The Truth About Docks

A word from Lisa Davidson...

I understand the desire for a private dock. My husband is an avid boater and fisherman who keeps his boat parked at a local marina.

Most people do not understand, waterfront property owners on Stony Brook Harbor only own the land to the mean high-water line. They do not own the land under the water table. Riparian rights simply grant a property owner access to the water, it does not give them the right to take the publicly owned land they need to build their dock. Very simply, private docks are a private taking of public land.

The desire for private docks in our harbor is further complicated by its extreme shallowness. If docks could be an appropriate length, in our Village the code is a maximum length of 75’ long, that would be one thing. But as the DEC is now requiring the end of the dock to have a minimum of 2.5 feet of standing water that means a dock to accommodate any type of boat beyond a kayak is going to be 130’ - 225’ long.

In our small, shallow harbor that’s simply inappropriate.

The DEC should also not be calling the shots.

The LWRP specifies in detail the fragile ecology of our intertidal wetlands and marsh, the various flora and fauna that call our harbor home further confirming the fact that private mega-docks do not belong here.

Ours is the last undredged harbor along the north shore. Long docks will surely lead to large boats that will unquestionably lead to the dredging of this remarkable bit of Heaven we all get to share.

A harbor full of mega-docks will not only destroy the fragile ecology but it will also be ruinous for our property values. Once we acquiesce, that’s it.

We must put the best interests of the community first by upholding the mandates of the LWRP and keep our harbor mega-dock free.