Letters

I have lived two miles from the Stachecki property for the last 20 years. I am a volunteer on the Southampton Town Sustainability Advisory Committee, where I serve as energy chair. What follows is my personal opinion and not that of the committee.

I am opposed to the project as it currently stands, because the sheer volume of density will have impact on number of systems we all depend upon that are already constrained.

In particular, my focus concerns conservation, energy efficiency, and supporting the Town Board’s stated goal to shift our electricity supply to 100 percent renewable energy by 2025. The volume of units will drive a significant increase in demand for electricity, in an area that’s already constrained.

Typically, when the developers of new construction make new requests for electric service from PSEG Long Island, the response is always yes. Who do you think pays for that increased electricity capacity and transmission lines to support such a project? We do, in our rates.

Our rates, which, according to the Long Island Power Authority’s 2021 budget released earlier this week, are already going up next year. I am reminded of the phrase: taxation without representation.

If the development is eventually approved, I’d like to see the number of units proposed be reduced and balanced with a commitment to self-supply their own electricity with an adequate solar array and battery storage, so these units are also resilient to severe storms.

I look forward to the day when the town building code requires developers to build housing units that self-supply 100 percent of the electricity needed.

Lynn Arthur

North Sea