Former Southampton Village Trustee Paul Robinson, in his first appearance before the Village Board since his defeat in June’s election, pitched a potential fix to the village’s headaches from noise, littering and public urination, among other nuisances, in the neighborhood on Elm Street near a row of grandfathered-in nightspots.
One of those businesses, which this past summer operated as the Southampton Social Club and last summer as Madame Tong’s Redux, is now on the market, and Mr. Robinson urged the board to consider purchasing the property with money from the Community Preservation Funds. The CPF program allows East End governments to use money collected from a 2-percent real estate transfer tax to purchase property, typically to preserve open space and farmland or create parks.
“What is CPF? Community preservation. It’s not really open space, it’s community,” Mr. Robinson told the board on Tuesday night. “What is more community than the Elm Street area?”
Mr. Robinson, a real estate broker, told the board he was not representing the property in a professional capacity. He noted, however, that there is a 4-percent commission available “as a buyer’s broker,” and offered to be involved.
According to the Agawam Realty website, the property is listed at $4.6 million and includes the 6,000-square-foot building and just under a half acre of land.
“It is home to one of the most popular restaurant/bar/nightclubs in the Hamptons,” the site notes, adding that it is one of two buildings in Southampton to hold a cabaret license for live music. It seats 159 people inside and 220 people outside, according to the listing.
Meanwhile, a string of houses across the street also is up for sale, as homeowners have said they are fed up with the noise and revelry associated with the nearby clubs.
Other nightspots in Southampton Town have been purchased with CPF money for similar purchases, including at Conscience Point in North Sea and Tiana Beach, village officials said.
According to Southampton Town records, the property was last purchased by current owner Damon Giglio of Manhattan in March 2011 for $2.75 million.
Mayor Mark Epley said he would discuss the matter at the next CPF advisory board meeting, which was scheduled for Wednesday. He said he was receptive to the idea of purchasing the property but could not offer a specific use for it should the village purchase it.
Colleen Reynolds on Sep 21, 2011