Bowling Alley Concerns On Daniel’s Hole Road

The Suffolk County Planning Commission has asked East Hampton Town to investigate the impact of potential traffic generated by a proposed bowling alley and miniature golf course at the East Hampton Indoor Tennis Club on Daniel’s Hole Road. 

All eight commission members present at the group’s April 6 meeting, a bare quorum of its full complement of 15, voted to make the request, which was attached to an overall approval of the project. Samuel Kramer, an East Hampton attorney who lives near the site in Wainscott, made the motion to look into the impact of traffic.

In a memo to the town planning board written after the commission’s vote, Eric Schantz, a senior town planner, noted that “the issue of traffic was discussed at the time of the initial review. The board voted not to require a separate traffic study.” 

A couple of board members did express some concern over nighttime visibility on Daniel’s Hole Road. However, the commission’s request for a traffic study does not mention either Montauk Highway or Daniel’s Hole Road, only South Breeze Drive. “The town should investigate with the applicant via an amended traffic report, the proposed operation of the facility, and how it may draw traffic flow from the north,” it says, “to determine whether or not any additional traffic mitigation measures need to be incorporated for South Breeze Drive.” 

The planning board does have the option of ignoring the commission’s request, but only if a supermajority of members vote to do so, meaning 5-2 or better.

“It is very rare to hear from the commission,” Reed Jones, chairman of the planning board, said yesterday. “Usually they kick it back as a matter for local determination.” Mr. Jones said he expected to explore with his fellow members the possibility of overriding the commission’s request.

“I served on the Suffolk County Commission,” said Diana Weir, a planning board member. “The Planning Department did a very thorough review, and were explicit in their memo, which we accepted.” She pointed out that at a public hearing for the proposal held in February, not one member of the public spoke about traffic concerns from the north. Also, she said, the owners of the tennis club addressed the Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee, where no opposition to the plan was raised. “Everybody was kind of shocked to get this letter,” she said.

 Mr. Kramer, whose house is on a cul-de-sac off South Breeze Drive, was not available yesterday morning for comment.