Seasonal Fencing Recommended for Harbes’ Parking

Members of the Southold Town Planning Board recommended that Harbes install snow fencing to create more structured parking and to distinguish sections of their business at their in Mattituck.

At Monday night's meeting, the board also recommended that the business install a crosswalk and signs and hire a team of people to help manage parking and pedestrian crossing during heights of busy times during harvest seasons. Harbes has operations on both the north and south sides of the narrow roadway, and the

Though Harbes attorney Charles Cuddy argued that fencing might reduce parking at the business, board member Don Wilcenski said that

“It’s better than having a free-for-all on the whole length of that section of road,” he said. “We want one entrance and one exit and create a situation that will really make people work to cross at one point on the road.”

The board had previously considered the possibility of help direct vehicle and pedestrian traffic, but the idea was not supported by Chief Martin Flatley.

Planning Board Chairman Martin Sidor recommended that the hired traffic control team guide people to overflow parking on the north side of the road near the site of a new proposed winery at Harbes.

“It’s too easy to use that first available space on the road — I’m sure Ed [Harbes] is well aware of that pattern and it doesn’t do him any good to not address this,” he said. “There are several points of attraction — there is no other site like this out there.”

Sidor agreed that in addition to fencing a team of people would be needed to help traffic flow during the busy season. The board's recommendations will be part of Harbes site plan for the proposed winery, for which they’ve been working to get approval for four years.