Hampton Bays - With the June 30 expiration date for the Hampton Bays moratorium quickly approaching, the Southampton Town Board is considering extending the ban on building until the end of 2009.

"Hampton Bays is so densely populated." asserted Southampton Town Councilwoman Anna Throne-Holst at a board work session on Tuesday, June 16. "The idea of smart growth has to be redefined. We don't want more residents. It presents a separate set of issues."

Town Supervisor Linda Kabot discusses the expansion of the Hampton Bays moratorium with civic activists Mary Jean Green, Andrea Spilka and Eve Houlihan last year.

The ban on projects for the area of Hampton Bays from Jones Road east to Peconic Road was adopted on June 10, 2008 after several contentious public hearings. The decision was determined by a small margin, with Councilwoman Throne-Holst and former Councilman Dan Russo casting "no" votes citing the moratorium's "limited scope." In August of last year, the moratorium was expanded to include more study areas, however the June 30, 2009 deadline was not extended.

So, far, officials say they do not feel enough study has been done to clearly define the future of Hampton Bays once the moratorium is lifted. While Assistant Town Planning and Development Administrator Freda Eisenberg said a draft strategic plan recommends several planned development districts, a full array of transportation recommendations, design guidelines and a committee-created vision statement, she also stated that the draft raised a "number of concerns."

"The primary thrust is to have a core hamlet center that's vibrant," Eisenberg told the board. "They'd like to see life there, businesses revived." She also added that residents would like a sustainable focus, as well as a plan that was "density neutral."

The town board will be holding a special meeting on Friday, June 19 for the purposes of setting a public hearing on this matter for Friday, July 10. Since the moratorium will expire on June 30, there will be a two-week gap between the deadline and the proposed extension, making board members concerned that developers might try to squeeze plans through the approval process during this gap. Town Planning and Development Administrator Jefferson Murphree said it was unlikely that any projects would be able to receive the proper approvals in that amount of time.

"I'm concerned that we missed this deadline," Town Councilwoman Sally Pope commented. "Having worked in a law office, we really need to stay on top of deadlines."

Should the board vote to extend the moratorium until the end of the year, Town Supervisor Linda Kabot said the board will take another look at the list of projects excluded from the moratorium, and may add more projects to this list.

"We need to address our community character," the supervisor asserted. "The date is quickly upon us."