A new impound yard for vehicles and objects obtained by the police was approved by the Sag Harbor Village Board on Aug. 8, but while initial steps were taken, the difficulty of getting projects underway, like those for Long Wharf and a waterfront park named for John Steinbeck, may not bode well for how long this one will take.

After the motion to accept a proposal for an impound yard to accommodate 10 to 20 vehicles was approved, Ken O’Donnell, one of the trustees, said, “it will obviously wind up being a revenue stream for the village, but it will help keep our roads safe, and keep people from driving away after they’ve been pulled over with suspended licenses or vehicles that are not inspected.”  

The proposal came from Savik and Murray, an engineering firm, which suggested the impound area’s design, a new entrance from the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, and fencing. The site is the old dump, which Sag Harbor Village owns, though a portion is leased to Southampton Town for a weigh station.

After the meeting, Dee Yardley, the village’s superintendent of public works, said on the phone that this was not the first time the village has tried to propose an impound yard. “They tried in 1995, but it never came to fruition,” Mr. Yardley said. “But myself and the police chief have been discussing it.” Now some impounded vehicles go to the Highway Department facility on Columbia Street.  Mr. Yardley noted that many steps were needed before a new yard was a reality. “I’m hoping for spring if they get the engineering done,” he said. “That would be the best-case scenario.”

The new yard will cost between $75,000 and $100,000, Mr. Yardley said, and it comes at a time when other projects are moving slowly. Mayor Sandra Schroeder has said the board had “determined that it’s absolutely necessary to do.”

For months the village has been trying to acquire approximately 1.25 acres of the waterfront property that Greystone Development is planning to use for condominiums. The village is hoping to transform the property into the John Steinbeck Waterfront Park.

Sag Harbor is hoping to receive Southampton Town community preservation fund money for the purchase, but Ms. Schroeder explained over the phone last week that the standstill is due to disagreements about the price between Southampton Town and Greystone.

“We’re hoping that the town and the owners come to an agreement on a price,” she said.

“There was some confusion when they did the first appraisal of the property because they thought units needed to be transferred,” Mr. O’Donnell said. “So now we have gotten Southampton Town all of the information and zoning codes and we’re just waiting for them to request the two new appraisals for 1, 3, 5 Ferry Road.”

He said the waiting had been frustrating, particularly for residents who have paid over $18 million into the C.P.F. fund. Sag Harbor has so far received about $1.5 million from the fund for other projects. Mr. O’Donnell is hoping the C.P.F. money will be obtained for the park. “What would be interesting would be to know how many open parcels are left in the village. . . . I would say it might be a handful. I just think if this doesn’t go through it will be a lost opportunity.”

Another project slow to start is the Long Wharf Project, which will now begin sometime in 2018, Mr. O’Donnell said. While the village hoped to start on changes at Long Wharf immediately after this fall’s Harborfest, it is waiting for a grant or funding that would not be awarded until Dec. 31. The county and state require that the village contribute to the cost of such projects, but any money the village would have spent between September and Dec. 31 would not have gone toward the grants this year. “We’re better off waiting to see if we are awarded the grant,” Mr. O’Donnell said.

In addition to the grant situation, it also made sense for the project to be put on hold because of expected dredging in the harbor, which is scheduled to begin sometime between September and October. Once the dredging is completed, there will be additional yacht space on the Wharf.

Fire up the ovens, get the chickens primped and pretty, and keep practicing those tricks with Fido — the Springs Agricultural Fair takes place on Saturday, with all kinds of contests to enter and prizes to win.

The fair will be held on the grounds of Ashawagh Hall during the Springs Farmers Market, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration for contests will begin at 8, or in advance at springsagfair.com.

There will be competitions for baked goods — best pie, muffin, cookie, cake, yeasted bread, and non-yeasted bread — as well as for the loveliest flower bouquet and for vegetables: the largest zucchini or squash, largest tomato, tastiest tomato, and the ugliest vegetable.

The prettiest chicken will be selected by fairgoers. Contests and games, starting at 11, will include an egg toss, potato sack race, and bubble-blowing face-off. Dogs will show off their best tricks at noon.

Details for entry may be found on the website. There is a $5 per-entry fee for the baking and gardening contests. Ribbons and prizes —  $5, $10, and $15 gift certificates for the farmers market — will be awarded to first, second, and third-place winners.

