Letters

I recently had the opportunity to vacation in Hampton Bays. I was told by my hosts that the Shinnecock Nation is going to construct a fuel station on the Westwoods property.

After living in a community in Connecticut that had a similar circumstance, I would like to send out a word of warning to the residents of all the Hamptons:

Your neighborhood/region is about to change, and it’s not for the better. I can tell you firsthand that our area is nothing like it was.

1) Traffic flow will increase on the tiny roads leading to the gas station — it will be a never-ending, 24/7 flow of people/contractors looking to save 50 cents a gallon on diesel.

2) It has taxed our police and fire department beyond capacity. As Westwoods property is tribal property, and fire and police departments are not allowed to enter — guess what? If there’s any type of emergency, who’s coming? If permission is granted to help in an emergency, other parts of the area will not have adequate police and fire presence. Additionally, fuel spills (not all that uncommon) go into the groundwater.

3) Other environmental impacts will be tremendous. Air quality (the smell of diesel and gasoline is horrible but unavoidable). The sewage from all the visitors will pump thousands of gallons of waste daily, leaching into the ground. Noise pollution from traffic will be never-ending. Expect litter on the roadside and the surrounding areas.

4) The gas station convenience store will siphon off visitors from stopping off in downtown Hampton Bays to get their meals and provisions. From the looks of downtown Hampton Bays, it couldn’t afford to lose more business. In our area, some local restaurants have gone out of business.

5) The renderings of the gas station show a tastefully designed building, but it does not change the effect on the community. The long-range goal is explained to me: This is the first step to a convention/events center on the bluffs overlooking Peconic Bay. If so, expect the Magic Kingdom in your backyard, with no regard to the surrounding community.

I saw my beautiful community trashed, as we all stood by listening to everyone say it won’t happen here. We did not organize — we watched.

Hampton Bays and the Town of Southampton, please have a plan. Don’t wait — hire experts, encourage local government to hire proven experts in Native law, and don’t put caps on funding them (we did, and lost big time). Get active with community groups, and network. Contact the various levels of government and let them know it’s time for action.

Our community and entire region has been forever harmed. Let’s not see another beautiful area ripped apart.

Merrill Hulingstead

Uncasville, Connecticut