Letters

I have been a Hampton West Estates resident for almost 40 years. As a member of the Hampton West Residents Association, we have worked hard to improve the quality of life for all residents of our community. We have often needed to speak up loudly to our Southampton Town elected officials to be heard and recognized as the vibrant community we are.

The proposed sale of the 24 U.S. Coast Guard houses adjacent to our community has presented another situation when we are speaking up loudly to be heard, recognized, consulted and collaborated with, as what happens to these houses will have a great impact on our community.

And we have been ignored. In fact, some of us have been told, “This does not concern you.”

Through the Freedom of Information Law, we accessed a letter from Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman to Congressman Lee Zeldin, dated August 2017, discussing the potential sale of these homes. In September 2021 the Southampton Town Board unanimously adopted a resolution authorizing the town supervisor to sign a letter of intent that expresses an interest in purchasing the units.

In the four years from 2017 to 2021, no one from the town has seen fit to communicate with the Hampton West Association, or any individual at all in our community. What kind of government is that?

We are told we can comment at the public hearing. We all know, at the point of a public hearing, all decisions have been made and there is little room for change.

We need these homes to be owner-occupied, as everyone knows that is the way to stabilize a community. There is also a proposal to include additional rental units within each house. Another terrible way to destabilize a community — have more renters.

We all know there is a terrible shortage of housing in our town. These houses must to sold individually to qualified local individuals, not in bulk to someone who has no stake in the community.

Government must work for the people. We are the people. I hope you will be communicating with the people in Hampton West Estates. That’s your job.

Sandy Greenbaum

Hampton West Estates

Westhampton