
The Southampton Town Board unanimously approved a two-part development plan on Tuesday afternoon that authorizes a broad redevelopment of land on both sides of the Shinnecock Canal in Hampton Bays.
Before a packed house of mostly Hampton Bays residents, watched over by three Southampton Town Police officers, members of the board, one by one, defended their decision to support the proposal, years in the making, to renovate and expand the dilapidated Canoe Place Inn just west of the canal and also construct 37 townhouses on its eastern bank, saying it will be an important economic boost to Hampton Bays.
All five board members nodded to desires by Hampton Bays residents to see the century-old former inn and nightclub building saved, to the expected environmental benefits of state-of-the-art waste treatment systems on both properties, and to the hoped-for economic injection that the opening of a major catering facility, with lodging space, would bring to Hampton Bays.
Some, however, also acknowledged some of the less popular aspects of the project, while saying the negatives were still better than potential alternatives should the proposal be rejected.
“The townhouse aspect of the project may not be ideal, but rest assured that public input during the review process has had enormous impact,” Councilwoman Bridget Fleming said. “I believe this is an opportunity to honor and celebrate the rich history of Hampton Bays, while giving it a shot in the arm. Hampton Bays deserves this kind of economic investment, and I’m proud to support it.”
Some residents stormed out of the meeting room at Town Hall when Hampton Bays resident Councilman Stan Glinka voiced his support for the project, making it clear that the project would receive the required four votes, a supermajority, to approve the planned development district, the much-debated planning tool the town has employed to change zoning to permit specific development projects.
“This has been a very difficult decision,” said Mr. Glinka, a former president of the Hampton Bays Chamber of Commerce. “One comment that resonates with me was … from a gentleman who went down Main Street in Hampton Bays on the Fourth of July and said it was no different than going on a weekend in February.
“The business community has been the driving force of Hampton Bays, but … two mainstay businesses have closed their doors in the past few months,” he added, referring to the restaurants Squiretown and Villa Tuscano. “Approving this will … set the stage to bring future development to Hampton Bays.”
In the final round of public comments on the project before the vote, opposition from residents of the town’s most populous hamlet continued to be robust. Those who spoke primarily lamented the loss of the eastern shore of the canal as a point of public access, despite repeated exhortations by the board members and supporters of the project that such access was only by virtue of patronizing waterfront restaurants. Some pointed to a petition circulated and signed by more than 1,100 town residents in opposition to the plans.
A frequent argument by opponents throughout the public vetting process has been that the property along the eastern shore of the Shinnecock Canal would be a greater economic and cultural boon to Hampton Bays if it were developed with a mix of restaurants and shops, similar to Gosman’s Dock in Montauk, as numerous past and current planning studies have insisted should be employed there.
“This approval will be forever,” said Al Algieri, president of the East Quogue Civic Association. “Aesthetically, this is a disaster. Vote no, vote by the experts, and you’ll be doing something for the future of Hampton Bays, rather than giving something away.”
The approved plan will allow the developers, cousins Gregg and Mitchell Rechler, to begin the long-awaited redevelopment of the canal area, some 10 years after purchasing the three properties targeted for the project. On the CPI property, the crumbling building will be largely scrapped and rebuilt in a likeness of its original design, as a 25-room inn and catering venue with a cluster of adjacent cottages and a 300-seat dining hall and restaurant. Across the canal, the 37 townhouse units will inhabit four buildings on the approximately 4.5-acre property. A third property, on the eastern side of North Road, immediately opposite the canal property, will house the underground wastewater treatment system for the townhouses.
It has been more than six years since the Rechlers’ unveiled their first development proposal for the properties, which called for razing of the CPI and constructing approximately 75 timeshares in its place. That plan drew an outpouring of criticism and appeals from local residents to preserve the CPI building.
“When I sat in your chair as supervisor … the original proposal was for a five-story timeshare building with a parking garage, and we told the Rechlers to take it back to the drawing board—it didn’t fly at all,” former Supervisor Patrick Heaney, now a legislative liaison for the Southampton Business Alliance, recalled at Tuesday’s meeting. “It is a credit that this long, protracted PDD review process has provided an opportunity for interaction with town officials, members of the public and the developer … We now have a proposal that … adds an important economic shoulder to the Hampton Bays business community.”
The project was tinkered with throughout the two-year review of the most recent incarnation. The number of townhouse units were reduced by three and the overall size of the buildings cut by nearly 20 percent. A public access corridor and parking area, and a 240-foot floating dock, were added to the southern edge of the property.
But opponents continued to rail against the general idea of the canal’s eastern shore being reserved for a few dozen wealthy homeowners.
“The benefits are practically nil,” said Dale Nichol, a resident and one of the most vocal critics of the project. “I”m hoping that at least two members of this council will … have the backbone to say no to a big project that has been long in review but isn’t right for Hampton Bays.”
Councilman Brad Bender sought to deflect some of the casting of the project in comparison to the Gosman’s Dock idea, noting that such a proposal has not been brought forward, and that the septic requirements for one would lack the state-of-the-art protections of the Rechlers’ proposal. In addition to the Nitrex wastewater system that will service the townhouses, the developers have agreed to install an underground barrier on the CPI property, between the buildings and the canal, to help filter out contaminants before they reach they bay.
