Southold Town has set stricter limits on where new docks and swimming pools can be built in an effort to protect shoreline access and water quality, despite opposition from waterfront homeowners who said the changes went too far.

The new law expands setbacks for pools and bans new docks at nine waterways, mostly freshwater bodies including Laurel Lake. The town board voted 5-1 to approve the changes on Wednesday, about a month after a public hearing set off a debate over property rights and environmental protections.

Town trustees proposed the changes in response to development trends they observed at field inspections. The five-member body manages public access to waterways and reviews development activities within 100 feet of wetlands, beaches and bluffs.

Under the new regulations,

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