Letters

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the manner in which Bay Street presented its proposal for a new theater in the Village of Sag Harbor.

There is an old saying in the real estate development business that aptly describes what I seriously believe has been happening with Adam Potter’s recent real estate activities on behalf of the new Bay Street Theater. It’s called the “mushroom” principle: “Keep them in the dark and feed them shit!”

As a retired architect with many years of experience dealing with real estate developers, I believe I’m correct in saying that the new Bay Street Theater and its real estate expansion program has been in development for quite some time.

As an example, just ask yourself why Mr. Potter and Bay Street selected an architect from Connecticut instead of someone local. Easy answer: to prevent the proposed plans from being leaked to the public!

I can say without question that the design of the new Bay Street building has been in the works for quite some time. I also believe it was Mr. Potter’s intention, with Bay Street’s consent, to deceive the mayor, village trustees and citizens of Sag Harbor as to their true “land grab” intent.

Please don’t misunderstand me — I’m all in favor of a new home for Bay Street Theater, but at what expense to the village? I think we’re all aware of the real need for additional parking for both Bay Street and the village merchants in general. However, without any meaningful conversation between the village and the theater, it sure looks like Bay Street is only looking after their own self-interests.

As to the renderings themselves — nothing more or less than what we architects call “candy,” or “eye wash.” Without question, the new building will indeed physically and visually cut off the village from the proposed Steinbeck Park — definitely not what the proposed Waterfront Revitalization Plan, hopefully, has in mind. The new design obviously needs to work in concert with the new park design and not wall off the park from the rest of the village.

Has the landscape architect Ed Hollander been consulted as to a proposed relationship between Steinbeck Park and the new theater? And has an entrance to the new theater from the park been considered?

I would hope no one is deceived by the “pretty” illustrations presented for the proposed theater. Renderings like those are only undertaken after a design has been essentially completed — because they are bloody expensive to produce.

Not a nice thing to say, but I think there might have been some serious arm-twisting between the architect and the real estate developer as to what was finally shown to the public.

Evan Schwartz

Architect

Sag Harbor