“There is not an alternate plan before me with a Gosman’s Dock on the east side,” he said. “I believe the wastewater treatment and the town homes would have the least environmental impact on our waterways. I guarantee you, I will be watching closely to see that the environmental controls that we have been promised are in place.”
Mr. Bender also noted that in addition to the publicly accessible floating dock that was incorporated into the plans in response to critics’ concerns about privatization, there will be a covenant for a public access along the entirety of the property’s waterfront, contingent on the town securing a future access easement across the properties to the north, which are owned by the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority and by Suffolk County.
Opponents were nonplussed by the claimed benefits the project would represent, and pleaded, ultimately in vain, for board members to send it back to the drawing board once again.
“If you vote for this,” said Dorothy Donohue, a Hampton Bays resident, “you will be on the wrong side of the conservation movement, the wrong side of Hampton Bays’ density issues, the wrong side of Hampton Bays’ history, and the wrong side of Hampton Bays’ future.”
When will work begin?
Another one bites the dust yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Ah the good old days lol.
"Oh, please Town Board, we have no more money... we just need to get people in these condos so we can fund the rest of the CPI project... please Queen Anna, show some compassion!"
Wrong question, bb.
The floating dock will be free of charge and open all year long. That is public access.
Yes, the Tiderunners is gone for ever. It would have been gone forever regardless of the outcome of the MPDD. One more time, the property ...more was sold, the Rechlers bought it and the property rights that came with it. They had no intention of keeping the dump standing. That was their right. If you or anyone else wanted that right, then you or they should have bought the property. If Tiderunners was such a booming concern why didn't they buy the property and keep their own business running?
I don't understand why this community thinks that this piece of property should be subjected to their uninformed ideas on what is and isn't a wise investment.
I'm curious, why do you think that the laws which govern handicap access would not apply to this particular piece of property?
Do tell, what exactly did they do? The community asked them to not renew lease for the bar that was there. They didn't. Were they supposed to fix a building that they may be tearing down? Were they supposed to start fixing it because they wouldn't be tearing it down? You have mentioned a few times that they made it an eyesore, yet you haven't detailed how they did that.
Both banks of the canal should have public access . Doesn't the town own and maintain the canal? I wonder if there is a right of way on both banks that reach beyond the bulkhead
To quote the above, "Another One Bites the Dust".
Goodbye canal side dining. It was nice while we knew ye...
It is the perfect place for a Gosmans dock type of a project, Calm water beautiful sunsets and room to breath, someone ( Gregg and Mitchell Rechler ?) could buy out the handful of property's to the West all the way to the bridge and maybe even the water troubled homes to the East and create ...more an amazing attraction
wrong side of canel do you ever stop to reflect on how stupid that sounds
Not everyone likes Southamton Walt, I find it to be crowded with many traffic lights, It can be very frustrating, I agree It is a nice place to hang out on Saturday but not so nice when your trapped in traffic on a Sunday night.
Hampton Bays is poised for something big in the next few years, to bad you cant see it Walt you ...more could triple your money investing there .
I do not have a big enough organization or the patience to take on the NIMBY crowd. But after what I saw the last three years a company like R Squared Real Estate Partners and its affiliate company, Rechler Equity Partners, constitute the largest commercial real ...more estate company on Long Island... and could get the job done...
BTW, since the canal is between the bays, about midway, I guess according to Walt that half of each is good bay, the other half step-child bay. Dumb.
By the way you guys keep mentioning Gosman's Dock. I heard that someone is looking to buy Gosman's, and build condos. I guess maybe a bunch of seasonal stores might not be a great use anymore.
thats the point this is a class act for our town that is pointing it in the right direction for the future. some people just want it to go back in time and do not like any change no matter how good or bad. well you have held this town back so long the bolts that hold it together are rusting
we must move forward now charlie chaplin is long gone
It is a shameless representation against the people's interests and will continue until she stops aspiring for higher office. The Rechler's ...more CPI, Sandy Hollow, Robert Morrow's 40,000 square foot monstrosity in Tuckahoe when repeated studies proscribe anything more than 15,000 sq feet just for starters.
And this won'r stop as long as there's a buck to be made by developers buying land cheap because of its limited use and arbitraging them for larger and more profitable uses by writing checks to politicians who can'grant exemptions through PDDs and such ostensibly in the interest of the community.
It's just blatant, undisguised quid pro quos with developers who really control this town - the sale of political power that are supposed to be protecting the people. In the end, the citizens have only themselves to blame. You know the record of the scalawags you're voting for, and when they do outrageous abominations like these, you can mostly blame yourselves for being such clueless dupes to these preening, feckless pols.
Do people typically build for the benefits of others?
Housing is a prohibited use in the Resort Waterfront business zone which these restaurants inhabited. The Town's comprehensive plan recognizes the unique character of the area and requires this property to be used to maintain the viable and vibrant businesses that attract visitors and residents to the area.
