1 Photo
GSA photo delineating auction site with buildings
The scheduled August 14 online auction of former U.S. Coast Guard land in Westhampton was pushed off this week — again — to Monday, August 21.
The site features 14 acres located off Stewart Avenue that contains 24 duplexes, two single-family units and an office-workshop-residence. There’s a playground and open space areas, too.
The property is now owned by the federal General Services Administration after the Coast Guard ceded control several years ago. The subdivision was built beginning in 1959 and completed “partial renovations” in 2011 that included asbestos remediation in some buildings. The site, located near Gabreski Airport, was originally used for military housing.
The Town of Southampton recently appraised the tract and made an unspecified offering to the GSA, which was rejected. For its part, the GSA said it had made an offering to the town at fair market value in 2022.
If the auction goes forward this time, the town may bid on the property next week with an eye toward developing affordable housing, but its hands are tied on how much it can spend — it’s not allowed to bid any higher than the town’s appraised value of the land.
Locals near the site have spoken out against changes to the character of their community in the event of an affordable housing buildout — and decried the town’s lack of communications with them as this process has grinded along, beginning in 2018, when the auction was first proposed, only to be postponed.
The Hamptons West Resident Association has urged any potential developer to emphasize owner-occupied, single-family homes in the location.
Opening bids for the property will start at $5 million, and increase by increments of $100,000 — that is, if the auction goes forward this week.
