Letters

In last week’s Express, a resident chastised Save Sag Harbor and others who challenged hasty zoning changes in the office district that facilitated the massive Conifer project [“Deliberate and Improve,” Letters, November 17]. The writer tarred the challenge as a ploy to disrupt public participation, and to foist the views of the few on others who better understand village needs.

In fact, the legal action was both appropriate and required under New York State law.

Village officials had improperly approved zoning changes with barely any environmental review. They restricted discussion with the pretense that the Conifer project didn’t exist and was unknown to them. However, state law requires that environmental review include a prompt evaluation of both zoning code and project impacts together.

Also, the board’s conclusion that the zoning changes caused no impacts would have been a final decision. A challenge was required, or objections would be waived. Inaction would have served to “bake into” local law damaging increases in density and reductions in parking requirements.

What actually stifled public participation was the Sag Harbor Village Board’s hurried approval of zoning changes with no consideration of the looming Conifer project. In effect, the cursory review assumed that zoning changes directly affecting the project site had nothing to do with the project itself! As a result, the board ignored obvious issues such as parking, flood hazards, impacts to historic structures and nearby hazardous waste contamination.

Commencing an Article 78 proceeding is the correct procedure to ensure informed public participation. It will also compel a complete environmental review of both the Conifer plan and a rezoning affecting 25 acres as soon as possible.

Jeff Bragman

Attorney at Law

East Hampton

Bragman is counsel for Save Sag Harbor — Ed.