Letters

By remaining silent as John Paulson sold the southernmost parcel on Pond Lane to a developer [“Paulson Sells Parcel on Pond Lane in Southampton Village to Builder,” 27east.com, August 18], Bill Manger has become the equivalent of Robert Moses, the then-New York City parks commissioner who let the Brooklyn Dodgers leave for Los Angeles in 1957. The devastating move to L.A., which robbed Brooklyn of its team, was dismissed at the time as a planning dispute. Today, it is remembered as a great civic failure in New York City history.

Southampton faces a similar moment today.

The original plan, which began in 2018, aimed to establish a beautiful public park along Lake Agawam. At the center of that vision was the creation of a constructed wetlands that would remove thousands of pounds of nitrogen and hundreds of pounds of phosphorus annually — not a manicured, fertilized garden. It was a transformational opportunity for both our environment and our downtown.

We now have an emergency, and the village’s response cannot be silence. We need leadership, political will, and an effort to bring stakeholders with great but different ideas together.

During the last election cycle, Bill Manger declared, “Pond Lane is dead.” That may have made things easier for him politically, but it left the community with nothing.

I urge residents not to give up hope. The town’s Community Preservation Fund still owns 8-plus acres of land along Pond Lane. The Comprehensive Master Plan calls for a park in this area. The village has tools — zoning and community engagement — and must use them now. The CPF could step in to purchase the final parcel. Private land trusts and generous residents also could do the same.

It is absolutely critical that the village, town and/or a private partner engage directly with the current property owner and find a way to reacquire this land. The park should be a legacy for Southampton, not our own version of the Dodgers leaving town.

Let’s revisit the original plan I submitted to The Southampton Press in June 2023. Let’s have a full and open public presentation by the Concerned Citizens and Perry Guillot, something that should never have been denied. John Paulson also should be thanked.

Most importantly, let’s work together, across all perspectives, to build something extraordinary. If no one else will step forward to lead this effort, I am prepared to do so.

Jesse Warren

Southampton Village

Warren is a former mayor of Southampton Village — Ed.