Letters

It’s very confusing to understand why, at this point, we would use the Community Preservation Fund to purchase property to literally destroy the property to make an artificial turf field. It’s totally the antithesis of what CPF means, which is the preservation of property that you don’t want developed. But, yet, here we are discussing using $6 million worth of the CPF to literally destroy the environment. Why?

It appears this current Sag Harbor Board of Education, which loves the word “transparency,” is just the opposite. We are seeing a small number of board members who are convinced that an artificial field is most needed in this district. However, the voters have already rejected this premise — but some can’t accept that.

There appeared to be a solid plan for Mashashimuet Park (minus the artificial field), but the trustees also rejected the concept of an artificial field. I’m well aware that some people still want this type of field, but, once again, it was rejected by the voters.

To ignore that fact and to have absolutely no clarity on the thinking of the current board is baffling. Especially when much work was accomplished with a thoughtful plan of the future needs of the school, park and the surrounding community. To virtually abandon this, basically in the ninth inning, is quite frankly not fiscally sound to the taxpayers of this community.

I believe this current board and administration needs to explain these actions more throughly, and any future plans should be well vetted, because clearly something is not copacetic and has created much distrust.

Additionally, if residents rejected the premise of three homes on this property, why would they want a huge artificial turf field literally in their backyards? This piece of property sits below grade and, in my estimation, is a very poor piece of property for this kind of project.

This project is not shovel ready and will require environmental review, as well as all the various Sag Harbor Village reviews, and additional cost analysis. But, once again, residents don’t actually know this, because we have been told virtually nothing.

As Dick Allen once said, “If a horse can’t eat it, I don’t want to play on it.”

Thomas M. Jones

Sag Harbor