The meeting was held in person at the Eaton’s Neck Firehouse & on Zoom; 7:00 to 8:20 pm.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited followed by a roll call of officers.
Officer Roll Call
- Frank Pasquale – President
- Ryan Schaefer-Walker – Vice President
- Anthony Fusaro – Treasurer (via Zoom)
- Yvonne Lamberston – Assistant Vice President (Technology, Web and Communications)
- Steve Neuf – Assistant Vice President (Engineering and Special Projects)
- Sally Neal – Recording Secretary
Attendance / Motion to accept minutes
There were ten members physically in attendance, not including five of the six officers. Six people also dialed in via Zoom.
Frank Pasquale’s motion to accept last month’s minutes as published in the Changing Tides was accepted.
Treasurer’s Report – Anthony Fusaro
Anthony provided the Treasurer’s report that included the Income Statement for the period January 1, 2023 to March 31, 2023 and three Balance Sheet line items as of March 31, 2023.
See details on Page 2.
Beach Committee Report – Ryan Schaefer-Walker
Two beach clean-up days and their rain dates have been scheduled:
- Price’s Bend – May 6 with a rain date of May 20
- Valley Grove – May 20 with a rain date of June 3
Large dumpsters have been ordered for both sites. Volunteers are needed to pick up trash, spread wood chips, clear shrubs, clean up the watercraft rack, and organize the playground and other equipment. If possible, volunteers are asked to bring their pick-up trucks and wheel barrows.
The event should start at 9:00 am and conclude at 4:00 pm. Any time a member is able devote to these activities is appreciated – even if it’s only 30 minutes.
If a member cannot participate on the scheduled clean up days but could devote an hour or two to work independently, please contact the Board at info@poenb.org.
Watercraft report – Yvonne Lambertson
Watercraft spots and parking passes are assigned on even years. Members should retain their 2022 issued parking passes for use in 2023. Starting in April (on a rolling basis), new 2023 members will be assigned a watercraft storage spot and issued a parking pass.
Membership Update – Gene Caputo
In 2022, 256 residents of Eaton’s Neck decided to become POENB members – which represented an all-time high. As of March 31, 2023, 173 memberships have been sold. Therefore, if membership interest continues at its current brisk pace, 2023 could represent a new “record year” for POENB!
Social Committee – Heather Kennedy Brown
POENB’s 2023 social calendar will be published soon. The biggest upcoming dates is Parti Gras to be held on Sunday May 28th. Please save the date.
Additional details of these events will be announced in the Changing Tides and be available on the POENB’s website at eatonsneck.org
Update on Repairing/Replacing the Fence at PB
The existing split rail wooden fence at Price’s Bend extends from Birmingham Drive to the entrance of Hobart Beach. It is 1,011 feet long and contains 100 posts and 200 rails. As discussed in prior issues of the Changing Tides, members have expressed their dissatisfaction with (1) the fence’s aesthetic appeal, (2) its utility as a security device, and (3) its ability to properly mark the boundaries of the beach property.
Greg Hodges and Phil Cuiffo volunteered to solicit bids from four local vendors to repair or replace the Price’s Bend fence. These vendors were: (1) Walt Whitman Fence Company (Melville), (2) Continental Fence Corporation (East Northport), (3) Amendola Fence Company (Amityville) and (4) Residential Fences Corp (RFC) (Ridge).
Each vendor provided quotes on each of the following three options
- Option 1: Repair selected sections of the fence (using Locust wood which is highly durable (30 years and resistant to pests/disease and salt water damage) and use salvageable parts where possible.
- Option 2: Replace the fence in its entirety with another split rail style wood fence (using Locust wood) and use salvageable parts where possible
- Option 3: Replace the existing fence with another split rail fence made of PVC
Regardless of option, there were price variances among the different vendors. Bids ranged from a high $27K to a low of $14K.
