Letters

We who share a love and passion for Sag Harbor are a diverse group, with individual perspectives and priorities, but we all care deeply about our community. We acknowledge that Sag Harbor has always evolved and will continue to develop in the future. All of us who call Sag Harbor home want to see that future development be of the highest caliber and fit into the scale and character of this special place.

The village has struggled to keep pace with the changes and growth that have taken place in recent years. Much energy and thought have been devoted to updating zoning and planning regulations in an attempt to preserve the integrity that is Sag Harbor. Many have weighed in on this process in order to help ensure that future development is pursued in a responsible manner.

However, recent development proposals have been accelerating more quickly than the village’s ability to thoroughly analyze them within a comprehensive plan for growth with which the community can feel comfortable.

Last year’s large-scale plans for Bay Street Theater and the new proposal for an affordable housing and retail complex behind Main Street have the potential to radically transform the business district and waterfront. Whatever one may think about either of these initiatives (and there are many who have major problems on many levels with both projects), what is most troubling is that they are not informed and regulated by a comprehensive vision and plan for the long-term development of the village.

While we have great respect for the efforts and sensitivities of our village officials and the safeguards embodied in the various planning, zoning and design boards, we believe that it would be prudent to conduct a program of wide stakeholder engagement and a comprehensive master plan for these extremely sensitive and vulnerable parts of our hometown. Only after having crafted a vision that represents our shared values, including our fervent support for the creation of workforce housing for our fellow citizens, can we move forward confidently to preserve what is unique and true to Sag Harbor.

Let us move forward in a unified and democratic fashion as befits the community that we cherish.

Lee Skolnick, FAIA

Sag Harbor