Letters

By most accounts, the Westhampton Beach Village downtown revitalization has become the model for the Hampton Bays downtown revitalization.

There was no residential component of the Westhampton Beach revitalization or massive rezoning. Westhampton Beach zoning limits the height for its village business district to 35 feet and only allows residential use under certain circumstances.

The same goes for Southampton Village. If you “walk” through those “vibrant” villages, you will notice very few buildings greater than 35 feet or residential buildings. It clearly hasn’t adversely affected their ability to be “walkable and vibrant.”

The concept for the need for apartment dwellings and the greater number of stories in the downtowns is now the mantra of government, commercial property owners, and local business owners looking to satisfy the need for workforce housing and housing options and fill the void for the decline in retail development due to the “Amazon effect.”

Through years of community meetings in Hampton Bays, the one thing that always seemed clear: Develop high-density residential development outside of Hampton Bays. Hampton Bays is the densest hamlet by far in the Town of Southampton, and with that comes all the environmental injustices of density.

However, through the years, the community has also expressed interest in the downtown being revitalized with a face-lift, infrastructure improvements, and more retail and restaurant options for the existing residents and visitors. The Southampton Town government has failed the Hampton Bays community by not investing in its downtown with infrastructure improvements.

Contrary to all the noise about a “developer’s plan,” the only item on the Town Board’s docket is the adoption of a revised pattern book as part of the town’s Comprehensive Plan. The latest revision was published on August 23 and is available on the town’s website. The next public hearing is scheduled for September 10. There is a lawful process that the Town Board must follow or the town will be subject to litigation.

There does not seem to be any controversy over the “pretty pictures” in the pattern book being adopted, and some would say it is long overdue. The controversy arises as to whether some of the provisions remaining in the revised draft provide for buildings greater than 2½ stories and 35 feet in height; the use of a building solely for multifamily dwellings; and the use of a Good Ground Park access road as a vehicular through road from Montauk Highway.

The Hampton Bays community should continue to have a voice in what happens in their community.

Gayle Lombardi

Hampton Bays