Southampton Town Planning Board Hires Consultant To Review Environmental Study For Golf Course

The Southampton Town Planning Board hired a consultant on Friday to determine whether an additional environmental study is needed as part of the review of an application for a luxury golf resort in East Quogue.

Of the two consulting firms that responded to a request for proposals—Cameron Engineering and B. Laing Associates—the board selected the latter, noting that the Fort Salonga-based firm has not had any prior experience working with the town, which would, in turn, eliminate any bias in regard to the highly controversial project.

The work is expected to cost between $40,000 and $50,000, according to Southampton Town Planning Board Chairman Dennis Finnerty, who said that those costs are more than covered by the application fee paid by the developer, Discovery Land Company of Arizona.

He added that the purpose behind hiring a third-party consultant was to eliminate any bias in regard to the highly controversial application. Additionally, B Laing Associates offered the town a fixed rate, whereas Cameron Engineering’s proposal was structured on an hourly basis.

The need for the review comes more than a year after the Town Board rejected a change of zone, known as a Planned Development District, or PDD, for the project. The PDD would have allowed the company to build an 18-hole private golf course.

The developer has since filed a new application with the town to subdivide the property and build 118 housing units and an 18-hole golf course on the Lewis Road property.

To conform with the requirements of the 591-acre parcel’s existing zoning, plans were changed to limit play on the golf course to the residents of the subdivision and their non-paying guests. Discovery Land has also added 10 on-site affordable housing rentals and two off-site homes along Old Country Road to the proposal.

The Town Board approved an environmental impact statement, or EIS, under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, for the PDD proposal last year, agreeing that the planned subdivision and public membership golf course would not have any significant adverse effects on the environment.

However, although the changes to the proposal were inconsequential, according to Southampton Town Planner Anthony Trezza, the Planning Board chose to err on the side of caution to determine whether an additional EIS was needed.

“The scope of review is very limited,” Mr. Finnerty said during an interview on Friday. “They’re not reviewing the application, just determining SEQRA compliance.”

At Friday’s meeting, the Planning Board scheduled a public work session for February 14 at 2 p.m. to meet with the consultant for an overview of the project. The board will meet with company representatives again during a special meeting, set for February 21 at 10 a.m. at Southampton Town Hall, before making a determination as to whether a supplemental EIS is needed on February 28.

“What we don’t want is a consultant looking to do work that has already been done,” Mr. Finnerty said.