Annual Meeting Recap: Parking Lots, Aquaculture and Water Quality Initiatives

We want to thank you. The turnout at our End-of-Summer Annual APC Gathering last Friday was – not only robust – but also an audience that was informed, engaged and committed. 

Read on below for recap and next steps. We need you!

What We Covered

At this year’s annual APC gathering we had  a full house at the beautiful home of John & Anne Mullen. The evening began with live musical entertainment by Dylan Green of REEB who played a combination of songs to start us off on a lively note.

Dylan’s performance was followed by an overview given by APC Board Member Glyn Vincent on our current projects, including:

  • Two water quality initiatives, one undertaken with the EH Town and the non-profit Clear Bays and the other with the Cornell Cooperative Extension. These projects are designed to identify, analyze and help remediate sources of nitrogen and bacteria in Accabonac Harbor.
  • APC’s bamboo removal along Old Stone Hwy. The DEC has issued a permit to begin containment of the bamboo which is blocking access to the marsh meadows;
  • Cutting back of phragmites in Pussy’s Pond. APC is looking for 2-3 volunteers to participate in the cutting and culling of this invasive plant in two separate working sessions this fall.  Please email Glyn Vincent at glyndv@gmail.com to volunteer for this effort.

After the overview of the Accabonac Protection Committee’s ongoing efforts, Board Member Jody Sutter recounted for the community present the recent meeting of the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee on the controversial new parking lot proposed for behind the Springs Library. Jody read the APC’s formal view on the matter which is that all viable alternatives need to be researched before cutting down the woodland behind Springs Library. Some of these alternatives include:

  • Alternatives to parking whether on School Street or on Town-owned adjacent property (Parsons/Dodge lots) or somewhere else;
  • Alternative scheduling: Can the Springs Triangle organizations coordinate schedules to hold events on different days/evenings?
  • Alternative locations for various activities or events:  For example, the Springs Farmer’s Market and/or Mahjong nights;
  • Alternative to handicapped accessible parking: Can the Town allocate additional parking close to the library or Ashawagh Hall so that those who need it are accommodated?

At its heart, the APC board is concerned about any possible impact that would negatively affect the already fragile ecosystem at Pussy’s Pond.

Thank you to John Barley Dunn for his Discussion 

Wrapping up the community meeting’s agenda was a lively discussion led by Director of the East Hampton Town’s Shellfish Hatchery, John ‘Barley’ Dunn, on the benefits of seeding oyster and clam beds around East Hampton and Accabonac Harbor in particular. Barley explained the process at the Hatchery to seed shellfish, the location of shellfish beds in Accabonac Harbor and where to find up-to-date information on when & where to safely harvest.

East Hampton’s history of shellfish and kelp farming to support reduced nitrogen levels in our waterways sparked numerous questions from the audience and wrapped up our agenda on a boisterous note. Thank you Barley, for lending your expertise and knowledge to our meeting!

We would also like to thank John & Anne Mullen for the generous donation of their home for this community meeting, Dylan Green of REEB and all our volunteers who showed up to make this a wonderful afternoon of community, education and discussion happen.

Thank YOU for your Support

Keeping our community informed of the ongoing work to protect Accabonac Harbor is the Accabonac Protection Committee’s top priority. These efforts are possible due to the generous support of our community and it is your donations that help fund critical fact-finding programs, as well as our ongoing remediation efforts to protect the harbor.

Thank you for your continued support. Together, we can ensure that Accabonac Harbor, our waterways, and our open spaces remain protected for future generations.

The work continues.  Please donate here.