Southampton Village Trustees Push DEC To Allow Iconic Meadow Lane Boathouse To Be Rebuilt

The “old boathouse” on Meadow Lane in Southampton that was smashed to pieces during Superstorm Sandy in 2012 has yet to be rebuilt—and the Southampton Village Board of Trustees is pushing to change that.

The boathouse, built in the early 20th century, had survived more than a half dozen hurricanes and countless severe nor’easters, but crumbled during the massive storm that flooded Meadow Lane nearly five years ago. The owners are looking to restore the structure, but have hit a wall while trying to secure permits through the State Department of Environmental Conservation, according to Mayor Mark Epley.

Mr. Epley said the DEC is being hesitant in giving the homeowners permits because the boathouse sits in the tidal wetlands, so officials said it could potentially have an adverse impact on the environment. However, Mr. Epley noted that immediately after the storm when other Meadow Lane homeowners were rebuilding the DEC issued similar permits for structures to be constructed.

Bill Fonda, a DEC spokesman, said officials met with the applicant on May 19, and are working to move the project forward. He did not provide additional information.

“My belief is this is a restoration of an iconic structure,” Mr. Epley said during a recent Village Board work session. “It’s been here since the 1930s … It’s not like they’re trying to bring in a brand new structure. I disagree with the DEC here.”

Over the years the boathouse had become a landmark in Southampton and was often visited by summer tourists.

Trustee Michael Irving added that the boathouse has always been a Southampton staple.

“It’s been there for as long as I can remember,” he said.

Nodding to the long history of the boathouse in the village, Mr. Epley proposed a resolution near the end of the work session for the board to “strongly” urge the DEC to approve the permits. The board was quick to agree and the motion was unanimously approved on May 11.

Lisa Poyer, an environmental planner with Inter-Science Research Associates, a Southampton-based environmental planning and development company, emailed Mr. Epley earlier this month asking for the town to pass the resolution to help convince the DEC to allow the homeowners—who are also her clients—to rebuild.

In the email, Ms. Poyer stressed that the homeowners, Joe and Diana DiMenna, plan to rebuild the boathouse to have the same weathered condition that it had before it collapsed.

“The homeowner is aware of the local iconic view of the structure and would like to reconstruct the structure to continue its legacy for future generations,” Ms. Poyer wrote.

If rebuilt, the structure would have no indoor plumbing and be used to house canoes, kayaks and other small boats, according to the email. The boathouse would be rebuilt with old weathered materials so it has the same historic feel as it did before the destructive storm.