Letters

On March 29, more than two dozen people spoke at the Southampton Town Board public hearing regarding two development proposals for the site of the former Bel-Aire Cove Motel. Every single person rejected the idea of any kind of development on that property and spoke in favor of creating passive green space.

In addition to universal rejection of development on that site at the public hearing, the Hampton Bays Civic Association president presented the Town Board with a petition signed by more than 2,000 residents of Hampton Bays who favored passive green space.

On March 19, Hampton Bays residents staged a rally for the first time ever at the site, objecting to any proposal to develop the property for hotel or condominium use.

The desires of Hampton Bays residents have been uniform and consistent since 2018, when the Town Board held its first public hearings regarding the Bel-Aire Cove Motel. Nothing has changed since 2018.

And, yet, instead of agreeing to create passive green space on the property, the board has decided to form a committee of Hampton Bays stakeholders that would make a recommendation as to what should be done with the property, including consideration of the rejected development proposals.

Why? Haven’t we already told the Town Board what we want? Is this just a way of doing an end run around very vocal and united support for green space? Is the real goal to find some support — no matter how meager — for the plan to develop 20 Shinnecock Road for hotel or condominium use?

What did Rick Martel, who was appointed the Town Board chair of this committee, mean when he said at the public hearing on March 29 that he has been told by people that “Hampton Bays has too many parks”? Who those people were and why they didn’t come to present their views on the record are unknown. Was the point of that statement that the opinions of unknown people should be considered equally with the dozens of people who came to Town Hall to speak on the record and the 2,000-plus people who signed a petition?

There is no need for the Town Board to keep kicking this can down the road. Any proposal to build any structure should be taken off the table. If this committee is formed, it should examine only what the passive green space should look like. Anything beyond that is a betrayal of the trust of the people of Hampton Bays — a betrayal that will be remembered in November when those people come out to vote.

The Town Board should do the right thing and listen to the people who have publicly spoken on the record.

Elizabeth Hook

Hampton Bays