In what Frank Newbold, the chairman, said was probably a record, it took the East Hampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals just nine minutes to complete its meeting on Friday. No new applications were on the agenda, and the continuation of one hearing, which had been held on July 28, was adjourned until Friday, Aug. 25. That left the reading of determinations.

The continued hearing concerns four contiguous lots, 70, 72, 74, and 76 Lee Avenue, owned by Jane Goldman and her husband, Benjamin Lewis. They seek to legalize eight-foot-high deer fencing on the lots, where the maximum allowed in the zoning code is six. 

The lots total approximately 12 acres, and contain approximately 2,235 linear feet of fencing. The fencing, Andrew Goldstein, an attorney representing the applicants, said on July 28, was put up “to enhance the personal security of the owner and also to deter deer from coming into the properties.” It was installed several years ago, he said, and is fully encased in “very substantial plantings on all sides of the property.”

Citing previous determinations, Mr. Goldstein said the board had granted variances for deer fencing exceeding six feet when it was embedded in vegetation or could not be seen from the street. “Really, there’s no difference between this application and those applications,” he said.

But, said Linda Riley, the Z.B.A.’s attorney, in those cases the board asked whether the benefit could be achieved while  complying with the code, which allows an additional two feet of horizontal wires over six-foot-high fencing. To install that, Mr. Goldstein said, they would “have to take out all the plantings on Lee Avenue. You’ll have a compliant fence, and you won’t see the plantings.” He added that variance relief would not change the character of the neighborhood or have a detrimental impact on adjacent properties.

The hearing for all the lots would have been closed on July 28, but for pending litigation. The fencing runs through a scenic easement granted to the village on two of the lots. In a previous case, the board had granted variances on the condition that structures within an easement were removed. The court ruled that the zoning board did not have jurisdiction over the easement, and the village has filed a notice of appeal.

“This board can’t try to enforce the easement or any such thing because it’s not within your purview,” Ms. Riley said, but it can consider whether or not variance relief would affect the neighborhood’s character or cause a detriment to neighbors. “I don’t think you should feel boxed in, that you have to grant it or deny it, one way or the other.”

Meanwhile, variances for two of the four lots, which were unaffected by the lawsuit, were granted on Friday.  The fencing in question, Mr. Newbold said, is at the back of the rear lots, farthest from Lee Avenue, where the natural vegetation is overgrown. It is almost impossible to see, he said. His colleagues agreed, and the hearing was finally closed.

In the other decisions announced on Friday, the Maidstone Club was granted a permit to construct a 300-square-foot chicken coop at 152 Egypt Lane in connection with the private club’s children’s summer camp. The permit was granted on the condition that no lighting is installed.

The board granted Colleen Casey variances to allow a children’s play set, a storage bin, and a generator to remain within a front-yard  setback, and to allow the alteration and enlargement of an existing stone patio, also within the setback, at 47 Cooper Lane.

Heightened and sustained anxiety over immigration policies is still a major factor in Long Island’s Latino community, according to Minerva Perez, the executive director of Organizacion Latino-Americana.

Earlier this year the organization held a series of clinics to help Latino immigrants, especially those who are not documented, prepare for the worst. Following the success of those clinics, OLA has announced a new series of mental health workshops called Circles of Strength (Circulos de Fuerza), made possible by an anonymous donor as well as the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton, where the workshops will be held.

The goal is simple, said Ms. Perez: To help families who are struggling to deal with the psychological impact of immigration-related stress and uncertainty.

The first of three stand-alone workshops will be held Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m. Facilitated by mental health and social work professionals, the goal for the evening is to offer tools, exercises, and approaches to help families decrease stress, increase communication, and build stronger support systems.

“The idea is to let families know they have a large network of people available to help them,” explained Ms. Perez. “The tendency when we get scared or anxious is to hide and disappear. But we want to encourage people not to isolate themselves further and further. That’s the worst thing you can do for you and your family.” With the help of local mental health care providers such as Bryony Freij, Carolina Agudelo, and Oscar Mandes, the workshops are designed to offer community members the best strategies to help dissipate fear.

They are open to traditional and nontraditional families, said Ms. Perez. “Mom, dad, kids, aunts, uncles, grandparents, caregivers — everyone is welcome.”

