“It feels like Southampton has lost its soul.” That’s how one local merchant recently described the state of our village business district. Many would agree.
Local businesses reported a soft July 4, but a much better July 5 and 6. Just a few miles away, East Hampton and Sag Harbor reported a record weekend. In East Hampton, stores are now staying open late to meet the demand.
Southampton Village, by contrast, looked neglected. Trash swirled in the air. Sidewalks were stained and littered with candy wrappers and gum. Mismatched waste receptacles overflowed. This is not the look or feel of a premier destination.
Village Hall continues to shrug off responsibility, claiming that the torn-up roads are all PSEG’s fault, “out of our control.” That excuse is wearing thin. PSEG may be digging, but who is holding them accountable? Who is coordinating cleanup? Who is making sure the downtown is clean, welcoming and worthy of our historic district?
During this past campaign, Bill Manger dismissed anyone who questioned whether a centralized sewer system was the right solution (despite having not addressed the issue when he was in office 20-plus years ago). Having formed the sewer task force and helped to map out a centralized system and raise millions in grant funding, I understand why that approach made sense. But after speaking with business owners and observing the village’s inability to manage even basic street paving, it’s clear we need a more nimble, realistic plan.
A decentralized system, closer to the wastewater, could be done faster, more affordably, and with far less disruption. It could revive our business district, not bury it under endless construction. If the village can’t manage trash collection or sidewalk maintenance, what confidence should we have that it can oversee a massive infrastructure project?
Right now, the idea of tearing up Main Street for years in the name of a sewer project feels like a nonstarter. Businesses are barely hanging on. Maybe it’s time to think smaller, smarter and sooner.
A decentralized sewer system could breathe new life into a downtown now being described, quite literally, as “soulless.”
Jesse Warren
Southampton
Warren is a former mayor of Southampton Village — Ed.
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