At the July and August Trustees meetings, the main topics of conversation were discussions regarding the Summer Surf Camp, a presentation on the building of a sewer district within the Village as outlined in a Suffolk County study, and concerns about parking and congestion in the Village center.
The Flying Point Surf Camp was granted a permit to operate this summer, and specific rules were established for approval in the future. The Village Board has decided to amend its code to permit the camp to operate but will attempt to control such issues as size, safety, etiquette, sharing of facilities, and will strictly monitor compliance.
On Thursday, August 1, the Village Planning Commission hosted the Suffolk County Department of Public Works and their consultants to discuss findings with regard to building a sewer system in the Village business district. 155 business properties would be included, and the owners would pay a special tax to support a bond issue which would fund the project. The average tax increase for building owners was expected to be $10,000 annually, although it would vary widely by lot size and usage. The project would take up to 6 years to design and complete. Lola Prentice Park near the Police Station on Windmill Lane is envisioned as the treatment center site. The system would likely cost in the $30 million range. It was repeatedly noted that the project would not be funded with taxpayer money, but through taxes on building owners.
Parking continues to be an issue in the village, a point we tried to address during the recent approval process of the Village Center Master Plan. With the arrival of Citarella’s on Hampton Road, parking will be more difficult. The Trustees are looking at various options, and a more comprehensive study is likely. We also learned in late July that the Village was notified by the DEC that it could continue to approve bulkhead applications, which had been temporarily suspended after 9 applications were approved earlier this year. There were indications that some of those applications may not have been handled or monitored properly.
Lastly, in late August, the Southampton School District announced its intention to move forward with a merger with the Tuckahoe School District. Both districts are in the top of the spending category versus their peers and we are concerned that this merger will not have the desired cost savings. 50% to 75% of your total property taxes are made up school taxes, so we will be providing information regarding this proposal in the near future.
October 9, 2013