Attendees will be placed in groups to reinforce the notion of support for each other, explained Ms. Perez. Children will be in separate groups, mirroring exercises that the adults learn. The professionals conducting the workshops will be ready for crisis intervention, if necessary. A dinner will also be offered.

“We really hope everyone will leave these workshops with the materials they need to better understand their situation and the tools to gain control when they’re feeling out of control,” Ms. Perez said.

Registration is required prior to Tuesday. The workshop is free and appropriate for ages 4 and over. CMEE is at 376 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike. Registration and additional details can be found online at olaofeasternlongisland.org or by calling 631-899-3441.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority has completed the first three years of data collection on birds and marine mammals via aerial surveys over a 16,000-square-mile area. The data is a step toward the development of offshore wind farms in keeping with the state’s Clean Energy Standard, which requires that 50 percent of electricity come from renewable sources by 2030. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has set a goal of 2.4 gigawatts of energy from offshore wind.

The information gathered on seasonal wildlife distribution, abundance, and movement over the 16,000-square-mile area is to aid in responsible offshore wind site assessment and project development. NYSERDA and other state agencies are developing a New York Offshore Wind Master Plan, due by the end of the year.

The survey is gathering the highest resolution images ever for a project of this scale. With each pixel corresponding to 1.5 centimeters on the ocean surface, the images provide sufficient detail to allow taxonomists to identify the species of a high percentage of the birds and marine animals.

Bird species identified include shearwaters, double-crested cormorants, petrels, gulls, and terns, though more than 90 percent of the images show no birds or marine animals at or near the water surface. As the survey progresses, distribution of wildlife will be evaluated to aid in identification of areas of lower activity where offshore wind development may be feasible.

The aerial surveys are being conducted in coordination with other research, including visual surveys by the State Department of Environmental Conservation and federal agencies. Some of the wildlife that has been observed can be seen at remote.normandeau.com/nys_overview.php.

Normandeau Associates and APEM Ltd. are conducting the study for NYSERDA. It is one of more than 20 studies undertaken to provide current information about potential environmental and social sensitivities, economic and practical considerations, and regulatory requirements associated with offshore wind energy.

In an effort to detect whether northern long-eared bats, a threatened species, live in East Hampton, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has asked town officials for permission to set up a dozen monitoring stations on vacant town-owned land in Montauk and East Hampton for three nights in upcoming weeks.

The population of long-eared bats has experienced a dramatic decline throughout most of its range as a result of white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by an invasive fungus. It affects hibernating bats, causing them to starve to death over the winter. Since white-nose syndrome was first discovered in New York in 2006, the number of northern long-eared bats throughout the state dropped by 98 percent.

The bats were frequently detected in all of New York State, outside of New York City, prior to 2006, according to the D.E.C., with an estimated 500,000 in 2005. According to a map published online by the D.E.C., there had been no confirmed occurrences of long-eared bats in East Hampton Town as of May 2016, though they had been observed in the Town of Brookhaven. However, several were found in East Hampton during a netting procedure by the D.E.C. earlier this summer, Kevin Jennings, a biologist with the agency, said this week. They showed signs of being infected.

Northern long-eared bats roost, forage, and raise their young in forest habitats, feeding primarily on flying insects. They hibernate through late fall and early spring.

Successful recovery from white-nose syndrome, according to wildlife biologists, would require treating bats for the disease, and the D.E.C. is working with researchers  to develop treatment. In the meantime, the focus is on protecting those that remain. 

Guidelines call for leaving dead trees or those with cavities where bats may live in place, if possible, and limiting tree clearing to November through April, when bats are hibernating and not expected to be in trees. Tree cutting is restricted within five miles of a known hibernation site or within 1.5 miles of a documented summer occurrence.

Acoustic bat detectors pick up the nocturnal sounds of bats, which use echolocation to navigate their surroundings and to find prey insects. They emit pulses of sound, almost all above human hearing range. Information from the monitoring systems can be used to identify particular species of bats based on the various sound frequencies used.

It is not just the ground coffee beans that are in hot water at SagTown Coffee. The business, which reopened nearly two weeks ago following the fire that destroyed the coffee shop in December, has been cited for violating Sag Harbor Village code.