These ...more were locally owned and operated dining spots that contributed to the economic viability of the area as a whole as their customers became customers of other businesses and they all provided jobs for local people.
There was no reason favoring the public over the developers to allow the subversion of good zoning by combining approvals for individual parcels on both sides of the canal.
If the Tiderunners was such a booming business, why weren't they open year round? The owner wasn't a "local guy". Customers of the new businesses will still continue to become customers of other businesses and just think the jobs will be year round.
In the end the facts on this plan will be seen...it will or may "seem" progressive and hip thinking...
JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU DRIVE BY AND NOTICE WHAT ALL THOSE "CONSERVATIVE/REPUBLICAN AND SO CALLED NUBIES (that ANNA Openly AND Outwardly TALKS ABOUT DIS-REPECTIVELY")
YOU'LL NOTICE THE VERY THINGS YOU "CLAIM" TO BE FOR WILL NOT BE....FRESH AIR, CLEAN WATER, DARK SKIES, ETC...THIS PROGRESSIVE PROJECT IS JUST THE SAME POLITICAL ...more CRAP THAT LIBERALS AND PROGRESSIVES SEEM TO KEEP WINNING THE BATTLES IN OUR AREA.
LOCALS ARE CALLED STUPID AND NAMES AND IN THE END...EVERYONE LOOSES BECAUSE OF NO ONE ON THE LEFT FACING UP TO WHAT IS REALLY TAKING PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and they will be beuatiful to behold
cant wait when do we start,
He does not have much use for profit or capitalism wants a world of redistribution where everyone is equally miserable
The analysts are right. The "dumbing down" continues...
Far from being a “start” for Hampton Bays, this project is a harbinger of the “end”. Residents (and potential residents) of that hamlet now see that there is no law therein to protect them from the depredations of the privileged. An ineffably beautiful public venue has been lost to the common people forever in spite of a law that seemed to prevent that very thing and the opinion of expert advisers that it was a bad idea. On the other hand, the sewage ...more plant serving the compound that took away access for the hoi polloi has been located blocks away from that development and across the street from THEIR homes.
As a result of this decision, people will wonder what sense it makes to live in Hampton Bays unless you can afford oceanfront property or high-end accommodations like Rechlerville when the town board has shown itself to be so ready to sacrifice the interests of average residents to the wishes of the affluent. Better to locate in one of the Southampton neighborhoods in which the town board has not shown itself (at least, not YET) to be so cavalier about the well-being of ordinary residents.
Fortunately for townhouse purchasers, deteriorating local conditions in years to come need not affect their own lifestyles since the layout of their compound lends itself so easily to its transformation into a gated community.
I watched the meetings, I can't recall anyone against the project who would be considered "expert" unless in their own minds.
Please, share who these "experts" were.
JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW THERE NAMES AND YOU WERE FOR THE PROJECT- JUST PROVES YOU ARE A HYPOCRIT!
AGAIN HIP THINKING ...PROGRESSIVE...HOLD HANDS TOGETHER...BUT NOT IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMEONE ELSES IDEAS ...YOU WON'T EVEN CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITIES THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!
I am asking You who they were since you seem to know. Or perhaps you don't know which the answer yourself, which is why you are ranting instead of answering the question. Or, there were none, which makes it hard to answer the question also.
There are times when it seems like most of you hopped a trains instead...
Also, part of the plan shows the southern terminus of North Road being shifted to the east to allow more land on the Rechler property. I have seen nothing that would indicate the County has approved such ...more a change or what the Rechler's are offering for the move and the land they would gain in the process. Something smells...bad.
Its done all the time and doesn't mean these something illegal going on.
I also am questioning if the County has granted approval to shift North Road to the east and put a bend in it and, if so, what was the quid pro quo. What "agreements with the county" are you speaking of? They don't seem to be with the documents on the Town's website.
I fully understand these ...more things are possible; I'm looking for the details. It would seem odd if the Town Board approved a project prior to the developer acquiring the land or contracting to acquire it.
Why do you have your nose in it when until a week ago you listed your home as Southampton? And why do you have a problem with information about this project being brought into the light of day. What are you and/or the Rechlers trying to hide?
That's democracy, and now that a plan is in place, I wish everyone involved well, and hope the project delivers the benefits the community expects.
I don't think the Town Board pays any attention to 27east posts, and that's not surprising , given the tone of comments on this site. Letters in the Press may count for more, but the only public input that has any influence, I believe, is what's said or submitted in writing at public hearings. ...more
I didn't tally the speakers or letter-writers at the hearings, so I can't argue with your statement. I don't mind being wrong -- happens all the time -- but if what you say is so, then the more important question is, as you note, why didn't the Town Board listen?
All that said, it's a done deal now, and I still have to wish the project and the community well, because . . . who could wish otherwise?
Don't forget, people also contact the board members directly. Not everyone feels the need to put their name in the paper or stand up and talk at board meetings. Doesn't mean they didn't support the project. And of course 27east really doesn't figure into the outcome.
You are ...more right Turkey Bridge, over and done, lets move on and and wish it well!