Letters

We, as residents of Long Island, have made many mistakes over the years by developing wetlands, causing damage to both ground and surface water, and marine life.

Locally, at the site of the Bel-Aire Cove Motel property at 20 Shinnecock Road, Hampton Bays, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to change this trend. We can set a precedent to correct past poor development decisions that have caused extensive damage to our inland waters and, ultimately, the ocean.

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” — Albert Einstein.

Unfortunately, the board of the Town of Southampton thinks they are smarter than Albert. They want to continue the development trend of building on fragile grounds, only to gain much less in tax dollars than it will cost to ultimately repair the damage it causes. Some of which is irreparable.

They plan to tear down the pollution-generating Bel-Aire Cove Motel with an equally bad decision consisting of multiple housing buildings on only 1.43 acres that will generate sewage in a quantity that will continue polluting the surrounding ground and surface water, in spite of new technology in septic systems.

Environmental experts have stated that building on property identified as surface water priority one does not meet the goals of Suffolk County Clean Water Plans or our goals of having pure drinking water and clean, swimmable bays.

This property could be available to all visitors as a parkland that offers a nonmotorized watercraft launch and picnic tables, and return the waterfront to wetlands.

To learn more, please come to the rally on Sunday, March 19, at 1 p.m. at the property, 20 Shinnecock Road, Hampton Bays. Further, read additional details and join over 1,100 of your neighbors who have already signed an online petition for the parkland at this website: chng.it/nF2QvWtLmw.

Parker Trauernicht

Hampton Bays