Proposed Condos On West Water Street Face Concerns From Sag Harbor ARB

Developer Jay Bialsky’s planned townhouse residences continued to loom, metaphorically, over Sag Harbor Village’s Architectural Review Board last week.

Mr. Bialsky and architect David Harvey went in front of the board on Thursday, July 26, to further discuss plans for the 0.69 acres at 2 West Water Street, which include the construction of three townhouses with boat slips, with one of the buildings serving as Mr. Bialsky’s own home.

That property and the properties at 1, 3 and 5 Ferry Road were originally going to be used by Greystone Development to build condominiums, until the company sold the land to Mr. Bialsky on April 19. The Ferry Road properties were then purchased by Southampton Town with $10.5 million in Community Preservation Fund revenues, and the land was set aside for the long-planned John Steinbeck Waterfront Park.

At last Thursday’s meeting, Mr. Harvey pointed out that the third-floor penthouses of the townhouses have been pushed back 4 feet and the eastern side of the third floor was also moved back 4 feet. He explained on Monday that the goal in moving those walls back was to reduce the visual impact, as far as the height of the structure. From the street level to the tallest corner on the third floor, the townhouses would be 38 feet tall, according to Mr. Harvey. He also pointed out that five planned street trees have been spaced out evenly to create a walkway for pedestrians.

Mr. Bialsky noted at the meeting that the plans for his townhouses are set to go before the Sag Harbor Village Zoning Board of Appeals in August. This caused ARB Chairman Anthony Brandt to wonder if the entire discussion about the townhouses with the board could be “somewhat premature.”

“If the ZBA asks for changes to this that are drastic, all of this is somewhat moot,” Mr. Brandt said. “We need to explore how much we need to persuade you about reducing the size of this.”

“The main goal here was to set the top floor back, which you’ve accomplished,” ARB consultant Zachary Studenroth said, but he added that there was little difference for those looking at the side of the building.

Mr. Harvey said he hopes that the ZBA doesn’t ask for major changes and that he is “waiting for the chips to fall.”

With that in mind, Mr. Brandt said the ARB needed to wait for the ZBA to make a determination before the ARB could add further comment.