Thomas Preiato, the village building inspector, said this week that Shane Dyckman, the business owner, had illegally taken down a wall between the original SagTown Coffee space at 78 Main Street and what used to be Collette Consignment, on the Main Street side of the building. Collette’s, owned by Mr. Dyckman’s former wife, was also ravaged in the fire. Mr. Dyckman’s store is a tenant; the building is owned by Sag Harbor Venture LLC.

Mr. Preiato issued a summons for two violations: lacking site plan approval and violating the certificate of occupancy. “The ink on my C.O. didn’t dry before the wall came down!” he said in an email.

The C. of O. was issued on Aug. 3, when the wall still stood. Two days later SagTown Coffee reopened, with Mr. Dyckman saying it had doubled the space and increased the offerings.  Mr. Dyckman has been before the Sag Harbor Village Planning Board in the months since the fire. He received approval for a change of use to convert the former Collette’s space from retail clothing to the sale of coffee-related merchandise, according to Mr. Preiato, and has a pending application, submitted two months ago, to combine the two stores.

Mr. Preiato said he has been trying to assist the merchants affected by the fire so they can reopen quickly, but that code requires that combining two stores be properly vetted by the planning board.

Mr. Dyckman faces up to $1,000 in fines for each of the violations if found guilty. His attorney, Brian Desesa, declined comment.

Get ready for some fishy business: The 85th annual Fisherman’s Fair benefiting Ashawagh Hall is coming to Springs on Saturday. The fair will carry on for longer than ever, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Since it coincides with the 50th annual Springs Invitational Art Show, visitors can browse the galleries inside Ashawagh Hall, then shop for crafts, eat, listen to music, and play games outside.

Food vendors will be back, among them Gringo’s Burrito Grill, the Montauk Brewing Company, the North Fork Bakery, Mister Softee, Silver Spoon Specialties, and Around the Fire. Two Jammin’ Chicks will sell jams and jellies, and Chocology will offer fresh fudge.

Looking for clams on the half shell? The Springs Improvement Society will offer them, along with hot dogs, corn, drinks, and popcorn.

There will be no shortage of crafts for sale, either, with vendors such as the Southampton Soap Co., White Elephant Designs, Sag Harbor Glass, and Tiki Girl Shop signed up. Fairgoers will find everything from jewelry, hats, and handbags to greeting cards, paintings, and wooden birds.

The Accabonac Protection Committee, the East End Classic Boat Society, and East Hampton Meals on Wheels will have booths.

The children’s area will be bigger than ever before and open for the entire day, with crafts including shell painting, treasure chest decorating, and spin art. Kids can also jump in a bounce ship and play games for prizes. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., young fairgoers will even be able to make fluke and flounder prints. The fair will also hold a kids’ raffle in addition to a restaurant raffle.

On the music schedule is David Eagle at 10 a.m., Fred Raimondo at 10:45, Steve Tekulsky and Peter Van Scoyoc at 11:30, the Dogwatchers at 12:15 p.m., Job Potter at 1, OCDC: Cynthia Daniels and Sarah Greene at 1:45, Michael Pour at 2:30, and the All-Star Jam at 3:15.

Throughout the day, fairgoers will be able to buy T-shirts, hats, mugs, and posters with Charles Waller’s design for the event.

Volunteers are always needed to sell merchandise and help out in the kids’ game area. Kristi at 631-604-2555 or [email protected] can be contacted to sign up.

For a change of scenery, you might want to ferry over to Shelter Island on Friday, Aug. 18, for a cocktail party from 6 to 8 p.m. benefiting the restoration of the windmill at Sylvester Manor.

It was built around 1810 in Southold by the East Hampton craftsman Nathaniel Dominy V. Transported by barge to Shelter Island in 1840, the windmill was placed in the center of town. It was operated there by Joseph Congdon until 1855 but was then neglected. In 1879, Lillian Horsford bought it and preserved it. It was later put briefly back into use during World War I. 

The windmill stayed in the family, and in 1926 Cornelia Horsford moved it again, to Sylvester Manor, where it stands today. It is one of 11 surviving 18th and early-19th-century wind-powered gristmills on Long Island, and the only surviving one from the North Fork. It was built by hand over the course of 186 days.

The cocktail party will take place on the lawn by the windmill and feature an open bar courtesy of the Rolling in Dough bar truck, drinks made especially with herbs from Sylvester Manor, and hors d'oeuvres from the North Fork Shack in Southold. Guests will be able to look inside the windmill, too.

