[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the
Town of Southampton 10-27-1992 by L.L. No. 43-1992. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
A.
The Master Plan envisions a recreational system which
would incorporate the essential natural and scenic resources that
have attracted people to the community over the years into a system
of largely interconnected parks and open spaces. These resources,
such as our morainal and pine barren woodlands, farmlands, ponds,
bays and ocean and points of interest, as well as our scenic hamlets,
would provide the setting or backdrop for specific recreational facilities
and historic sites, or focal points, within the overall system. These
focal points would be the active, high-traffic, recreation areas and
would be lineally connected to the less active, natural, environmental
parks by way of greenbelt corridors and trails.
(1)
The Master Plan notes that "as the overall park and
open space system takes form, it will be important to recognize that
new opportunities will exist to accommodate the social, economic,
recreational and environmental programs that these new lands would
accommodate."
(2)
The Master Plan also states "the lineal layout (of
a system of trails) would be ideally suited to such activities." It
further states that "relative to the acquisition of greenbelt linkage
parks and other open spaces, much can be expected through the use
of planned residential development... ."
B.
A partial description of the benefits associated with
trails include the following:
(1)
Trails provide a multitude of opportunities related
to outdoor recreation: hiking, strolling, cross-country skiing, photography,
nature study, bird-watching, environmental education, horseback riding
and bicycling. In addition, trails provide valuable public access
corridors to ponds and woodland areas for hunters and fishermen.
(2)
Trails are land links that function as a planning
tool. They can be utilized to join parklands and a growing inventory
of lands that have become dedicated into open space as a result of
the subdivision review process.
(3)
Trails can provide adjacent residential communities
with corridors of open space that help to preserve natural vistas;
they help to maintain sense-of-place distinctions between communities
and provide casually passive transportation routes between neighborhoods.
(4)
Trails provide the critical habitat passages necessary
for the natural movement of wildlife. There is a strong correlation
linking access to natural areas and the ability of various wildlife
to maintain sustainable populations.
(5)
Within residential communities, trail greenway areas
can function as refuges for certain wildlife species and help to protect
food sources for migratory birds.
(6)
Certain existing trails throughout the Town represent
ancient pathways. The protection of such trails can help to preserve
an important and often overlooked value associated with the Town's
inventory of natural resources. Trails can function as historical
corridors, tracing the course of colonial and native American use
over hundreds of years.
(7)
Trails are a natural access to environmentally sensitive
areas and serve to enhance an appreciation of the beauty and diversity
of habitats that need to be preserved.
C.
The Town Board of the Town of Southampton finds and
declares it to be the public policy of the Town to identify and protect
existing trails, as well as to develop and maintain new linking trails
to secure various social, economic, aesthetic and environmental benefits
necessary to the health, safety and general welfare of present and
future residents of Southampton.
D.
In order to implement these policies, a variety of local laws, regulations and policies have already been adopted. Chapter 247, Open Space, of the Town Code sets guidelines for open space preservation in planned residential developments (cluster subdivisions), and Chapter 292, Subdivision of Land, § 292-6.1, requires the identification and preservation of trails within proposed subdivisions and directs the Planning Board to encourage landowners to grant rights to the public to utilize trails.
E.
In order to further implement the Town's interest
in trail development, the Trails Advisory Board was established by
Town Board resolution dated February 25, 1992, to advise Town agencies
on the many issues relative to the development and management of a
comprehensive, Town-wide trail network.
F.
It is the intent of this chapter to affirm the establishment
of the Trails Advisory Board; to express the general policy of the
Town with respect to the protection of existing trails and the development
of new trails; and to outline the duties and responsibilities of the
Trails Advisory Board with respect to implementing these policies.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The duly appointed Director of the Office of Natural Resources pursuant to Chapter 229 of the Town Code.
The Planning Board of the Town of Southampton.
The Town Board of the Town of Southampton.
A path, walk or way which may be used for hiking, walking,
horseback riding or similar recreational pursuit, but excluding motorized
vehicles. This shall include existing trails as well as newly created
trails.
The advisory body to the Town Board and Planning Board in
relation to the acquisition, establishment and management of trails
created by resolution dated February 25, 1992, and affirmed by this
chapter.
A.
Pursuant to Town Board resolution dated February 25,
1992, there is hereby established in and for the Town of Southampton
a Trails Advisory Board consisting of seven members to serve without
compensation and to be appointed annually by the Town Board in a manner
that reflects an effort to balance geographical representation of
the Town and encourages participation from a diverse group of resident
trail users.
B.
The Trails Advisory Board shall have a Chairman, who
shall be appointed by the Town Board annually. An Acting Chairman
may be designated by the Trails Advisory Board.
C.
The Natural Resources Director shall serve as an ex
officio member of the Board.
The Trails Advisory Board shall advise and assist
the Town Board and other Town agencies in the following tasks:
A.
Identify existing and potential trails.
B.
Conduct advisory reviews of subdivision proposals
and make certain planning recommendations regarding trails.
C.
Assist the Planning and Natural Resources Director(s)
with the inventory and analysis required for the development of a
Trails Overlay Map.
D.
Provide policy recommendations for the types of trails
being preserved, developed or maintained, including recommendations
regarding limitations on acceptable uses for specific trails or trail
segments.
E.
Monitor the concerns and interests of residents of
the Town regarding the preservation, development, maintenance and
use of trails.
F.
Assist the Town with the development of "good neighbor"
policies regarding trails, including those related to stewardship,
illegal dumping, trails education and trail easements.
G.
Interact with other municipalities and agencies regarding
the regional aspects of trail networks.
H.
Promote the use of trails throughout the development
of a Trail Guide for Southampton Town.
A.
The Trails Advisory Board shall meet on a monthly
basis and shall maintain records of the topics discussed, the applications
reviewed, investigations, discussions or advisory opinions rendered.
Notice of the meetings of the Trails Advisory Board shall be posted
on the Town Clerk's sign board at least five days in advance of such
meeting day, and such meeting shall be open to the public.
B.
An annual report of the activities of the Trails Advisory
Board shall be made available to the Town Board at the end of each
calendar year.
