OCTOBER 2025 NEWSLETTER

villageofgreenport.org

DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION GRANT FUNDING MEETING

• Please join us at 5pm on Thursday, October 23rd at the Third Street firehouse for a community forum to review some grant eligible projects in the downtown area.

HYDRANT TESTING

• Sunday, October 26 starting at 9am, fire hydrants will be tested. Before washing clothes or consuming water, make sure the water runs clear and there are no signs of rust or iron.

SOUTHOLD TOWN ELECTION

• Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 6am-9pm. Early voting is Saturday, October 25 through Sunday, November 2 at the Peconic Recreation Center. Three seats are open for the Town Board, three for the Trustees, two for Assessors, as well as the positions of Town Clerk, Town Justice, and Highway Superintendent.

CHILDCARE VOUCHERS

• Suffolk County Department of Social Services Childcare Department vouchers can be used at our Village after school program and summer camp. Parents who are eligible (households making under $70,000) can apply by calling the department at 631-854-3349, emailing daycare@suffolkcountyny.gov, or filling out the application linked above.

ADAMS & FIRST STREET SIDEWALK REPAIR

• Work on the Adams Street sidewalk between First and Main Streets will be completed by Halloween. Additionally, the Suffolk County bus stop on First Street with enhanced ADA accessibility is nearly complete. We are thrilled with these enhancements providing better accessibility to those in need.

CPF VS COUNTY WORKING WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS PROGRAM

• The recently signed county legislation to protect the working waterfront is a separate initiative from the Community Preservation Fund (CPF). Under this new law, $9.5 million has been allocated through 2028 specifically to support conservation easement acquisitions that protect commercial fishing, aquaculture, and maritime heritage.
• In contrast, the CPF is a separate, town-administered fund supported by a 2% tax on all real estate transactions within Southold Town. Historically, the revenues have been used to protect farmland, open space, and golf courses from development.

Saturdays | Tai Chi in the Park – Morning Sessions (through October)

Carousel | Open Weekends 11am-5pm (Credit Cards Only)

Mini Railroad | Closed for the Season for Repairs

Saturday, October 18 | The Worker - Gallery Opening 7:00pm • North Fork Arts Center

Thursday, October 20 | North Fork Chamber of Commerce Southold Town Candidate Forum Dinner Meeting 6:00pm • Southold American Legion

Thursday, October 23 | Southold Town Council Candidate Debate 7:00pm • Peconic Landing

Saturday, October 25 | Halloween Parade & Celebration starting at 11:00am • Parade starts at Floyd Memorial Library and ends in Mitchell Park (rain date Sunday)

CAST Festival of Trees | Saturday & Sunday, November 22 & 23 • Treiber Farm

Greenport Village Tree Lighting | Saturday, December 6 • Mitchell Park

• The new Mural Committee is looking for high school students to help paint a mural on the 5th Street Beach bathroom building on Saturday, November 8 (rain date November 15). Email info@greenportvillage.org for details if interested.

Southold Town Election Debate Schedule

Southold Town Zoning Update

Southold Town Trustee Candidates

PLANNING BOARD

• The Planning Board continued discussion of its ongoing review of the Village Zoning code. It opened public input and comments for draft frameworks for zoning updates to housing, vacancy, curb cuts, CR retail commercial district uses, entertainment permit requirements, parking, and Planning Board review. Frameworks for recommended changes to zoning code take into consideration the balance of access, safety, and Village character while ensuring the vitality of the Village for full-time residents, as well as visitors and tourists. Based on the input during the meeting from the public and Planning Board members, further edits to the frameworks will be made, posted to the Village website, and shared with the Board of Trustees.
• Updated protocols for Planning Board application review and approval were adopted in order to strengthen transparency and fairness for all applicants. 
• Diana Gordon, Member of the Zoning Board of Appeals and Chair of the Village Workforce & Affordable Housing Committee, requested simplified summaries of the frameworks for public distribution so that people who do not attend Village meetings have access to the information. She also asked for the advisory frameworks to address accommodations for the fair and equitable distribution of parking with reference to a resident parking lot and/or parking permit program. 
• Ian Wile, on behalf of the Hold Fast Fund, praised the frameworks for removing barriers (specifically parking requirements) for businesses, requested that the entertainment/event permit be stricken, suggested that seasonal businesses are an important part of Village vibrancy, and asked that job creation be taken into consideration in the recommendations for updating Village code. He also suggested that instead of a Vacancy Registry, the Village consider an Availability Registry to provide entrepreneurs and small business people vital information to open pop-up, seasonal, or full-time businesses in the Village.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

• For 2026, HPC meetings will be held at 5pm on the second Thursday of each month.
• The committee discussed exploration of grants, based on a 2020 report from Preservation Studios and to fund updating of that work, to expand the Core District (225 properties) and create a new South West District (305 properties) along with making updates to code Chapter 76. HPC will seek a resolution to share with the Board of Trustees to fund this work in pursuit of grants.

VILLAGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

• BID President Honored: Nancy Kouris received a Village proclamation for community leadership and gratitude for her service as Greenport Business Improvement District President. She announced her  resignation from that position as of October 1, 2025.

• Visitor's Dock Plans: A new plan for a visitor’s dock, or a short-stay dock, is in development with the intention of having a solution in place for the 2026 boating season. 

• Deer Hunting Open: Hunting season is open October 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026.

• Lodging Tax: The Village will draft a resolution for the State legislature to consider implementation of a Village lodging tax for hotels and short-term rentals as a way to raise Village revenue.

• Short-term Rental Code: Diana Gordon, Chair of the Village Workforce & Affordable Housing Committee asked for consideration regarding the diminished housing supply due to short-term rentals and shared that  33% of homes in the Village are unoccupied most of the year with 59% reserved for seasonal or occasional use. She also shared that the top 20% of short-term rental owners reflects a concentration of ownership where revenue from rental is going outside the Village. For example, 28 Village homes are owned by one company - not a neighbor. This has a material effect on the availability and affordability of housing. 

• Long Island Forward Grant Program: The Village Workforce & Affordable Housing Committee proposed properties for consideration and analysis as potential sites for affordable housing development with the assistance of the Long Island Forward grant program.

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Village of Greenport, New York

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