Not surprisingly, Option 1 was the cheapest and Option 3 was the most expensive, regardless of vendor. A PVC fence is more-costly because posts must be cemented into the ground and labor typically represents ⅔ of the total cost of installing a fence.
Not all vendors explicitly identified the discount that would result if POENB members (1) removed parts of the existing fence that were not salvageable, (2) deposited the rotten wood in the dumpster on “Beach Clean Up Day, (3) trimmed and cleaned parts of the shrub near the fence, and (4) pressure washed the parts of the existing wooden fence that could be reused. However, one vendor estimated that those activities might decrease the total cost of Options 1 and 2 by $2,000.
Greg and Phil recommended that POENB:
- Use volunteers to remove the unsalvageable portions of the existing split rail fence
- Select Option #1
- Hire Amendola Fence Company (lowest bid for Option 1)
Because the Amendola, like the other vendors, proposed on replacing all 1,011 feet of fence, Greg and Phil will ask Amendola to (1) quote the cost to replace only 50% of the fence and (2) finalize the discount ($2K) if members removed the unsalvageable parts and repurposed and power washed the salvageable posts and rails. The Board is targeting a price below $10,000. Phil and Greg will provide an update during the May meeting.
PSEG Update – Phil Whiter
As discussed in last month’s Changing Tides, John Ballow is leading the Eaton’s Neck Community Working Group (ENCWG), which is composed of eight different associations, to encourage PSEG to take immediate, short-term and long-term action to reduce the number, frequency and duration of electrical power outages on Eaton’s Neck.
Over the last month, PSEG has trimmed hazardous trees and vines and reinforced poles between Bevin Road and the Firehouse. PSEG is also expected to present the results of their short term and longer-term solutions to the ENCWG in the next three weeks.
Hopefully, John Ballow and the ENCWG will be able to provide details on PSEG’s proposed solutions for member review in the May edition of the Changing Tides.
The change.org petition “Clear the Trees or Bury the Lines – Enough!” has garnered over 700 signatures and has been effective in grabbing the attention of local and state political leaders as well as local newspapers (The Northport Observer and Newsday).
EN residents are encouraged to sign the petition; the URL is Https://Chng.it/GvQ82chhLs. It is NOT necessary to contribute any funding to this petition.
Assuming PSEG’s proposed solution is reasonable, the next hurdle is determining which public and/or private entities will pay for the infrastructure improvements.
New Business
#1 – Improvements to Price’s Bend
Tom Kehoe followed up on a January 2023 survey topic regarding the member satisfaction with facilities at Price’s Bend. Tom believes that the bathroom and shower amenities are below expectations, given that PB is a private beach. He noted that members, especially ones with young children, find it difficult to leave the beach salt and sand free. There are no changing stations, the shower is little more than a hose with an attached sprayer, and the existing port-a-potty is very rudimentary.
Other attendees made additional comments:
- Port-a-potty
The single, portable toilet at Price’s Bend is basic. Port-a-potties range from “standard” to “deluxe” to “luxury restroom trailer.” Others are “ADA compliant.” Key differences include the amount of interior square footage and the extent of amenities (e.g., running water, electricity, soap dispenser, paper towels, vanity and mirror and heat/AC). Larger port-a-potties with full amenities can be very expensive. One luxury restroom trailer rent for $1,500 for a single 8-hour event.
- Outside shower
Similar to the port-a-potty, there are multiple options (at different price and quality points) for people to wash away sand and salt after using the beach. Potential shower features include (a) enclosed or open and if enclosed, full or partial; (b) enclosure material – teak wood, PVC, or stainless steel; (c) static or moveable shower head; (d) additional hand operated spray attachment; (e) shower floor materials – wood, cement, or tile; and (f) heated or external temperature water
- Existing infrastructure – PB is equipped for both water and electricity
- Permanent structure
Previously, members discussed building a permanent “clubhouse” that would include a bathroom, shower, a common area and storage area for tools (currently housed in the shed). The total all-in cost, however, would include the initial build cost plus annual maintenance (e.g., insurance, taxes, routine cleaning, repairs, and security – given a potential increased risk of vandalism).
