Jan 23, 2013 10:07 AM
Displeased with Southampton Town’s response to density and overcrowding issues, the Hampton Bays Civic Association is raising the possibility of incorporating the hamlet as a village, a way of taking matters into their own hands, members said this week.
Bruce King, the president of the organization, said the hamlet and the Hampton Bays School District are burdened by overcrowded homes and motels illegally operating as apartments. If Hampton Bays were to incorporate, he said, it would appoint its own planning board and zoning board of appeals to address such matters.
Code enforcement, Mr. King pointed out, would be the highest priority. “Southampton Town has a certain amount budgeted for code enforcement, and there are areas like Hampton Bays, Flanders and Riverside that need more,” he said on Friday. “And we don’t get... more
Bruce King, the president of the organization, said the hamlet and the Hampton Bays School District are burdened by overcrowded homes and motels illegally operating as apartments. If Hampton Bays were to incorporate, he said, it would appoint its own planning board and zoning board of appeals to address such matters.
Code enforcement, Mr. King pointed out, would be the highest priority. “Southampton Town has a certain amount budgeted for code enforcement, and there are areas like Hampton Bays, Flanders and Riverside that need more,” he said on Friday. “And we don’t get... more
The only thing you get from becoming a village is higher taxes - it's impossible for them to not go up. Sagaponack has been successful because, well, no one lives there, they have a one room school house and the residents don't mind paying $10,000/year in taxes on their $4,000.000 homes in order to be "exclusive". ...more
The civics really think becoming a village will mean they can rectify the motel situation? Think again - the Town has no say in it because the County is the one who put them there and the County has reign over the Town. It's a nice idea on paper, but I would be very wary going forward.
Resdident os Hampton bays would be better off voting for a "none of the above" candidtes to send a message to town hall. Your idea of incorporation is close to insane.
Much of the current problems in HB is from the loud mouths and road-blockers who pressured Town Hall to slow and stop ALL development and a Moratorium was placed in HB and no building permits were being issued. Ooooh, "development" is such a bad word but it keeps properties looking good and moving forward which is the goal. Landlords and property owners could not get permits unless they received a waiver from the Planning Board - which - MJG and her cronies, the civic association and other CAC folks all complained about. The current process to "fix" and "make HB look nice again" is so very very difficult why would anyone want to go through it. Point in fact - the new King Kullen shopping plaza was such a fight and the "locals" fought it tooth and nail and those same fighters I see shopping there regularly.
I'm all for HB incorporating even if that means higher taxes - at least you'll get action and get things done without the bullcr@p! But this new village needs to buy MJG a condo in another part of the country, purgatory is just not working out for her!
THAT'S the problem.
Demand code enforcement and prosecutors assigned STRICTLY FOR HB.
(p.s. the fines levied generally cover the cost)
If the elected officials fail to comply --vote them out of office.
Go to this meeting. Keep an open mind. Inform yourselves.
For example, the Hampton Bays Water District must have all its spending, bonding, etc. done by the Southampton Town Board. What does someone ...more from Sag Harbor really care about us? Or someone from Southampton, Noyack, Westhampton, Speonk, yadda yadda? No. We need to take our political affairs into our own hands. Go to the meeting!
Mastic Village has some advantages - no need for a big town hall, no need for real planners (they have virtually no commercial), no need for a lot more than one squad car, very few roads which ...more are not heavily trafficked.
Their mayor quit - they have been severely handicapped in hurricane recovery because they had no resources of their own to deal with the emergency situation, they have zoning issues and their board voted to increase their terms from 2-years to 4-years then had to do an about face when the residents freaked. Yea, things are great there!
Yeah, it looks good on paper and they can pipe dream, but...