Letters

There are fundamental shortcomings in the process the Sag Harbor Board of Trustees is using to create its critically important workforce housing legislation that was revealed last week. The board recognizes absent provisions in the legislation and seeks public comment.

The problem is, the legislation is not the result of a housing plan, and therefore the public comment the board seeks is unlikely to provide the missing plan or coordinate its details.

Housing plans answer key questions of why and what to do and how to solve the lack of affordable housing in a community.

Sag Harbor needs a housing plan. It would express its values and concise goals. The plan would “write the legislation” and make it easier for the public to understand and support it.

Right now, there are so many undecided parts that it is hard to tell if the board has diagnosed the problem correctly or found good, acceptable solutions. It is unclear how the village will maintain the affordability of the housing it does help create.

I hope there will be broad support for the village to issue a housing plan and to believe Trustee Edward Haye’s assertion that the village wants to “get it right, not fast.”

Rob Calvert

Sag Harbor