Letters

“Technically complete but completely inadequate” is the best way to describe the draft environmental impact statement submitted to the Sag Harbor Village Planning Board regarding proposed development of 11 and 7 Bridge Street, aka the Potter project.

The DEIS does respond to each of the topics in the June 2024 scope, which itself was the result of extensive review and public input. However, in my opinion, the responses are inadequate.

These inadequate responses mean that the Planning Board will have to retain its own consultants to prepare the final EIS. The good news is that Adam Potter will have to pay for this. The scope of this work needs to be planned thoughtfully to ensure that we the village taxpayers do not end up paying to do what Mr. Potter has failed to do.

The inadequacies of the DEIS are too many to innumerate within the 450-word limit for letters to The Express. Some of the more obvious shortfalls include: stormwater management; remediation of contamination from the former manufactured gas plant; large-scale development in a flood zone; impact on parking and traffic; visual impacts of a large, three-story building in the heart of the village; and noise and vibration during construction.

The DEIS lacks details such as foundations and pilings, or how the stormwater management system can be installed when the depth to groundwater is less than 4 feet.

The village also needs to consider the fundamental issue of performance bonds to guarantee that the developer can complete the project if ultimately approved. As I have stated before, my greatest fear is abandonment of a partially constructed project, leaving the village with a large hole containing contaminated water in the center of the village. That would be devastating for the whole village, especially the businesses and residents in the immediate vicinity.

Overseeing and managing preparation of an adequate FEIS will place yet more burden on the overstretched Planning Board, yet Mr. Potter is presenting the board with no alternative. A project of this scale in an environmentally sensitive location in the heart of our beautiful, historic village must not be rushed or undertaken lightly.

Douglas Newby

Sag Harbor