Board to Hear Feedback on Noise, Factory Avenue Parking Proposals

The public will have an opportunity to express their thoughts Tuesday night on proposals to codify two much-debated issues over the past couple of years: noise, and Factory Avenue traffic.

Southold remains the last town in Suffolk County without a noise ordinance, a proposal first-term Councilman Chris Talbot was at first opposed to supporting. However at Tuesday morning's work session, he said "common courtesy for neighbors is not in place anymore. It's a shame."

Prior to the board meeting, Talbot singled out Vineyard 48 in Cutchogue as a source of excessive noise on more than one occasion. The Blue Dolphin, an inn which is now closed that was located close to residential neighborhoods in East Marion, was cited by locals at a  as another loud business.

Councilman Bill Ruland said loud businesses or people may not be controllable, though he sounded interested in trying.

"You're not going to legislate good neighbors or unscrupulous business owners," Ruland said. "But once this is adopted we can meet with the new police chief (Martin Flatley) and he can describe with us the protocol for exactly how a complaint is going to be handled."

A building inspector in the Village of Southampton, Talbot said those enforcing the code would use a tool to measure the amount of decibels emanating past the property line.

According to the proposed code, dBA (the standard used to measure sound) above 65 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. will be non-compliant, as will dBA above 50 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The levels exclude a list of 15 activities, including agricultural and light residential equipment use, daytime construction, and any non-amplified noise generated as a result of school or sporting activities.

Data provided by the Town Attorney's office lists some of the following dBA levels:

• Quiet residential area: 40
• Truck: 90
• Snow blower: 105
• Chain saw: 120-125

Prohibited Parking Proposed for Factory Avenue

As Factory Avenue on the corner of Route 25 and the street, the town is proposing limiting when and where vehicles can park or idle.

Factory Avenue is often congested as commercial vendors unload their products at Waldbaum's. The code amendment would completely prohibit parking on the western side of Factory Avenue and split up parking on the eastern side.

According to the proposal, from the Long Island Rail Road property to Old Sound Avenue, parking would be completely prohibited. South of the L.I.R.R. property to the entrance of the shopping plaza would be limited to 30 minutes standing time per vehicle.

Heather Lanza, head of the town's planning department, said the Town Planning Board suggested that parking north of the rail road tracks be allowed for everything except commercial vehicles. Allowing cars on the road, she said, would "help calm traffic."

She also said the planning board suggested allowing the western side of Factory Avenue as a temporary loading area during certain times, such as late night hours.

The hearings are set to begin around 7:30 p.m.