The Valero gas station on Route 25 and South Jamesport Avenue in Jamesport last week installed a digital price sign, allowing attendants to change the prices posted on the sign without having to climb up and physically change the numbers. But the town quickly hit them with a summons for violating the town's sign ordinance, according to building department coordinator Leroy Barnes.
"The town's zoning code prohibits internally illuminated signs in the Village Center zone, where the gas station is located," according to Mr. Barnes.
Ironically, the price of gas at the Jamesport Valero station has dropped since the electronic price sign went up.
The price of regular was $4.21 per gallon last Thursday and was $4.09 per gallon yesterday.
The owners of the station could not be reached for comment.
Taking the LEED
The Town Board has scheduled a public hearing on a proposal to require all new town buildings to have "Green Building Construction" certification.
That's not a paint color issue; it applies to the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council, which sets guidelines based on water efficiency, energy efficiency, conservation of materials and so forth. The USGBC has a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System that certifies whether buildings meet LEED criteria, and to what extent.
The proposal, which is slated for a public hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 2:35 p.m. in Town Hall, would require all new town buildings or town buildings undergoing substantial reconstruction to meet the minimum LEED certification standards.
In order to be green, however, the town will need to spend some green. For the town to be officially certified LEED compliant, it must pay the USGBC annual dues of $500.
Engineer of the year
Town engineer Ken Testa recently received the Engineer of the Year award from the New York State Society of Professional Engineers' Suffolk County chapter. Mr. Testa's name is now inscribed on a plaque with those of previous winners of the award, which include H. Lee Dennison, a former county executive for whom the county's Hauppauge offices are named; Robert Catell, former CEO of KeySpan; and Charles Bartha, a former Suffolk Department of Public Works commissioner.