A.
The Town of Yorktown has always been strongly committed to protect and enhance its natural resources. One of the many natural resources of which this Town is endowed with is Lake Mohegan.
B.
Lake Mohegan historically was used as a summer resort, and along its shores are numerous neighborhood lake associations which provide area residents with access to and use of Lake Mohegan. The remainder of the Lake Mohegan shoreline is made up of private lots both improved and unimproved. A majority of the private shoreline lots are small twenty- to twenty-five-foot strips known as "dock lots."
C.
Historically, these dock lots were created prior to the adoption of a comprehensive zoning ordinance being in place. Presently, the Town Code of the Town of Yorktown does not regulate the creation of dock lots. The Town Code only controls the subdivision of land for purposes of creating building lots. The creation of dock lots therefore is still unregulated.
D.
It is the intent and purpose of this article to regulate and control the further creation of dock lots along the shore of Lake Mohegan. Further, it is the intent and purpose of this article to regulate the granting of access to Lake Mohegan whether by the subdivision of lots into dock lots or by the granting of easements over lake shore property.
E.
It is a finding that the continued unregulated granting of lake access will significantly impact the lake environment and adversely impact the sensitive ecology of Lake Mohegan as well as the character of the Lake Mohegan neighborhood. Accordingly, the purpose of this article is to prevent any person from undertaking any new land use, development and/or subdivision of land that involves any shoreline of Lake Mohegan, except in compliance with the shoreline use and development restrictions outlined below.
