Dan's Papers - June 20, 2008 - Barracks Go, Site Is Prepped In Sag Harbor

For years, the big blue gas ball was a physical sign of the Village of Sag Harbor. Many watched in amazement as the ball was removed. When it was dismantled into small iron squares and hauled off, it left a field polluted with toxic chemicals that, over the years, seeped into the water below the site. In front of that property on Water Street, on what owner George Schiavoni describes as about an acre of land, sits his family's commercial buildings, which he bought some 30 years ago. Now National Grid, an international electric and natural gas company, and George Schiavoni's son, David, have just made a deal, agreeing to take the steps necessary to make the property safe. In his historic Victorian home in Sag Harbor, George Schiavoni sat down to explain the saga.

"I grew up above the Schiavoni's IGA store on Main Street. I became a plumber, and 30 years ago, I bought the Water Street land that had an old building that was an Army barracks. My son David expanded the building on both sides, and we rented out the stores. A few years ago, the Village of Sag Harbor approached me to buy the land. I didn't want to sell it; I wanted to keep it for my children and their children." George stressed he did not want to ever sell or relinquish control of the valuable property. At one point, the town was threatening to condemn the stores. That never did happen.

The deal David signed with National Grid will do the following, according to George: "First, they [National Grid] lease the property from us at a fair price, which is now signed. Then they are going to knock down and remove the buildings at their cost. After that they are going to dig down 12 feet, covering all the property, ours and theirs, and remove the dirt by trucking it off Long Island. Then they are going to remove the contaminated water that is under the site, purify it, and put it into the bay. Next they'll replace the removed contaminated soil with new landfill, and then return the leased property back to my family. All of this will take around two years."

George said he is happy, saying it was the best deal the family could make considering the circumstances. Because both he and his wife have a keen interest in the history and heritage of Sag Harbor, George is happy to do what is best for the town and his family. He also revealed that it is yet to be determined whether the new building will be one or two stories, but that it will be historic-looking in nature. "David has gone around and copied our favorite facades and historic building characteristics from around Sag Harbor. My son, like myself, went to Pierson High School, and we have a great bond with the village, so the new structure will be really beautiful, nice and tasteful." Estimates at this time are that the structure will most likely be around the same square footage as the present stores. Specific details must still be approved by the town for the new structure. George smiled and stated financing this project will not be a problem with all the money already in place. "This whole deal is for my children and their children. The last year or so we lost money not renting the buildings during the negotiations, but the deal David made is fair. My family has been in Sag Harbor for 104 years. Sag Harbor, over all those years, has been good to all the Schiavones."

What remains to be seen is how National Grid plans to do all they have contracted to do. On a visit to the site last Friday, I saw a National Grid van with four workers inside who were seemingly making plans. The workers refused to answer questions, instead giving me an address for a web site that basically said all responses take a minimum of two weeks.

So with the work beginning soon, the Water Street area past the post office will soon be active with earth-removing trucks. But sometime around 2011, a new, beautiful, tasteful, historic-in-nature structure will replace the very simple former army barracks that have been on the site since before World War II, and were recently home to a video store, a dog shop and a hairdresser.

George Schiavoni is not concerned about the safety and future of his property, and is confident that all will work out for the best for the town and for his family.