Dan's Papers - July 25, 2008

The era of large houses on small plots of land is over in the Town of East Hampton after the Town Board voted 4-0, with Julia Prince not present, to pass a new rule that would limit house sizes in the town. East Hampton Supervisor McGintee's aide, Lynn Ryan, said this rule will "preserve the integrity of the make-up of the town." So what is the new rule?

As of next week after the new rule is filed with the Suffolk County Clerk all homes built or additions to be built on existing homes will be limited to 12% the size of the parcel plus 1,600 square feet of the new or existing home. This new rule will force homebuilders to decide whether they want a garage or extra bedroom since attached garage space is included in the calculation. Homes like the one almost completed on Runnymede Road off of Isle of Wright in Springs, which takes up almost the entire lot, will become a thing of the past.

Of course local contractors and builders are not happy with anything that might restrict higher revenues through building costs for larger homes or additions. Not one builder contacted supported the new rule. The consensus among builders was that perhaps this was not the best time to pass a law to impede business when new home starts are at historic lows nationally and in the town. The question now remains: Does this new law prevent present home owners from maximizing their investment just to make some people keep the town "integrity" intact.

Another complaint is about houses on large parcels of land or lots that are being subdivided. For example, the Williams family compound off Lily Pond Road will not be affected by this rule, due to the provision excluding homes that are to be clustered to provide open space on subdivided lots.

It is not clear what the actual financial loss will be to both the local building industry, and to home owners who bought overpriced properties with plans to expand and thus demand a higher sale price - or in some cases, simply break even. Real estate agents see no effect on their business due to the new law. The feeling seems to be that a consistent size and integrity will keep all homes in an area at a higher price because of the overall look of the neighborhood. Lynn Ryan of the Town's Supervisor's Office agrees, saying, "Something had to be done, and things were getting out of hand. Homes taking up almost the whole footprint were not attractive to the whole area. Now the town will remain looking like the town."

The most vocal opposition was a group called the Concerned Citizens for Fairness in Zoning. Obviously they are a one-issue group focused on limiting the damage this law could cause to home owners and builders. The end result of the new law is predicted to come down to the following result: Experts conclude it will hurt the middle class homeowner most. A quarter acre plot will allow a home up to 2,700 square feet. Homes on a half-acre can be built to 3,900 square feet. On a whole acre, the size can reach 6,300 square feet, which is a large home even by McMansion standards. Opponents of the new rules and its attached garage provisions say the new rules will encourage more detached garages, which are both inconvenient to homeowners and make the house less attractive. On this count real estate agents agree, saying homes with attached garages are more desirable than those with detached garages. But not one thought this issue was as important as keeping the integrity of the town intact.

One must conclude that seeing the board vote 4-0 with one absentee meant that something had to be done. Now only time will tell of the prudence of this law. If there was a huge ground swell against it, perhaps the vote would have been closer. The era of homes right next to homes is over. East Hampton is never going to look like Brooklyn.