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Updated: July 17, 2008, 2:40 pm	Share    Print    Email

The proposed revised zoning code seeks to protect "what is right with the village" while making provisions to corral future growth and safeguard economic viability. Photos by Christine Bellini

Sag Harbor - Addressing an overflowing assemblage of Sag Harbor's faithful, Mayor Greg Ferraris opened Saturday's public session on the proposed zoning code revision with a wry smile. The room was packed liked sardines with faces he has come to quickly identify.

This was democracy at work in a small American town where the threat of "big box" development has sparked an overhauling of Chapter 55 to redraw zoning districts and limit square footage in an attempt to forestall the intrusion of corporate retail on the historic Main Street. By most indications, the process, though heated at times, has vetted valid concerns on the part of property and business owners who are keen to ensure that in the attempt to preserve "what is working in Sag Harbor," the revamping does not squelch growth and devalue their hard earned investments.

Resident and commercial property owner Larry Baum questioned the economic viability of ruling out second story offices on Main and Bay streets.

In this historic village which touts a mercantile heritage of whalers, watch factories and working class ethics that is now home to the finest pleasure boat harbor on the East End, where weekend loyalists lay claim to her crooked, narrow streets alongside the generational birthrights of her native folk, democracy is played out in epic rehearsals of a on-going stage play.

In this sixth open hearing on the proposed revisions, which too have been revised (as Village Attorney Anthony 'Tony' Tohill is adept at explaining), the comparatively slim 20-plus year old Chapter 55 has evolved into a modern-day tome intended to address the heightened interest in Sag Harbor's commercial district while tweaking surrounding office and residential areas to accommodate a dwindling workforce.

Holding Her Own
Keenly aware of the unique nature of her downtown, there is one thing all among her devoted agree - she will not go the way of East Hampton or South without a fight.

Tom Matthews, a year-round resident and well-known author, spoke to the heart of the matter when he recounted his recent foray to a beach in East Hampton. "On my way from the beach in East Hampton I drove down Main Street and Newtown Lane and I didn't see anything I saw forty years ago," Matthews said. "I looked at East Hampton and thought, the truth is this place has lost its story."

That disconnect felt among long-time area residents and their village streets is at the heart of the discussion surrounding Sag Harbor's future. In a village that is proud to list a variety store, local pharmacy, fourth generation grocery market and some of the oldest preserved structures in the region, honoring the past while stepping into the future is no small feat.

"I write stories, Matthews cautioned, "When you lose your story, you lose your soul."

Community interest in the zoning changes is well evidenced by the assemblage that turned out to hear comments at Saturday's early morning public session.

Jeff Bragman, attorney for Save Sag Harbor, the grassroots organization which sprung up seemingly overnight to fend off the likes of CVS which made overtures to assume the 7-11 complex at the base of Main Street, commended the Village Board for its vetting process and the evident hard work of planning consultants headed up by Rich Warren to bring the archaic code up to modern day standards and safeguards.

"I can tell you what it's like to work with a zoning code that is inadequate," Bragman offered. "The results are unpredictable and can be manipulated. There is always anxiety when you attempt to change a zoning code - even if there were bad things, the tendency is to speak narrowly and to your own interests."

Sag Harbor Village Mayor Greg Ferraris assured residents additional hearings would be held prior to the official public hearing sessions on the final revised code.

This Is A Process
Pointing to the sections of the code that address "big box" development and recent adjustments to initial office district parameters, Bragman added, "We support change that protects Sag Harbor. There is a high emotional investment to participate. This is not the Ten Commandments that get handed down on high. This is a process. There is no unified 'grand plan,' we understand that. We just want to be sure we are on strong footing."

During the summer-long opening hearing process on the code revisions the Village Board has taken note of numerous contested points and made adjustments, among them a reduction in the coverage of a proposed office district and most significantly a provision to allow for 3,000 square foot installations in the Village Business district "when needed."

Initial code changes called for a 2,000 square foot cap that was strongly contested by the newly formed Sag Harbor Business Alliance on the grounds that such restricted retail space would, in effect, change the nature of the make-up of businesses downtown since the half-dozen larger anchor stores currently operational exceed that square footage and if they were to change hands, the area would be transformed into a series of smaller installations forcing a shift in retail offerings.

Too, a controversial move to convert second story spaces on Main Street to affordable housing apartments has been cautioned by planning specialists who contend such a structured provision would backfire in hard economic times as landlords would be forced to rent their spaces at below market value.

Barbara Roberts, a Noyac resident and planning consultant for the Town of Southampton, spoke unofficially, pointing out likely areas of interest under county purview.

Hard Core Realities
Susan Mead, an attorney at the lead of land planning issues, stressed affordable housing works best with incentives. "It's a hard core reality," Mead commented. "Requiring all [second story Main Street apartments] to be affordable without incentive creates an inability for owners to provide stable income in a strained economy." The result of such restrictive zoning "discourages instead of encourages" affordable housing usage. "We will end up with no new housing above those shops at all," she cautioned.

Also speaking to that point, resident Larry Baum, owner of two commercial properties on Bay Street, suggested the board should reconsider allowing some office use for the second story commercial spaces on Bay and Main Streets. Citing economic concerns over a blanket requirement for affordable housing on the second story level, he said "If you take a hard look at allowing some offices to be included in that zone, it will not change the nature of the area dramatically."

Judy Miller, a 20-year village resident who quipped she is most notably identified as Mrs. Jason Epstein, thanked the Village Board and planners for the "thoughtful document" which seeks to "preserve the quality and conditions of this town," hoping the final document does it best to "preclude projects like the one at Ferry Road that we've been hearing about."

A fellow village neighbor, recounting his 20-year residency, said he first lived next door to this "quaint little salt box" which has now been renovated to twice its size and a private church "which is now no longer a church. I worry that the potential of creeping commercialism will continue similar to what has happened on Division Street."

The mayor assured that a separate open meeting to discuss changes to the R20 residential district would also be held once the discussion of the commercial district was completed.

Offering a list of talking points in the new code likely to spark interest from the Suffolk County Planning Commission, speaking in an unofficial capacity, Barbara Roberts, a Noyac resident and planning consultant for the Town of Southampton, pointed out all property within 500 feet of a county or state road or body of water falls under county purview.

"Sag Harbor has an unusually high percentage of property potentially up for county review," Roberts explained, mentioning Route 114, Division Street, the North Haven border and the harbor itself as falling within the 500 foot jurisdiction. "This is a lot of village property." She also informed the board that the county guidelines on affordable housing "are being revised as well."

"After spending months on the new code," Roberts commented, "it is only going to be as good as the people on the review boards and in enforcement." Seeking "more specific descriptions and setting term limits" are key to "balanced board expertise."

The Village Board will hold a seventh public hearing on the proposed zoning changes on Monday, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m.

Village Planning consultant Rich Warren keeps track of the zoning revisions as they are vetted by the Village Board at the many public sessions.

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