfortunately, many of the rocks and other material have risen to the top,” she said.
In referring to runoff from the snow the Highway Department dumps there, Ms. Williams said, “You watch the snow melt and go into the bay; there really should be a silt fence around it, but there is no silt fence.”
The Friends of Havens Beach would like the village to appoint someone to help Dee Yardley, the superintendent of public works, monitor the beach. “The highway superintendent is basically in charge of the beach, and he knows about highways, that’s his skill set,” Ms. Williams said. “If I were him, I wouldn’t know what to do either.” Mr. Sullivan agreed that assistance was required. “Dee Yardley has more responsibility than one man can handle,” he said.
In an effort to address a different environmental concern, a law that would require upgraded septic systems was introduced on Nov. 13 and scheduled for public hearing on Jan. 8.
The board did not discuss the proposal, but Mayor Sandra Schroeder said proposed legislation would be passed on to the harbor committee, which oversees wetlands, for review.
The law states that research done by Suffolk County shows that “nitrogen pollution from conventional on-site sanitary systems is excessive, widespread . . . and adversely affects ecological health and drinking water standards.” The County Department of Health Services has given provisional approval to the use of five advanced, low-nitrogen systems.
The draft requires the installation of such systems for all new residences and for existing buildings that expand their gross floor area by 25 percent. It does not distinguish between residential and commercial structures.
The law also states that any buildings with septic systems that have been deemed by the county to be in need of “substantial upgrade” would be required to install an advanced system. “Substantial” is defined as any change that equals or exceeds 50 percent of the cost of the new system. The Harbor Committee would also be able to require upgrades.
To monitor compliance, the law would give the village building inspector the power to require reports on the performance and maintenance of systems. The penalty for violations would be a fine of not less than $1,000, in addition to making the premises compliant with county standards.
“There’s a tendency to take open spaces for granted in this village,” said Carol Williams, one of the founders of Friends of Havens Beach who has been asking the village to protect the beach for at least a year. Ms. William lists numerous problems at the beach, in particular the proliferation of dog feces and potentially polluted runoff from snow dumped there. “But the major issue is the dredging,” she said.
In November last year, an estimated 10,000 cubic yards of sand were pumped from the bottom of the harbor onto the beach. The spoils left the beach strewn with everything from rusty nails and rebar to musket balls, sea glass, and vast quantities of large rocks.
“There isn’t a blanket thick enough that you could lie down on and not feel those rocks,” said Terry Sullivan, another group member, who said the dredging, authorized by Suffolk County, had not been properly supervised.
The village has combed, or sifted, the beach in an attempt to remove rocks and debris, but Jean Held, a trustee of the Sag Harbor Historical Society, said at a village board meeting on Nov. 13 that more remediation was needed. “Unfortunately, many of the rocks and other material have risen to the top,” she said.
In referring to runoff from the snow the Highway Department dumps there, Ms. Williams said, “You watch the snow melt and go into the bay; there really should be a silt fence around it, but there is no silt fence.”
The Friends of Havens Beach would like the village to appoint someone to help Dee Yardley, the superintendent of public works, monitor the beach. “The highway superintendent is basically in charge of the beach, and he knows about highways, that’s his skill set,” Ms. Williams said. “If I were him, I wouldn’t know what to do either.” Mr. Sullivan agreed that assistance was required. “Dee Yardley has more responsibility than one man can handle,” he said.
In an effort to address a different environmental concern, a law that would require upgraded septic systems was introduced on Nov. 13 and scheduled for public hearing on Jan. 8.
The board did not discuss the proposal, but Mayor Sandra Schroeder said proposed legislation would be passed on to the harbor committee, which oversees wetlands, for review.
The law states that research done by Suffolk County shows that “nitrogen pollution from conventional on-site sanitary systems is excessive, widespread . . . and adversely affects ecological health and drinking water standards.” The County Department of Health Services has given provisional approval to the use of five advanced, low-nitrogen systems.
The draft requires the installation of such systems for all new residences and for existing buildings that expand their gross floor area by 25 percent. It does not distinguish between residential and commercial structures.
The law also states that any buildings with septic systems that have been deemed by the county to be in need of “substantial upgrade” would be required to install an advanced system. “Substantial” is defined as any change that equals or exceeds 50 percent of the cost of the new system. The Harbor Committee would also be able to require upgrades.
To monitor compliance, the law would give the village building inspector the power to require reports on the performance and maintenance of systems. The penalty for violations would be a fine of not less than $1,000, in addition to making the premises compliant with county standards.