- Possible financing options for any improvements
Members discussed financing options: (1) hold a one-time capital raise; (2) use debt financing (LOC) used for VG improvements, or (3) tap the existing capital improvement fund that was recently set up but make changes slowly over time – as funds exist.
At the meeting, Tom stated that he will:
- Outline the temporary and permanent options
- Estimate the cost, funding possibilities, & implementation timeframes for each option
- Provide pros and cons of each option and recommend the “best” option
#2 Electricity at VG
Tom Bishop asked when electricity would be available at VG. Frank Pasquale stated that the funds were allocated for electrical improvements and the wiring has been/is about to be completed by a preferred vendor.
#3 – Bevin Road Seawall
Similar to their efforts with PSEG, John and Christine Ballow have been focused on permanently repairing the Seawall at Bevin.
Currently, there is approximately 1000 feet of Seawall near Bevin Road. Starting in the 1930s, various organizations have tinkered with the Seawall and some of these “improvements” have made a deteriorating situation worse.
Most recently (post Hurricane Sandy – circa 2013), the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) created a “temporary solution” which consisted of rocks buttressing a steel wall. The steel wall has since corroded and when the tides rise during storms, salt water rushes from LI Sound and flows across Asharoken Avenue to Northport Bay.
An initial, immediate, “no regrets” action would be to reinforce the seawall with additional boulders on the LI Sound side. A more permanent solution will probably take 10+ years to implement.
John Ballow and others believe that it’s only a matter of time before a storm washes out the road and leaves homes at and above Bevin Road “stranded.”
A road washout is a significant public safety and quality of life issue since it impacts access to and from EN. If the road is gone, police, ambulances, additional fire trucks or other public services cannot access EN and EN residents cannot get to hospitals or other critical services via land.
Complicating factors to resolving the Seawall issue include.
- Differences of opinion as to who “caused” (and aggregated) the problem; while some believe that the ACOE is accountable, the ACOE has not accepted responsibility
- One hundred of Asharoken’s 300 inhabitants live on or beyond Bevin Road, so the impact of a Seawall breach is felt unevenly by residents
- Both the VOA and Suffolk County own property along the Seawall.
- VOA, TOH, Suffolk County have not budgeted for any recommended infrastructure changes. Any funding will probably need to come from the Federal Government.
Recent Actions Taken
John Ballow and selected members of the ENCWG have drafted a letter to Senator Chuck Schumer and General of Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE). This detailed letter includes pictures and details the history of the Seawall. This letter is currently being edited for tone and length. The authors intended that the letter be factual, engaging, and allow a reader to draw the relevant conclusions (vs. being told).
John and team will be reaching out to local media to continue to “keep the pressure on” and help facilitate forward momentum. John and others will provide updates to POENB members as new information becomes available.
#4 Need for Additional Sub-Committees
Although POENB’s primary mission is to preserve and beautify PB and VG, members suggested potentially creating a “Public Safety and Quality of Life” committee to more effectively communicate with local, state and federal officials to address:
- Flooding
- PSEG Reliability / Resiliency
- Bevin Seawall
- Possible Criminal /Mischief Activities
- Traffic and Road Hazards – potential need for a dedicated jogging / bike path in sections of Asharoken and EN, rapid pothole repairs, tree trimming, etc.
This possible committee (or committees) could piggy-back on the organizational ground-work laid by John and Christine Ballow and others in addressing the PSEG and Bevin Seawall issues.
Phil Cuiffo and Bob Dennis have volunteered to take the lead on crime and traffic issues, respectively. Phil is currently organizing a Neighborhood Watch Group. He has scheduled a meeting at the firehouse on April 12, at 7pm and another one with the Suffolk County’s 2nd Precinct Police on April 20. Members interested in working with Phil, should call him at 516-971-7336.
Next Meeting
Next month’s meeting scheduled for Friday May 5, 2023 at 7:00 pm.
