Southampton Village Community Members Supportive Of Citarella, Concerned About Parking

An application to convert the “mini-mall” at 20 and 22 Hampton Road in Southampton Village into a market—with Citarella poised to take over the space—drew a large crowd of business and property owners and residents to a Planning Board public hearing on Monday.

Many who spoke were concerned about the lack of parking available in the municipal parking lot behind the Hampton Road shops. Some decried the idea of placing a high-traffic food store where there is little parking. And others, while supportive of the application, called for some kind of plan to solve the parking problem that might be exacerbated in the summer.

In November, Elka LLC., which is owned by Arturo Quiros, submitted a site plan application to the Village Planning Board for approval of interior alterations to 20 and 22 Hampton Road. Because a market is a permitted use under current zoning—the building housed an A&P grocery store years ago—the proposal would not require a change of use variance. The building is currently 11,451 square feet of retail space on the first floor and 1,777 square feet of non-medical office space upstairs; 20 Hampton Road is a one-story building and 22 Hampton Road is a two-story building. They are joined by a long hallway, which is why it’s been dubbed a mini-mall.

The owner would transform the buildings into a single use by removing walls and reconfiguring the space to accommodate a market. An upgraded septic system and new storm water basin behind China Garden are also a part of the site plan.

If the plans are OK’d, Elka LLC would be able to prepare the buildings for Citarella.

Although parking is a big issue to those who spoke at the public hearing on Monday, no additional parking is required because the proposed interior changes do not require a change of use variance and will not increase the square footage of the building—“not by one square foot,” as John Bennett, the attorney representing Elka LLC and the proprietors of Citarella, put it.

Still, many residents and business owners said the parking lot is already hitting about 80 percent capacity during the winter months and can get only more crowded, especially since some drivers don’t adhere to various parking limits within the lot, and some Southampton School staff members park there during the school day.

There are approximately 100 spaces in the parking lot, according to Village Highway Department Superintendent Gary Goleski. Most teachers who used to park in the lot have moved to a school parking lot where 40 spaces were recently added, he said.

Keith Davis, the owner of the Golden Pear Cafe, said he opposes the proposed market in Southampton and argued that a Citarella on Hampton Road would mean fitting a big use into a small space.

“In my opinion, this is a classic case of trying to pack 10 pounds of dung into a 5-pound bag—it’s just too small,” Mr. Davis said. “[On Monday morning], I counted two vacant parking spaces out of the entire parking lot and Hampton Road. I can’t imagine what May through September would be like on Hampton Road and in that back parking lot.”

Mr. Davis also pointed out that the Bridgehampton Citarella on Montauk Highway accommodates the activity going on there, but the proposed Southampton Citarella would not because of the lack of space for delivery trucks, and employee and customer parking. Mr. Bennett maintained that the site plan has a “more than adequate radius” to get a box truck in and out of the parking lot, and the applicant has agreed to the condition that only box trucks would be allowed to deliver.

In a letter to the board, Sean King, from Sean’s Place, a deli on Hampton Road, wrote that a Hampton Road Citarella would add congestion. “While the village is in need of another option, I do not feel the venue on Hampton Road is a safe option,” he said. “The volume of cars that use the parking lot is high, and once the warmer weather comes, the population triples and spaces are a hot commodity.”

Mr. King noted that there are fewer parking spots this year than last because of the village’s Safe Routes to School project, which turned nearby Pine Street into a one-way street and created safer crosswalks for students who walk to school. About 26 spots were lost when a center island pedestrian sidewalk for children was added.

Ken Cunningham, who owns properties on Main Street, said that while he sees parking as a problem, he’d rather have a parking problem than have vacant stores within the village. In recent years, not all eight retail units within the mini-mall have been occupied on a regular basis.

“As far as I’m concerned, as a property owner and resident of Southampton, I wouldn’t call this a gift, but this is so beneficial for Southampton Village that it is almost unbelievable,” he said. “Citarella is a strong draw to the village. I will grant you that there are issues with parking in the back. Be that as it may, I would much rather, from the village’s standpoint, be in the position where parking is the problem instead of having empty spaces.”

Mr. Cunningham said that even if Citarella customers have to park in another parking lot and walk the village, it would be beneficial to the businesses along the way.

“This is exactly what we want,” he said. “This creates permanent full-time jobs, and it’s a draw—along with [Pottery Barn] getting opened, it’s a potential long-term good thing for the village.”

Robert Rattenni, the owner of the former Saks Fifth Avenue building and future home of Pottery Barn at the corner of Hampton Road and Main Street, said he thinks a Citarella at the mini-mall would be beneficial, but he has reservations. “I embrace the idea and think it would be fantastic and wonderful, but I do think there are some questions that need to be answered,” he said. “What would be helpful would be a plan for employee parking. If the village worked with the company and had an actual location for employee parking, it would probably be a helpful thing.”

Board members closed the public hearing but decided to allow written comments to be submitted for 10 days, until the end of the day on Thursday, March 14. The Planning Board’s regular meeting is slated for Monday, April 1 at 6 p.m.

“We’ve heard some pros and cons from the people of the village,” said Planning Board member Steve Lemanski. “I don’t think keeping the public hearing open will bring up any more issues, but we do have work to do on the issues that were raised.”