The manor has raised half of the money needed to pay for the windmill's restoration, with an ultimate goal of $230,000. Once the work is complete, the windmill will turn its sails for the first time since the 1960s. Flour and bread made locally from grain grown at Sylvester Manor and ground at the mill will be sold at the manor's farm stand.

Tickets, which cost $125 each, are selling quickly. They can be purchased on eventbrite.com, at the Sylvester Manor gatehouse, at the manor's farm stand, or by calling 631-749-0626. 

Boats will no longer be able to obtain fuel on Long Wharf or at any other Sag Harbor Village facility, including its A-Dock, B-Dock, and Marine Park.

The decision was finalized at the Sag Harbor Village Board meeting on Tuesday, after Ken O’Donnell, a board member, presented a motion to stop the practice in an effort to maintain the quality of the surrounding water bodies.

The change had been initiated by Mr. O’Donnell and Bob Bori, the Sag Harbor Village harbormaster, following three fuel spills in July. Two of the spills were at the Sag Harbor Yacht Club; the source of the third is still unknown.

Mr. O’Donnell recapped Mr. Bori’s July report. Although last month’s spills were relatively small and contained, the idea of a bigger one, Mr. O’Donnell said, is unsettling.

“Regarding the concerns of the water quality and the possibility of a spill that could pollute our bay, I’d like to make the motion to stop the practice of allowing yachts to fuel on the Long Wharf,” Mr. O’Donnell said.

The entire board overwhelmingly agreed that the three small spills had brought up the possibility that there could easily be a larger one.

Mayor Sandra Schroeder was succinct. “It’s not worth it,” she said, adding, “We are out of the boat fueling business.”

In addition to Mr. Bori’s and Mr. O’Donnell’s concerns, Mr. Bori said there had been a number of complaints from the public, who expressed worry about the potential consequences of delivering diesel to the wharf.

“While the trucks that transport the diesel have a boom in case something happens, now we can be sure that the quality of our waters won’t be harmed because we allowed a spill to happen,” Mr. O’Donnell said after the meeting.  While fuel trucks, which typically transport diesel early in the morning, have booms in case of emergencies, Mr. Bori said, “The marinas are more apt to handle a spill. They have booms at boats at hand.”

The board agreed that from the financial viewpoint, the pros outweighed the cons. The village makes about $5,000 per summer from fuel. A likely prospect is that boats will get fuel at the Sag Harbor Yacht Club, but bigger yachts, which may not be able to tie up at local marinas, may have to travel to New London, Conn., or Newport, R.I., for fuel. “Across the board, we are not allowing fuel trucks to come in,” Mr. O’Donnell said.

While the decision about fueling passed seamlessly, the Sag Harbor American Music Festival’s request to erect a tent at Marine Park for its seventh annual festival there caused heated discussion.

The festival is set to take place from Sept. 21 to 24, at the Bay Street Theater on Thursday, the Old Whalers Church on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday at Marine Park. While Sunday’s event has been in the village’s books, Kelly Dodds, the president of the festival, wants permission to erect a tent so it can go on in inclement weather.

Ms. Schroeder said the spikes that would be needed for a tent could harm the memorial park’s irrigation system. “It’s wrong,” she said. “I don’t think it’s the right purpose for a memorial park. . . . It’s supposed to be a passive park, people used to get yelled at for playing Dutch football.”

 Mr. O’Donnell took a different stand, saying, “I feel like Pandora’s box has been opened with the music and the tents. We’ve already done it.” James Larocca, a village board member who is a combat veteran, also chimed in. “Every one of us has a view, and I’m wondering if there isn’t some middle ground here,” he said. “If it’s  the physical impact of the tent, is there an alternative way to do it without penetrating the soil?”

After hearing the different opinions, Ms. Dodd said she would be happy to make adjustments. “We will work with the village to make sure we have the smallest impact,” she said. “I think part of the issue of using Marine Park is we need to secure the tent but if we know where the irrigation is then we can know for certain that we don’t disturb it.”

Although Mayor Schroeder did not change her opinion, the four other board members approved the request. “I know it’s something different, and there has never been a large tent at Marine Park before, but it’s something we’ve always envisioned, and we want to be able to put the festival on rain or shine,” Ms. Dodds said after the meeting. “I understand the mayor’s position; I’m just glad the others agreed to let us try it out.”