East Hampton Supervisor Delivers Upbeat State of the Town Message

Emphasizing the “promise and potential” of a new year, East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez listed a series of proactive initiatives in the annual State of the Town address, when the Town Board held its organizational meeting on Thursday, January 2.

She focused on affordable housing, environmental conservation, fiscal responsibility and human services — the latter including a defense of the new senior citizens center that has come under criticism for its proposed size and cost.

The address closely followed last month’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Green at Gardiner’s Point, a 50-unit affordable housing complex in East Hampton.

As she begins the second of a two-year term as supervisor, following 10 years as a councilwoman, Burke-Gonzalez said that housing “remains a cornerstone of our efforts” and that last year “we truly embraced” the All Hands on Housing initiative announced three years ago by her predecessor, Peter Van Scoyoc.

In 2024, ground was broken on the Cantwell Court affordable housing subdivision in East Hampton, which will see 16 detached residences. Another 50 units of rental housing on Route 114 in Wainscott “is advancing,” following the transfer of 6.5 acres from the town to the East Hampton Housing Authority, she said.

The town also secured the state’s Pro-Housing Community designation, the first on Long Island to do so, in 2024, which the supervisor said “underscores our commitment to affordable housing and allows us to leverage state and federal funding to expand these initiatives.”

This year, “we will address this need with even more urgency using the Community Housing Fund,” which has a balance in excess of $10 million, she said. Last month, the town announced an intention to acquire five properties from Suffolk County under the state’s 72-h program, which allows municipalities to obtain properties and transfer them to private owners for the purposes of providing affordable housing or open space.

In 2025, she said, the town will “continue refining initiatives” including the First-Time Homebuyer Program and launch the Affordable Dwelling Units grant program to encourage solutions to affordable housing.

A dramatic rise in housing costs and declining inventory of year-round rental properties, Van Scoyoc said in announcing All Hands on Housing in 2022, “is threatening to unravel the fabric of our community.” His successor said last week that providing affordable housing is about “ensuring that our town employees, teachers, health care workers, volunteer firefighters, police officers and young families can afford to live in the community they serve” as well as stability for senior citizens, all supporting the town’s economy and long-term strength.

One year ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fire Island to Montauk Point project saw the bolstering of downtown Montauk’s ocean beach with almost a half million cubic yards of sand, with a four-year replenishment cycle, which Burke-Gonzalez called “a shield for our economy and our infrastructure.” A $2.5 million grant from the state and local funding are being allocated to the east, where Ditch Plains Beach saw severe erosion last winter, exposing the neighborhood to flooding and storm damage. Another $600,000 state grant, she said, will “help us develop a comprehensive, long-term resiliency plan for Montauk.”

The supervisor also referred to the zoning code amendments recommended by a working group convened to that end. Smaller, more sustainable development will preserve neighborhoods’ character, she said, while protecting natural resources.

Following word of a 7.7 percent property tax increase for residences outside of an incorporated village in the 2025 budget passed in November, the supervisor emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility. The town maintained its Aaa bond rating in 2024, she noted, allowing it to borrow at lower costs. “We remain committed to being prudent stewards of your tax dollars,” she said, adding that the town will seek “opportunities to increase nontax revenue through grants, public-private partnerships and other innovative funding sources.”

The senior citizens center to be constructed on Abraham’s Path in Amagansett, which will be known as the Center for Modern Aging and Human Services, is an investment in residents 60 and over and “embodies our values of compassion, respect and forward-thinking,” the supervisor said. The town’s Human Services Department staff is housed in a trailer in the parking lot at the existing senior citizens center, a building that is more than 100 years old. The town served more than 12,000 meals at the senior center last year, she said, and prepared 16,000 more for the Grab & Go program.

“The facility is too small for our current programs,” she said, “stifling the ability to expand services and forcing staff to work in cramped and insufficient conditions.”

The new center, she added, is “designed to meet today’s needs and tomorrow’s demands,” centralizing resources and providing “a welcoming, accessible space for seniors to gather, learn and thrive,” hosting free yoga and meditation classes, balance and self-defense training and social gatherings. The new center, which has been criticized by some residents for its proposed 22,000-square-foot size and $28 million cost, will be all-electric, incorporating rooftop solar panels and solar canopies.

A roundabout to be constructed at the intersection of Long Lane, Stephen Hand’s Path and Two Holes of Water Road in East Hampton will reduce the potential for accidents, Burke-Gonzalez said. The town is also pursuing state approval to lower speed limits on several residential streets, she added.

The commitment to well-being is also underscored by the Stony Brook Medicine East Hampton Satellite Emergency Department, which is slated to open in the spring, the supervisor said. Another 22,000-square-foot facility, it “will provide vital emergency care and health services to residents and will significantly reduce ambulance transport times,” she said.

Burke-Gonzalez closed with a pitch for citizen involvement.

“I invite every member of this community to join us in this journey. Volunteer your time, lend your voice and bring forward your ideas. This is our time to come together and to ensure that East Hampton continues to thrive as a place of possibility and hope,” she said. “Now, let’s get to work.”