Letters

The Board of Education should address several issues before May 16 so that Sag Harbor School District voters can make an informed decision about the proposed acquisition of 4.1 acres of undeveloped woodland on Marsden Street in Sag Harbor’s historic, residential district.

We need answers now, because taxpayers are being asked to fund the land purchase and, as the board’s own environmental review states, the board “is not subject to local zoning or local land use regulations” once it owns the land.

The board segmented its environmental review into the purchase of the properties and the “facilities under consideration”; namely, an athletic field, bathrooms, concession stand, and a 72-car asphalt parking lot. Even the initial review recognized habitats of threatened species, including the northern long-eared bat.

Is there any plan other than an athletic field and 72-car asphalt parking lot?

School Superintendent Jeff Nichols told the Southampton Town Board on February 28 that there has only been one plan. When the Town Board suggested a smaller athletic field, more green space and a more environmentally friendly parking lot, the district walked away from Community Preservation Fund constraints — and $6 million.

What will the “only plan” cost? Prior to the vote on November 3, the board said, “No additional taxes are being levied.” At that time, the CPF was to provide $6 million, and the balance of $3.325 million was to come from the capital reserve fund.

Many were concerned about the opportunity cost; would the $3.325 million be better spent on the gymnasium, roof repairs or better ventilation?

Now, the taxpayers are being asked to approve $9.425 million. But that is not all.

The board’s engineers told the Town Board that the athletic field would cost $2.509 million, the asphalt parking lot would cost $1.332 million, and their preliminary estimate of on-site stormwater management was another $2 million to $3 million. They had not estimated the cost of off-site stormwater management.

That is a total of $16.267 million.

On top of that, the board estimates the financing cost of the $6 million bond will be $2.756 million. Using the same math, the financing cost of the bond for development will be another $3.143 million.

No need to get out your calculator: 9.425 + 2.509 + 1.332 + 3.000 + 2.756 + 3.143 = $22.165 million.

Even if Marsden works, it cannot replace multiple fields at Mashashimuet Park, where the board was planning to spend $13.5 million.

But it is far from certain that Marsden will work. The board’s engineers told the Southampton Town Board that they did not know whether the proposed athletic field would be playable.

How much more might be needed to build a field that is playable?

Douglas Newby

Sag Harbor