Letters

As a parent with children in our elementary school, I am writing in support of the Marsden purchase, the only opportunity to purchase land contiguous with our school campus for student and village use in perpetuity.

The current Pierson field is overused and crowded during the day. Mashashimuet Park alone is not a solution, as children cannot shuttle back and forth during school hours for recess, physical education, etc. Our schools need a dedicated athletic field so we can use the existing multipurpose field more practically. But, importantly, we need room to grow.

Growth of our village is inevitable, so it is our role to be forward thinking and plan for the needs it will present to the community. We must grow smartly. Olivia Sage had that vision in the early 20th century with Mashashimuet Park and John Jermain Memorial Library. It is now our responsibility, here and now. We can’t lose this land opportunity.

Some resistance in the village may be borne from misinformation. These are facts:

1. Cost: The cost to the school district is $3.25 million — not $26 million — and is covered by current reserve funds. The plan is for the Community Preservation Fund to bear the balance. According to the Southampton Town website, CPF has collected almost $1 billion since 1999 and currently has $250 million. Year to date, they have only been able to spend $4.2 million. In 2021, they spent just under $17 million. The criteria for CPF spending are strict, and there simply is not that much land for sale that fits the criteria.

2. Wetlands: An independent third-party assessment (SEQRA report), made available to residents, certifies that there are no wetlands. Any concerns regarding drainage that arise can be addressed by good engineers.

3. Artificial turf: The School Board clearly understands this is a sensitive issue and has committed to full and transparent public hearings and approvals for the Marsden project, including the field surfaces.

4. Last, while those living close to the Marsden lots may have concern about home value, data versus emotion is a better guide. In the last two years, two spec houses were developed adjacent to the current Pierson field, across the street, with no screening on the side of the field facing those residences. Both sold over asking price at $3.26 million and $3.5 million. A properly designed field and recreation area, with proper native planting screening, can respect neighbors’ privacy and needs.

Please vote yes. The alternative is yet another five big spec houses that the current owner has a right to develop. With no other land nearby, the loss of this deal will forever bookend our school into the limitations it now has.

Daniel Marsili

Sag Harbor