Plans For Pre-Revolutionary Period Building On Windmill Lane Are Unclear

The owner of 22 Windmill Lane in Southampton Village is one step closer to getting approval to partially demolish, make exterior changes to and add to the historic building at the site, although it's not entirely clear what it will be used for.

The Southampton Village Board of Historic Preservation and Architectural Review voted on August 8 to approve an application from building owner Ian DeFronze, after months of going back and forth to get the proposed facade and building plans to match what the village code allows.

Officials speculate that Mr. DeFronze will try to put a bed-and-breakfast in the two-story, 4,434-square-foot building, which is set on 0.2 acre and contains what is known as the Rhodes House, a pre-Revolutionary War home.

At a public hearing on August 8, Mr. DeFronze told ARB members that he intends to salvage as much of the historic building and artifacts as possible, saying he loves the antique stuff that is in there.”

There are other potential uses for the building, such as adding a coffee shop or an office space with second-floor living opportunities. But until a sewer system is rolled out in the village, the Suffolk County Health Department is likely to determine the ultimate use based on septic flow, which is a concern on Windmill Lane.

Calls to Mr. DeFronze seeking to find out more about his plans were not immediately returned.

The DeFronze family purchased the property in 2014 from Alex Demetriades, who for years let the building sit vacant. Eventually, village officials forced Mr. Demetriades to clean up the property.

Village officials said the application has been sent to the Planning Board and that the review process still has a long way to go.

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