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A plan to subdivide 40 acres of land in Wainscott into seven lots is in the early stages of being vetted by the East Hampton Town Planning Board.
Behind the plan is Jeffrey Collé, who won approval—after appealing a denial from the Planning Board in court—to build an approximately 14,500-square-foot mansion on the land after submitting a site plan application for it about five years ago. The mansion will be constructed on one of the lots in the subdivision, according to Planning Board member Patrick Schutte.
The property is located on Wainscott Hollow Road and sandwiched between Sayre’s Path and Wainscott Hollow Road. It contains one single-family residence, a barn and two storage containers, according to a memo issued by Town Planner Eric Schantz on March 13. The single-family home, known as the David A. Edwards House, was built in the 1800s and is believed by many to be historic, although no designation as such has been issued by the town, state or federal government. The applicant plans to relocate it on the site.
The preliminary subdivision plan also includes an approximately 28-acre agricultural reserve area. It is adjacent to other farmland parcels.
The Planning Board discussed the preliminary subdivision application at its work session last Wednesday. Board members talked at length with Mary Jane Asato, Mr. Collé’s attorney about the layout of the plan—specifically where the houses should go. The applicant is proposing placing two homes along Wainscott Hollow Road to be accessed by individual driveways, while five of the lots would be accessed by a right of way that would run northeasterly from Wainscott Hollow Road along the westernmost property line of the parcel.
Mr. Schantz said the layout as proposed had pros and cons. On the positive side, the development affects the fewest number of already developed neighboring residential lots. Also, one of the lots is proposed in an already developed area, “negating the need to develop other areas which are currently farmland,” he said in the memo.
The negatives of the layout are that it separates the proposed agricultural reserve from farmland that already exists on the northwest. Also, it doesn’t minimize the impact of “new development on the public vista along Wainscott Hollow Road.”
Board members had differing opinions on the layout, and took commentary from two neighbors, including attorney David Eagan, who lives on Sayre’s Path.
Rohma Abbas on Mar 26, 2013