STRONG’S YACHT CENTER
BUILDING PROJECT

Many of our yacht clients currently go out of state to have their indoor storage needs met. There is high demand for indoor heated storage for larger boats in the NY-NJ-CT region. These two approx. 50,000 sq. ft. buildings will provide local storage for 88 yachts of 60’ average size, serving our customers’ needs closer to home while creating at least 15 new full-time, year-round career opportunities for local residents.

Plans are 100% compliant with the property’s Marine II Industrial zoning. No variances are requested.

To make the least visual impact on the landscape, our plans call for constructing the storage buildings like our region’s potato barns. They will be built into the sand, behind our existing waterfront buildings (see renderings below for reference). Sand must be removed to prepare the building site for this method of construction, which allows the buildings to rise just 17’ higher than our existing waterfront buildings.

Our proposal calls for removing the sand in 30-yard loads, Monday to Friday, through the fall and winter months. We estimate approximately 40 trucks entering and exiting the property per day.

The number of trips, and the timeline, could be reduced by removing the sand in 40-yard loads. We have chosen to remove the sand in 30-yard loads because this weight can be appropriately handled on local roads.

Though not required by Town code, all trucks will be equipped with Tier 4 engines. The reduced emissions of Tier 4 engines in construction machinery meets EPA standards for highway trucks; they are the quietest and most environmentally engines currently available. Backup alarms used will be the White Noise version, which are the quietest available systems. Jake brakes –electronic braking systems producing loud noise when braking – will not be permitted.

A roaming safety vehicle will be deployed during truck transport to ensure trucks are spaced out properly, and that drivers adhere to area speed limits and take appropriate safety precautions. This oversight is not required by Town code; it is included in the plans out of consideration for the community.

Barging the sand out of the Inlet was our first choice; we wish it could be managed in this way! We investigated this option with four large barge contractors, including mapping out detailed soundings from the entrance of Mattituck Inlet to the building site. Unfortunately, all four contractors concluded that the inlet was not wide or deep enough to barge out the sand.

We researched building a temporary cement plant on-site to make use of the sand. Unfortunately, less than 10% of the removed sand would be used in producing the quantity of cement required for the project. Considering the environmental impact of operating a cement plant on-site, this plan did not make sense.

As is typical with construction projects with an excavation component, the removed material will be sold, and the proceeds used to support the project’s cost. The anticipated value of the sand is less than 10% of the cost of the project.

More than 100 new trees will be planted on site upon completion of construction. In addition, we will work with the Southold Town Tree Committee to plant additional trees in the community.

The count of trees to be removed includes trees 6” in diameter and greater.

Construction of the new buildings will shift the edge of the existing forest closer to the Town’s Mill Road Preserve. The project will maintain a minimum 105-ft buffer between the project limit and the Preserve. Impacts to ecological habitat in Mill Road Preserve, such as increased light in the forest, may occur in a 4/10th of an acre portion of the 25-acre Preserve property closest to SYC and the neighboring residential properties; this portion is represented by yellow crosshatch in the image below. The project includes planting native trees and vegetation along the new forest edge to minimize these impacts.

Over the past three years, many technical professionals from consulting firms throughout Long Island have been involved in the planning and design of this project to ensure minimal impact on the environment. Our team has decades of experience, and they have all worked on projects in the Town of Southold.