Jim Wall asked FishersIsland.net to share his letter to Southold Town Board member Kate Stevens dated March 6, 2026, and Kate’s response is included below.
To: Councilwoman Kate Stevens
From: Jim Wall
Dear Ms. Stevens.
Enclosed below are a couple of articles found in a FI Gazette dated August 1992. One by Carol Ridgway, president of the now defunct FI Civic Association, and one by Dan Gordon with John Thatcher of the FI Conservancy. I find the reported study by Mr. Thatcher very interesting. Perhaps it should be conducted again.
I am sure property owners would appreciate an update on the amount of taxes sent over to the Town of Southold and the percentage given to the island for needed services.
One example being, why are roads on the West End in such deplorable conditions? Countless potholes and cracks, yellow medians are all faded and in some areas completely worn away. Slurry coating is only a Band-Aid. Granted, cost and labor rates have risen since 1992 but so too have assessed property values. They have skyrocketed in the past few years. Homes in 1992 sold for nothing near what they are selling for now, well within the millions. Property that is put in conservancy is great, but it should not be allowed if it is on the West End of the island. Those properties should be used for affordable housing for year rounders. This would increase the [housing available] to the rapidly dwindling year rounders who want to work and live here.
I could go on but I think you get the gist of what I have written. One more thought, the Island does not have a taxpayers association, which I feel is needed.
I present these thoughts of mine as serious. I am no longer a property owner, but I love my Island and fear where it is heading.
Sincerely,
Jim Wall
April 24, 2026
Fishers Islanders,
I want to thank Jim again for writing this. This job is primarily about communication, so I hope people continue to reach out on all channels.
This March, Jim and I had a lengthy in-person conversation about his letter, his concerns, and his love of the island, where he has spent so many chapters of his life, working and volunteering in myriad capacities.
Open space and year-round housing are key, interrelated components of building a resilient, sustainable Fishers Island community. Open space protects our aquifer, critical habitat, and promotes coastal resilience. Year-round housing is a prerequisite for sustaining a multigenerational community made up of working families, students and young people, retirees, long-timers, and recent arrivals who each contribute to the community in incredibly meaningful ways. The Parade Grounds, for example, are a strong candidate for conservation, while the Gatehouse lots are well-suited for year-round housing.
Jim’s concern that the island is overlooked and not getting its fair share is widely held and long-standing; the Gazette articles he shared could have been written yesterday. Being disadvantaged by geography is the very reason that Fishers Island — unlike any of the other 10 hamlets in Southold Town — has a seat on the town council. It is why it is so important to focus on bridging this divide, identifying gaps, amplifying existing points of contact, and expanding communication and connectivity.
To achieve meaningful change, we need data over anecdotes, and dialogue over narratives. This is the impetus for the upcoming Thursday, April 30 visit by town reps, which is in addition to the annual meeting scheduled for July 14 this year. The supervisor, up to two town board members, and others will be attending a series of meetings with different island organizations about emergency preparedness, critical infrastructure, and open space/waterfront/water quality protection. Please note there will be opportunities to discuss housing, businesses, and other topics throughout the year — key issues and likely priorities in the town’s comprehensive zoning update, which is shifting from an all-at-once to incremental process*. I encourage interested islanders to come join us for lunch that day, from 12–1 at the Community Center, to discuss these and other issues. (RSVP to April 30 lunch HERE.)
Critical thinking and debate are essential to well-informed decision-making. Let’s continue the conversation!
Kate Stevens
Town Council/Justice
KateS@southoldtownny.gov
(631) 948-2434
Note: The town has strong email filters. If you email, please text me to be sure I receive it.
*For more on the zoning update: https://www.eastendbeacon.com/southold-town-to-break-zoning-update-into-smaller-pieces/
