Southampton Village Will Launch Pilot Program in Attempt To Alleviate Traffic Issues

In an attempt to alleviate the traffic congestion that has been a continued source of frustration and ire for village residents, Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren announced at a work session on Tuesday evening that the village would launch a pilot program that he hopes will both improve traffic flow in the village and address the concerns of residents who live on neighborhoods roads that have been used as cut-throughs.

The program, which is set to begin on October 1, will prohibit through traffic coming into the village on Magee Street from County Road 39 from 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and will add a three-way stop on Magee Street in an effort to prohibit that through traffic.

The program will also eliminate left turns onto Hill Street from 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays from Lee Avenue and Captains Neck Lane, and will eliminate right turns on Somerset Avenue during that same time frame.

Warren said he hopes that those changes, along with the continued use of a flashing yellow light on Hill Street, will help improve the flow of traffic and keep cars from ducking onto residential side streets in an attempt to shave time off their commutes.

Warren said the board met with more than 25 residents of Somerset Avenue and they were “very happy” with the program.

“My message is that our side streets are not our highways,” Warren said on Wednesday morning, elaborating on what he shared publicly about the pilot program during the work session.

Another part of the larger plan to address traffic concerns is a plan for the village to amend its code and increase the speed limit on the western portion of Hill Street to 30 mph, while also reducing the speed limit on several side streets to 25 mph. The village set a public hearing for those proposed changed on October 13 at 6 p.m. It’s one of several public hearings that will be on the agenda for the October 13 meeting.

Warren added that the village has been coordinating with officials in both Suffolk County and Southampton Town to address traffic problems, mainly as it relates to County Road 39. He pointed out that Southampton Town is rolling out its own pilot program on County Road 39 to help ease traffic concerns on the roadway and reminded the public that both he and acting Village Police Chief Suzanne Hurteau went before the Suffolk County Legislature to request funding for a traffic study on the area by the light by Canoe Place Inn in Hampton Bays all the way to Water Mill.

Trustee Roy Stevenson raised the point that the elimination of turns on the aforementioned streets could lead to drivers simply cutting through different side streets, like Halsey Neck Lane and Bishops Lane. Both Warren and engineer Ryan Winter, who has been working with the village on the traffic issues, acknowledged that could become an issue, but said they still think the pilot program is a good start.

“We’re not saying this is a silver bullet,” Winter said. “But we’re looking at the worst locations first and how to address them.” He pointed out that pilot programs in other municipalities with comparable traffic issues have worked well.

Warren pointed out that trying to create similar changes on Halsey Neck Lane and Bishops Lane could potentially be “phase two” of the program.

The Village Board held a public hearing Tuesday on changing the way the Building Department charges fees. Previously, building fees were calculated based on the estimated cost of construction, but the final price was often significantly different than the estimated price, and when the cost is higher than what was estimated, the village is missing out on higher fees it could be charging. The resolution passed unanimously, and now the village can go back after construction is complete and before the certificate of occupancy is issued and get an updated actual price for the construction, and if it varies from the estimate significantly, the Building Department can charge more. The local law will ask the builder to sign an affidavit about the final cost of construction.

The village also discussed setting up another public hearing on a proposed code change that would state that if a property owner has any pending violations, the building department and land use boards should not process applications.

Trustee Bill Manger discussed the possibility of raising fees related to events held at village beaches. He said that Village Fire Marshal Dean McNamara had brought to his attention the fact that the village charges significantly less for beach-related activities than Southampton Town, saying that, for instance, the town charges $75 for a permit to have a beach bonfire while the village currently only charges $30. He proposed changing that fee to $50 for weekdays and $75 on the weekends, and also adding a $100 late fee if anyone seeks a permit for a beach event on the same weekend they want to host the event. Village Attorney Ken Gray pointed out that the fees have to be based on what it costs the village to administer the fee and enforce any rules associated with it.

Warren notably was the lone “no” vote on two other resolutions on the agenda that night. He was opposed to the resolution to approve the appointment of former Department of Public Works head Gary Goleski — who recently retired — as a water quality projects consultant. Warren said he did not object to having Goleski in the position but rather to the $80-per-hour rate of pay, which he said he believed was too high. He also voted “no” on a resolution to cancel a scheduled December 20 work session. He said that most businesses are open that day, and said “I like to do work” as part of his reasoning for wanting to make sure the meeting either remained on the schedule or was moved to another day. Deputy Mayor Gina Arresta pointed out that it has been customary for at least the past three years to cancel the work session right before Christmas, and although other trustees said they weren’t opposed to possibly having a special meeting or work session at a different time to make up for the cancellation, Warren still cast a no vote on it.