Dan's Papers - June 12, 2009

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Such is true in Sag Harbor due to the new changes made by a new zoning code passed by the Village Trustees. Mayor Greg Ferraris, sitting in the conference room next to his second floor office of the Municipal Building, said the code made, "By the people, for the people and not by outside consultants," will preserve the look of the town for future generations. Due to new limitations on space, stores under 10,000 square feet will not be allowed to be gobbled up and combined into mega stores. Historic store fronts will keep their integrity, too, since they cannot be combined into one long presence.

There's a lot of real estate activity in Sag Harbor. At 21 Water Street, the luxury condo work is near completion with units now for sale. Ferraris believes these units are a plus to the village, much more so than the night club previously on the location. The mayor, who is finishing six years of village service (three as a trustee and three as mayor), said the Bulova development is a more complicated matter. He believes that eventually it will happen, but bad economic times have hindered the momentum of the project. Ferraris believes, as a whole, the process the developers had to endure was a "positive, successful experience," and in the end it will happen.

As for the work on the Morpurgo estate, the mayor said he doesn't comment on private homes, but admitted that the owners may have bitten off more than they could chew. He smiled when asked about the most recent challenges of Anselm Morpurgo to try to get her home back, and said he believes she was given a check that was made by payment in the auction sale of the property. That property is now boarded up with no apparent work being done on it.

As for the proposed development of the 20 condos for 1 Ferry Street, Farraris said he couldn't officially comment on a matter still in process before the board. But other sources in town hall said the project may have some very heavy lifting ahead before it will finally be approved.

The mayor complimented the recently formed Sag Harbor Business Alliance for their work in helping create the new zoning laws. He specifically mentioned its president (and American Hotel owner) Ted Conklin for his efforts in getting a "great zoning code" in place.

He complimented National Grid for finishing their clean up on time and believes after due process "Gabe" Schiavoni will replace his former buildings with something suitable for Sag Harbor, although he stated he has no inside information about the status of the properties filings. Ferraris also said the 80 new parking spaces from the project will answer some question about whether parking ever was a problem in the downtown part of the village.

Unlike so many communities surrounding the Village, Sag Harbor has no multi-million dollar deficit. Farraris, who is also a Certified Public Accountant in a private practice, said that, in fact, there was a decrease in the village tax rate and an actual increase in services - and there's money in the general fund to boot. He said that when he came to do public service the finances were "a mess." He's proud to be leaving on his own accord to concentrate on his practice and to make some money for his family that includes a seven-year-old daughter.

A graduate of Pierson High School and a life long resident, Farraris stated his love for the village and its history. He is proud to have played a part in preserving the integrity of Main Street for future generations, as others have done. He smiled when he said, "Even without the laws, the local businesses pretty much did it on their own. It's kind of a very special place, with a healthy business climate even during these tough times." Ferraris did not mention whom he is supporting to be the next mayor, although he feels confident the town is on a great trajectory.