Thursday, August 13 the Southampton Village Trustees approved changes to the zoning code which will limit the height and placement of houses in the FEMA flood zone. This is another zoning win for our Village. Southampton Association board member Bruce Bockmann identified the problem more than 18 months ago and has led the fight to change the procedures in our village.
Previously, Southampton Village had simply added the full FEMA required elevation which could be as much as 17 feet (plus 2 feet for freeboard) to the maximum building height of 35 feet. This was allowing for houses more than 50 feet high from the original grade, significantly taller than our neighboring communities.
While we still need to make further changes to our code, the new laws should prevent a repeat of the debacle at 40 Meadow Lane, the site of the glass, stone and zinc tower rising in the middle of the historic district. Thank you to all members who e-mailed, wrote letters and spoke supporting this important effort.
The Executive Board
The Southampton Association
