Beach Access Activist to Take Open Board Seat

David Lys of Springs has been selected to fill an open seat on the East Hampton Town Board vacated after Peter Van Scoyoc was sworn in as town supervisor on Jan. 2.

Mr. Lys's formal appointment is expected at a town board meeting tonight, according to a statement issued by Mr. Van Scoyoc's office.

His entry into town government came in 2013, when he was appointed to the zoning board of appeals. He was a founder of Citizens for Access Rights, which was formed in response to lawsuits by oceanfront property owners opposed to four-wheel-drive traffic on the beach. He is also the president of the Amagansett Life-Saving and Coast Guard Station society, responsible for the upkeep and fund-raising at the historic station on Atlantic Avenue.

Mr. Lys and his wife, Rachel, own East Hampton Physical Therapy and Weekend Warriors Tours and Outfitters. He graduated from East Hampton High School in 1994 and from Penn State University in 2000 with a degree in kinesiology.

The board seat Mr. Lys will occupy will be contested in a special election in November. The winner will serve until the end of 2019.