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Michael Bloomberg, former New York City mayor, part-time Tuckahoe resident and prominent member of the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, is working to revive discussions on a proposal to reroute a portion of Tuckahoe Road that runs through the historic private club, an idea that Southampton Town officials put on hold last year.
Mr. Bloomberg last week called Town Highway Superintendent Alex Gregor, who would be a key decision-maker on any road change approval and so far has been a vocal opponent of the plan. According to Mr. Gregor, Mr. Bloomberg said he was going to try to be the “face” on the golf club’s efforts to make an alternative route for Tuckahoe Road around the club’s property.
Mr. Gregor has previously voiced opposition to the plan, noting drainage and clearing concerns, along with worries that the new route might be less safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. He said he and Mr. Bloomberg agreed to disagree on the subject during the phone call, and even joked about the situation.
He said Mr. Bloomberg told a story from when he was running for a third term as mayor of New York City: “George Bush asked him if he should endorse his opponent. And I said, ‘Well, in New York City, I’m sure that would do nothing but help you,’” Mr. Gregor said. “He said, ‘Well, perhaps I’ll endorse your opponent.’ I said, ‘You’re free to participate in the system like anyone else.’” He added, “There was no threat intended.
“I don’t really know the man—I think he’s entitled to kid around in his own way,” Mr. Gregor continued. “Did he raise his voice? No. Was he maybe a little distressed? I think so—but he wants to be the face behind the Shinnecock effort, so I get it.”
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, led by the club’s president, Brett Pickett, and Mr. Bloomberg, pitched a plan to the town last summer: The club would fund an estimated $5 million rerouting of Tuckahoe Road, which bisects the historic golf course. That section of road would be abandoned or used privately, and Tuckahoe Road would be rerouted alongside the golf course instead of through it. The new road then would be donated to the town road system, and the abandoned stretch of road would either be closed to traffic during the summer or removed entirely. The club added other financial incentives to the town as part of the offer.
Last November, the proposal was put on hold due to concerns about the road’s future as it applies to plans for a new Southampton Hospital. The hospital is seen as a major player, since a planned relocation to the nearby Stony Brook Southampton campus will make traffic patterns a topic of discussion, with ambulance access to the campus being key.
Also at play: The 2018 U.S. Open returns to Shinnecock Hills next June.
Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman confirmed that he had heard about Mr. Bloomberg’s effort to revive the conversation but noted that he has not been personally contacted—and still believes that the plans cannot be discussed until details of the hospital’s relocation are released.
“I really don’t think there’s anything going on with the road at the moment,” Mr. Schneiderman said. “My position is the same as it was.”
Mr. Pickett declined to comment, but he noted that the club’s position has not changed since last year. “From the club’s standpoint, this is in the hands of the people planning for the hospital,” he said on Wednesday. “We’re awaiting that process like all interested neighbors.”
Marsha Kenny, director of public affairs and marketing for Southampton Hospital, said traffic patterns for the proposed new campus are not on the table right now, as the hospital is still awaiting final approval of a new operating agreement with Stony Brook University Hospital, which is a precursor for any discussion of a new hospital on the campus.
“We’re not even talking about it,” she said. “It certainly is not coming up in any conversations over here.”
Efforts to contact Mr. Bloomberg for comment were unsuccessful.
on May 3, 2017