The Town of Islip Hamlet of Bay Shore on Great South Bay was established in the early 1800s and is one of the more historically significant communities in Suffolk County. Bay Shore is a major maritime center of the South Shore Estuary Reserve and is considered a ``significant cultural maritime place'' for purposes of the SSER Comprehensive Management Plan.

A variety of land uses are found within the hamlet area, including residential, retail, commercial, and industrial uses. The Bay Shore waterfront (see photo 12 and map 13) includes marine commercial and industrial uses on the Great South Bay and on several navigable waterways that extend inland from the Bay toward Main Street and the historic downtown business district. The principal waterways are, from west to east, Lawrence Creek, Watchogue Creek, Penataquit Creek, and Awixa Creek. These may all be described as urban stream/river corridors lacking natural shoreline features. Many of the homes near the waterfront were built at the turn of the century and maintain their historic integrity. The downtown district, where a number of businesses have been in existence for more than 40 years, incorporates Islip's oldest retail area.

Bay Shore's downtown has experienced a general state of decline for a number of years; its former role as a regional shopping center is described as irreversibly altered by mall development, changes in consumer shopping patterns, and other factors. It is said that even before its decline, the downtown had turned its back on the waterfront as development eliminated physical and visual connections with the water. As a result, a significant sense of the hamlet's maritime heritage was lost. Some major redevelopment efforts are now underway, however, including efforts directed toward the Harbor View area between the Bay Shore waterfront and Main Street. A redevelopment plan for this area has been proposed (the Harbor View Plan) that would create mixed use development, link the downtown with the waterfront, encourage water dependent and water enhanced uses, and increase public access, including visual access, to the water. ⁽²⁴⁾

Bay Shore's waterfront is characterized by miles of bulkheaded shoreline, navigable channels, and a mix of waterfront land uses, including ferry services, commercial marinas, commercial fishing facilities, public water access areas, waterfront restaurants, fish markets, and marine service and sales businesses. The existing water dependent uses and businesses, located primarily along Watchogue and Penataquit creeks where commercial fishing businesses once predominated, constitute the largest center of maritime activity in Suffolk County. Research by the New York Sea Grant Extension Program identifies ten boating facilities at Bay Shore, including two public facilities, two yacht clubs, and eight commercial facilities providing recreational boating-related services to the general public. ⁽²⁵⁾ It is estimated that Bay Shore is home port to more than 1,000 recreational vessels. Research for the proposed Harbor View Plan finds that demand for marina slips is currently down from high levels in 1990; the current occupancy rate is said to be under 80%.

The Town has prepared a draft Local Waterfront Revitalization Program that describes the marine commercial businesses at Bay Shore, emphasizes their importance to the local economy, and presents a number of economic development goals and opportunities. Those goals and opportunities may be described with respect to several distinct waterfront areas, including the Bay Shore Marina, Bayview Avenue area, Ocean Avenue/Watchogue Creek area, Maple Avenue area adjoining both Watchogue and Penataquit creeks, and the Homan Avenue area upstream on Penataquit Creek.

The Town of Islip's Bay Shore Marina, the largest public marina facility on the south shore of Long Island, is the focal point of the waterfront. This 20-acre facility on a peninsula of land extending into Great Cove of Great South Bay provides seasonal docking for more than 500 pleasure boats as well as a boat launching ramp, fishing pier, passenger ferry dock, band shell, and other recreational amenities. The Town's goals, expressed in the draft LWRP, include enhancement of the marina's facilities and management structure to provide for increased public use and enjoyment, Recent improvements include a continuous boardwalk connecting the marina with the fishing pier and beaches, new bulkheading, and repavement of the driveway. A field station and berths for excursion and research vessels are anticipated in conjunction with the proposed Long Island Aquarium (see below).

The Bayview Avenue overlooking the Bay Shore Marina and Great South Bay includes residential development and deteriorated and vacant properties. This area provides important opportunities for redevelopment and pedestrian access to the waterfront; those opportunities are identified and will be pursued through implementation of the Harbor View Plan.

The area between Ocean Avenue and Watchogue Creek supports residential uses of an historic Victorian character upstream on the Creek and a number of important marine commercial uses along the lower reaches of the Creek. A focal point is the former Captain Bill's Restaurant, recently reopened, which contributes importantly to the beneficial character of the waterfront. The restaurant provides facilities for transient boaters who add to the vitality of the waterfront. The Town of Islip's Ocean Avenue Dock is at the foot of Ocean Avenue. A potion of the dock is leased by the Town to an adjacent restaurant for parking use; a number of commercial clam boats and a charter fishing boat have berths on the east side of the dock. Recent improvements include bulkhead restoration, enhancement of sitting and fishing areas, addition of support pilings, and removal of submerged derelict vessels. Additional public safety improvements and projects to improve the dock's overall attractiveness are planned in conjunction with implementation of the Harbor View Plan.

The Maple Avenue area between Watchogue and Penataquit creeks south of Aldrich Court is considered the most distinctive and intensive working waterfront in Bay Shore. Marine commercial activities include ferry terminals, boat service and repair facilities, commercial fishing stations, recreational marinas, and marine supply stores as well as waterfront restaurants. The ferry operations here constitute the most visually prominent water dependent land use on the Town's shoreline. Bay Shore is one of three SSER maritime centers from which ferry service is provided to Fire Island. (The other maritime centers providing ferry service are Sayville and Patchogue and there are also some small ferries, essentially water taxis, that operate from other locations such as Bellport.)

