The mayor’s well-meaning but disastrous “accessory apartments” proposal [“Eying Accessory Apartments, Southampton Village Board Considers A Special Permit Process,” December 15] constitutes planning without a plan. It creates unnecessary new problems without solving the shortage of middle class housing. And it ignores the obvious solution of stopping the village regulatory boards from mindlessly allowing demolition of much-needed middle class housing to replace with not needed, unaffordable, multi-bedroom McMansions.
It is a bad stop-gap answer to long-term problems by enforcing an illegal zoning code, which violates the will of the people: our last Comprehensive Plan.
In the last 10 days, the Board of Architectural Review and Historic Preservation approved a new horrific McMansion in the Rosko Place subdivision to replace a one-story middle class residence. In so doing, the ARB violated 150 years of settled, black-letter New York State law, and, just for good measure, ignored the eight or nine letters from neighbors opposing this disastrous decision.
The Zoning Board of Appeals followed its lawyer’s decision, which the public had not been allowed to see and correct before the vote. The decision mentioned the dates of two protests, by Fred Weinfurt and by me, but omitted and even denied our reasons for opposing the variance.
My protests: the negative impact on our neighborhood, and the violation of the covenants which run with the land in our subdivision. The deed of the applicant granted the variance omits the covenants that run with the land, which are filed with the Suffolk County clerk in liber 4668, page 182. Federal Law 18 USC 1519 forbids tampering with official documents, such as deeds.
The most cynical violation of law and good government was committed this week by the Planning Board, which granted a developer’s greedy plan to subdivide a small lot, ignoring the 233 signatures of village residents 10 years ago protesting the same subdivision proposal. Were the 233 persons heard? No, of course not.
So, how did the Planning Board steamroll through this Paul Robinson subdivision again protested by neighbors? It ignored, then and now, the reasons for protest of the 233 and of current neighbors: traffic, parking, safety and density concerns — all valid reasons for a full SEQRA review. Instead, the Planning Board voted another “negative declaration,” meaning no negative impacts were expected from this subdivision, and therefore no SEQRA was required!
When will the people finally get rid of those who stuff sweaty socks in their mouths to silence protest? That’s why the people voted for the “reform ticket” this fall. But, so far, no reform. The ARB, ZBA and Planning Board continue the illegal giveaways to developers.
When will the “reformers” finally exercise their oversight duty?
Evelyn Konrad
Attorney at law
Southampton
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