Dan's Papers - March 14, 2008 - Calculating the Effect of Subdivisions

As spring approaches, so does the rise of plans for and concerns about subdivisions. Inevitably, someone wants a park where someone else has his heart set on developing condominiums. Not too many people can remember a town or village meeting where a group of neighbors showed up to voice their support and desire for the land adjoining their homes to be subdivided. With land being one of the major revenue generating sources in the Hamptons, the idea of development and how it may affect one's personal finances has become a hot political issue.

In the Scuttlehole section of Bridgehampton, Dennis Suskind's Vintage Vines project (named perhaps for its proximity to the Channing Daughters Winery) proposes converting the land into 37 building lots with 19.5 acres of open space. Objections to the proposal from long-term neighbors range from the effect on the town's groundwater to traffic on Scuttlehole Road and other issues. "It seems everybody is retired and wants to keep the views and protect the value they have accrued over the years," said a nearby neighbor. There are even calls for the Town of Southampton to purchase the land. Studies are being done. But the question remains, is development a good thing anymore?

Also in Bridgehampton the Two Tree Subdivision is again in front of the Southampton Planning Board. The 110-acre site has been the home of The Mercedes Benz Polo Challenge. A subdivision is planned to create a combination of 35 lots to go along with the two houses, two horse barns, a silo, a combined stable and office building, along with an eight unit apartment that would remain on the property. The hearing is set for March 13. Stay tuned.

Three other developments before the Planning Board include a 23-acre site off Fowler Street and 18 acres on Montauk Highway (location of the Green Thumb farm stand), both in Water Mill. Also in play is a site consisting of 12.5 acres off of David White's Lane in North Sea. There are reports the Town has already purchased the development rights to one of these properties.

In Sag Harbor, Michael Maiden is proposing to construct 22 condominiums on his Ferry Road property - the opposition would prefer the location to be a park. With one of the largest tracts of land left in the Village of Sag Harbor for development, Maiden seems prepared for an uphill battle. One merchant joked, "It's like he is proposing a nuclear power plant, the way some people are opposed to it." Maiden seems to be on the fence about what to do - but the central issue is the amount of money he would be paid for the property. Locals have voiced concerns about how a new condo development in that location would affect the waterfront by the bridge. The organization "Save Sag Harbor" is mobilized on the issue. The Group for the East End is calling for action sooner than later to stop Maiden, and reportedly urging opponents to attempt to influence the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan to scale back or stop the development. Maiden has legal options, but there are no "Obama size crowds" supporting him - there's no "Develop Sag Harbor!" organization at this point.

In the tiny village of Sagaponack, the Village Planning Board is wrestling with applications by three groups to subdivide properties. One, on Gibson Lane, has substantial waterfront. Another proposal is to subdivide 43.5 acres on Daniels Lane, with three oceanfront properties. In this case, the developers, Sagaponack Reality LLC, also plan to place 28.28 acres in an agricultural reserve. Then there is the Schwenk Family Limited Partnership's 41 acres. With the potential to request 13 lots, the family has requested approval to subdivide the land into 9 lots, leaving 27 acres as an agricultural reserve. It may be getting to the point where there may be around two dozen properties left in the village to subdivide. Sagaponack Mayor Bill Tillotson reportedly said, "How do you visualize the impact of a development on a neighborhood?"

That seems to be the new 64 thousand (or million) dollar question.

In East Hampton, the Williams family has applied to subdivide a 19.3-acre field on Apaquogue Road, near Lily Pond Lane and Georgica Beach. The land emerged from a 30-year agricultural easement last December, and the family wants to create five lots for future estate building. The Village of East Hampton Planning Board will decide how the lots must be clustered, and even with concerned neighbors monitoring the situation, the smart money is on the family. The Williams' will be succeeding with a well designed plan conceived by LandMarks, a firm based in Williamsburg, Virginia. It's believed these lots will not be for sale, but earmarked exclusively for future family use.

Years ago mayors would hold parties begging developers to come to their towns to bring jobs and people to help the area to grow. No longer.

Public opinion on the South Fork seems to be weighted on slowing down if not stopping development. The towns are passing laws to make development more difficult in order to manage it, if not retard it. Times have changed.