Fire Island Ferry Services, Inc. owns much of the land in the Maple Avenue area. The existing ferry terminals have operated for more than 30 years and have expanded in recent years in response to increased demand for access to the resort communities on Fire Island. It is reported in Islip's draft LWRP document that ``seasonal transient patronage of the ferries exceeds 800,000 persons each summer.'' Many ferry patrons travel to Bay Shore via the Long Island Railroad. In the winter, ferry parking lots are used for boat storage.

The Town of Islip's Maple Avenue Dock at the foot of Maple Avenue also supports ferry service to Fire Island as well as commercial charter and excursion boat services and use by commercial and sport fishermen.

During the summer months, the heavy volume of pedestrian and vehicle traffic associated with use of the ferry terminals and the Maple Avenue Dock creates parking and congestion problems, affects public enjoyment of the waterfront, and generates conflicts with nearby residential areas. The Town's draft LWRP includes a number of objectives and projects for addressing these issues, as well as for improving the Maple Avenue Dock structure, achieving dredging and other navigation improvements, and generally maintaining the working waterfront character of this area.

The Homan Avenue waterfront area is a small peninsula at the head of navigation on Penataquit Creek. This area (not shown on map 13) is distinguished by small cottage-like residential development and by heavy marine commercial uses. Large dredging equipment including cranes and transport barges is prominent. Improvements at the small Town dock at the foot of Homan Avenue are being planned.

Navigation channels at Bay Shore, including the Watchogue and Penataquit channels and the Bay Shore Marina area, are considered Suffolk County dredging projects. These channels are described in a 1985 report ⁽²⁶⁾ by the Suffolk County Planning Department as high priority dredging projects in the public interest. The last County dredging project took place in 1959 when over 230,000 cubic yards of sediment were removed and used as fill for what is now the marina parking area. From Bay Shore, recreational and commercial vessels have easy access to the Great South Bay and the greater navigable depths and larger expanses of open water found in this part of the South Shore Estuary.

Waterfront use and development in the Bay Shore maritime center is controlled by the Town of Islip's zoning regulations. A detailed description of the Town's land use regulations, standards, and procedures affecting waterfront use and development is included in the Water Dependent Zoning Report for the SSER CMP. The zoning districts of interest in the Bay Shore maritime center are the ``Business 1'' and ``Business 3'' districts and various residential zones. The principal water dependent areas in the Bay Shore maritime center, including the ferry terminals and the Bay Shore Marina, are zoned ``Business 3,'' within which specific water dependent uses (commercial marinas, boatyards, ferry facilities, and boat storage) may be allowed by special permit from the Town Board. The Business 3 district with restrictive covenants in effect functions as the Town's water dependent/marine commercial zoning district.

Town representatives say the lack of a specific water dependent zoning district is not a serious problem at the present time. They say that no water dependent uses have been displaced, some marina expansion has occurred, and the existing marinas have survived some difficult economic conditions. They point out that multi-family residential use is not permitted in the maritime center's existing waterfront zoning districts so condominium development is not a threat to displace water dependent uses. In addition, they see little market demand for retail development. While Town representatives also see little current demand for expansion and new development of boating facilities, they see some indications that the boating industry, particularly that part of the industry catering to smaller vessels, may expand in the next few years.

Town representatives say the draft LWRP needs some more work before it can be adopted. While the LWRP policies are almost completed, local laws and regulations for program implementation must still be reviewed, amended, and adopted, as necessary. It is pointed out that even though the LWRP has not been adopted, the Town has moved forward with implementing of a number of the provisions included in the draft program. While the Town hopes to complete the LWRP in 1999, the first priority of the Department of Planning and Development is to complete an update of the Town's Comprehensive Plan.

In addition to the Harbor View Plan, several other ongoing planning and development initiatives are expected to have major long-term beneficial effects on the Bay Shore maritime center, including the Long Island Aquarium at Bay Shore project and the Watchogue Creek Waterfront Park project.

It is anticipated that elements of the proposed Harbor View Plan will be incorporated into the LWRP. Research for the Harbor View Plan concluded that redevelopment in the Harbor View area should focus on use of the waterfront by residents and visitors, and consist of a combination of year-round and seasonal uses. The proposed plan describes strong consensus for ``capturing'' Fire Island ferry users for the benefit of local businesses, and apparent strong support for residential development to serve as redevelopment ``anchors.'' Also, the Bay Shore Marina (along with other Town-owned properties) is described as an underutilized resource and an opportunity area for providing improved services and enhanced public use. Most persons interviewed for the Harbor View Plan attached a high priority to maintaining and expanding marine-related uses in Bay Shore.

Representatives of the Town's Department of Planning and Development held a public meeting to hear comments on the proposed Harbor View Plan. The sense of that meeting, they say, was that new residential development would be beneficial, although it should not be located on the waterfront. Department representatives also say the current real estate market for senior housing appears to be good. In addition, they describe a recent proposal, still in the conceptual stage, for development of a yacht club in the Harbor View area that would cater to larger boats, and say that such a development would increase opportunities for access to the Great South Bay.

The Long Island Aquarium at Bay Shore will be a ``world class'' educational and entertainment facility that will have a major stimulating effect on revitalization of the downtown. The facility, which will be within walking distance of the ferry terminals and rail road station, is expected to attract more than 800,000 visitors annually and be one of the most significant tourist attractions on Long Island. It is anticipated that the Aquarium will open in the year 2000.

The Watchogue Creek Waterfront Park project is intended to help induce downtown revitalization by providing linkage between the downtown and waterfront areas. Town plans call for opening up waterfront vistas from Main Street at Watchogue Creek, enlarging existing park space bordering Main Street, and creating a waterfront park at the head of Watchogue Creek that will be able to accommodate excursion boats.