Developer's right to build still undecided in Quogue

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Pi Gardiner during the Quogue Village Board meeting.

After indicating that they would make a decision on Friday, Quogue Village Board members delayed voting on a proposed amendment to village zoning laws that would allow Westhampton Beach-based developer Rocco Lettieri to build six units on land that he owns in the heart of the village.

During the board’s monthly meeting on Friday afternoon, Quogue Mayor George Motz explained that a decision cannot be made until the public comment period closes this Friday, July 25. The decision as to whether or not to allow Mr. Lettieri to build the additional two units on the property, known as the Inn at Quogue and located at 52 Quogue Street, will now most likely be made at the Village Board’s next meeting on Friday, August 15.

When reached on Tuesday, Mr. Lettieri, who did not attend Friday’s 
meeting, said he did not mind the 
additional delay. “The village, as a whole, is moving in the right direction,” he said.

Village Trustee Peter Sartorius explained on Wednesday that the reason the decision was delayed was because Stephen Latham, an attorney 
representing Frances and Allen Adler of Quogue, who live next door to 
the Inn at Quogue, had asked the trustees to keep the public hearing open 
for 30 days to accept written comments.

A public hearing was initially called in June to discuss the proposed amendment to the village code, which would allow Mr. Lettieri to move forward with his plan to demolish the existing motel units and construct five single-family homes on the 2.4-acre property. In exchange, he has agreed to renovate and maintain the Weathervane, the historic Jessup family homestead located on the property.

Mr. Lettieri’s plans seemed to change earlier this month after a federal court threw out a $25 million lawsuit that he had filed last November against Quogue Village, alleging that the municipality had violated his civil rights and discriminated against him because of his Italian descent. In response to the ruling, Mr. Lettieri almost immediately filed an application with the village to demolish the Weathervane, which he would be within his rights to do because the historic structure does not have landmark status.

The developer’s revised application, filed hours after the courts tossed his lawsuit, seeks permission to build a 26,000-square-foot office complex, one of his original plans for the Inn at Quogue property. Mr. Lettieri still could move forward with the plan if the code amendment is not granted. He is scheduled to appear before the Quogue Planning Board on Saturday, August 9, to discuss the proposal.

According to the Quogue Building Inspector Edward Wolfersdorf, the permit to demolish the building could be granted to Mr. Lettieri before the end of the month. “We are working on it now,” Mr. Wolfersdorf said.

However, Mr. Lettieri stated on Tuesday that he intends to wait until the next Village Board meeting, scheduled for August 15, before deciding whether or not to demolish the Weathervane.

The current plan on the table is the third option being considered by the developer. Mr. Lettieri’s original proposal for the property, which called for the construction of 11 condominiums, lacked support from village officials and residents because the project was considered too high-density for Quogue. The second proposal for the office complex will require an extensive environmental review, as demanded by the village’s Planning Board, that must be financed by the developer and completed before the project could move forward.

Under current zoning, Mr. Lettieri is permitted to subdivide the Inn at Quogue property, which includes the Weathervane, and build up to four single-family homes. Both Mayor Motz and the village trustees have explained that they would like to preserve the Weathervane in order to maintain the character of the village.

At Friday’s meeting, board members permitted disappointed audience members to voice their opinions on the possible demolition of the Weathervane. Many of the two dozen people in attendance said they feared the loss of the historic building, which was built in the 1830s.

Quogue resident Pi Gardiner, who donned a red “Save the Jessup Homestead” T-shirt during the hearing, said the demolition of the Weathervane would be a serious loss to the village. She serves as co-chair of the Quogue Historical Society.

“I fear this may be Quogue’s Penn Station,” Ms. Gardiner said, referring to the 1963 destruction of the original Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan in order to make room for the new Madison Square Garden.

Other audience members said they were worried that Mr. Lettieri would demolish the building before the next meeting in August. However, Mr. Motz quashed those fears by announcing that the board would receive ample warning if Mr. Lettieri opted to move forward with the demolition.