The delicate push and pull between preservation and property rights is familiar to many East End homeowners, as well as local government officials, and it’s an issue that’s been a particular flashpoint in Southampton Village recently.
An analysis of a proposed historic district expansion in Southampton Village will be the topic of discussion for the next Express Sessions panel discussion, set for Thursday, April 10, from noon until 2 p.m. at Union Burger Bar at 40 Bowden Square in Southampton Village.
The village received a $40,000 Certified Local Government Historic Preservation Grant from the state last fall to study the potential expansion of its historic district. Historic districts have served as a way to preserve the charm of South Fork villages by prohibiting incongruous alterations to historic properties and maintaining a consistent aesthetic.
But some residents who live in what’s being called the Northwest and Southern Expansion Area of Southampton Village have spoken out against the expansion, not wanting to be included in an area where any changes they’d make to their houses would face new scrutiny and restrictions.
Panelists will include attorney John Bennett of Bennett & Read in Southampton Village; Southampton Village Trustee Roy Stevenson; Zach Studenroth, a preservation consultant and the president of the Sag Harbor Historical Museum; and Anne Surchin, an architect as well as an Express News Group columnist and the vice chair of the Southold Historic Preservation Commission. The conversation will be moderated by Joseph P. Shaw, the executive editor of The Express News Group.
The panel, which may be expanded, will discuss the tension between preservation and property rights, what expanding a historic district entails and whether being part of a historic district is as onerous as critics say. As always, the audience will be part of the discussion, and lunch will be served.
For more information, visit Eventbrite and search for the Express Sessions event.
Cailin Riley on Apr 2, 2025