Dans Papers - June 1, 2007 - Sag Harbor Store At 27 Main Street Is Sold

John Gruen's plan to knock down a building located at 127 Main Street next to the historic "Gingerbread House" in Sag Harbor and replace it with a larger structure has been a controversial topic for the past three years. But on March 28, Mr. Gruen passed the baton to part-time Sag Harbor resident Jim Giorgio, selling him the one-story building for $1.5 million. Mr. Giorgio also owns the building located at 125 Main Street and a building on Bridge Street, where the bar Havens House used to be.

Mr. Gruen never officially listed the house. He was sick of fighting with the town and offered Mr. Giorgio the property. "I knew he [Mr. Giorgio] owned the building next door and thought it would be a great opportunity for him. It was the right move." According to his attorney, Dennis Downes, Mr. Giorgio will pick up where Mr. Gruen left off with plans for 127 Main Street, incorporating few modifications that have not yet been made public. But if his proposal to turn the one-story building on Bridge Street into a two-story Victorian-style house structure with retail space on the first floor and two apartments on the second are any indication of his plans for the 127 Main Street building, they will be almost identical to Mr. Gruen's.

As for now, the new female clothing store "Lifestyle" will occupy the building, offering casual apparel and accessories for all ages. Mr. Gruen told me that his original plans were initially "admired by many people, including those who eventually objected to them," but that a few local residents, who were very involved in the Sag Harbor Historical Society, classified his proposal as a monstrosity and looked for every opportunity to stop the project. "I would have preferred to continue with my plans, but it wasn't worth it," said Gruen. "I didn't want to deal with it anymore."

Critics believed that Mr. Gruen's proposed structure would appear "sandwiched" between the adjacent houses, even though his blueprints show that the building would occupy just 35 percent of the lot. Dolores Fenn, a long-time Sag Harbor resident who was arguably Mr. Gruen's biggest opponent, owns the historical Gingerbread House located just east of 127 Main Street. Ms. Fenn hired Jeffrey Bragman, a lawyer from East Hampton, to fight Mr. Gruen's proposal. Mr. Bragman explained, "We were fighting the construction of an oversized building that did not meet Sag Harbor Village parking requirements."

But Mr. Gruen disagrees. "I complied with all the parking regulations when I applied for the permits. They changed the regulations after I applied, so I was grandfathered in," he explained. "The parking issue was never an issue at all. She [Ms. Fenn] didn't want my project to happen because it would obscure the view from her living room." He noted that his proposed structure was not out of scale with other buildings in Sag Harbor and would match the 19th century style that defines Main Street.

How big is too big in Sag Harbor? The answer to that question appears to be subjective. I contacted The Village of Sag Harbor for specific information on their codes and standards, but an employee in the Building Department explained that Mr. Gruen's requests were not necessarily denied because of particular violations. She confirmed that Mr. Giorgio may not encounter the same problems -- depending on factors such as what type of business he plans on using the building for. "Our department hasn't received any applications from Mr. Giorgio, but these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis," she said.

Two weeks ago, just a month after Mr. Gruen sold his property to Mr. Giorgio, the Gingerbread House was put on the market for the first time in 43 years. Mr. Gruen referred to this as "a slap in the face." The Gingerbread House will most likely be purchased for commercial use, but will always remain on the National Register of Historic Places. Mr. Bragman addressed the possibility of Mr. Giorgio proposing a structure similar to Mr. Gruen's by saying, "The regulatory framework will remain the same no matter who owns the property. It will be the same dynamic. I hope that any future project will comply with parking and result in a much smaller building."

Mr. Gruen has been a Sag Harbor resident for over 30 years and says he never intended to compromise the historical integrity of the town. He just asked that both side of the issue be looked at fairly. "I live by the motto 'you only live once' and it's time to move on," he said. When asked if he would continue to purchase properties for commercial use, Mr. Gruen responded without hesitation, "Yes. Definitely." As for the future of 127 Main Street, only time will tell. Perhaps Mr. Giorgio's best bet is to purchase the Gingerbread House, too.