Two weeks ago, I, along with Pamela Harwood of Bridgehampton, spoke at the Southampton Town Board public hearing regarding the proposed workforce housing project at the site of the old senior center in Bridgehampton.
Since I had little information, I went not to object but to ask questions. What will happen to the senior center? Will some of the units be set aside for seniors? Will there be additional projects on this site?
There were three speakers from Sagaponack, Sag Harbor and North Haven. The recurring question they asked was: “How could anyone possibly be opposed or ask questions about this?”
The obvious answer is, because we live here.
I found it interesting that the three individuals who spoke in support of the project had two things in common. They live in incorporated villages and as such have control over their own land use issues, unlike Bridgehampton. Also, none of these people live in Bridgehampton.
To my knowledge, Sagaponack has no affordable housing plans, Sag Harbor’s affordable housing project is in litigation, and North Haven has no workforce housing proposals. Who are these people to lecture us? They should be pressuring their own village boards. So who are the NIMBYs now?
Once again, Bridgehampton becomes the location to solve everyone else’s problems. This was the case with Sag Harbor’s old firetrucks and police impound lot.
It was wrong for the Town Board to schedule an item this controversial two days before Thanksgiving, during the busiest travel week of the year. Clearly, they were looking to pass this with the least awareness from the community, which is exactly what happened. Supervisor Jay Schneiderman stated that since the town owned the land they could simply proceed with the project without further public hearings.
Why will taxpayer money be used to fund affordable rental apartments in Bridgehampton, but the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals gives variances to private businesses, in their oversized office buildings, not to build the affordable apartments that are required in hamlet office zoning on Main Street? We’ve lost nine apartments because of this.
Further, what is the town’s record on maintaining the properties it already owns in Bridgehampton? The town certainly allowed the Bridgehampton Senior Center, where this property is located, to deteriorate. What assurances do we have that the town will be better stewards of this property in the future?
Peter Feder
Treasurer
Bridgehampton Civic Association
Shut Him UpFolks: it is time to take Michael Daly at his word(s), unpleasant as that may be. First: glide by his smarmy greeting card calls for “love.” His own words reveal him, above all, and consistently, a purveyor of hate and...
Suffering in SilenceWhen our world gets out of balance, we lose our comfort and security. Too much or too little of anything spikes our fear, and we lose our sense of peace. Those who have what they want and need are comfortable....
Advocate & Adjudicate?The previous administration of [Supervisor Jay] Schneiderman and current board member Tommy John Schiavoni did not give high priority to monitoring appointed public officials for ethical lapses in their private life activities. This laissez-faire policy towards ethics enforcement appears to...
Soil Is CallingIn a book titled “In Old Southampton,” Abigail Halsey reminds us that in the early days of Southampton, “every man was a farmer and a fisherman.” But those days are long gone and most people, today, have no connection to...
A Web of InterestsKudos to Craig Catalanotto [“What Are We Doing?” Letters, April 18] and Barbara Ring [“Tangled Web” Letters, April 18] for their letters to the editor shining a light on the web of special interests, conflicts of interest and misinformation that...
Dates of InfamySeptember 11 and October 7, similar dates of infamy for strong allies with similarly divergent reactions. Now gathered mobs of protesters are cheering on those who cry “Death to America” and call for the complete annihilation and genocide of the...
Your VoiceOn June 25, registered Democrats will go to the ballot box to determine who will represent their ticket for New York’s 1st Congressional District. Although CD1 has recently been held by Republicans, both parties have assumed leadership over the years....
Master ClassI thank Barbara Ring for aptly proving my point. In response to my letter [“An Alliance,” Letters, April 11], which decried the state of civic public discourse in Hampton Bays as being overtaken by misinformation, fear-mongering and conspiracy peddling, Ring...
