Drive-In Is Proposed For Former Sand Pit
A drive-in movie complex with three giant screens and enough parking for more than 1,400 cars could be the next coming attraction for Wainscott.
The East Hampton Town Planning Department received a set of plans and a permit application this week to build the "Summertime Drive-In" on the sprawling former sand pit behind Wainscott Sand and Gravel Corp. on Montauk Highway. The plans call for the development of more than 24 acres of the 71-acre expanse.
"The goal is to create a full-service drive-in movie theater reminiscent of an earlier time, where the entire family can be entertained on a summer evening," the application states.
The plans were submitted on March 5 by Wainscott Properties Inc., whose principal is William Tintle of East Hampton. Mr. Tintle is a co-owner of Wainscott Sand and Gravel and owns a similar business in Quogue.
Three Screens
The proposed drive-in complex would feature three screens - a 60-foot-high screen with parking for 642 cars and two 45-foot-high screens with spots for 382 cars each. According to the site plan, drawn by Christopher Coburn of Sag Harbor, the complex would be laid out in a triangle, with a screen at each point and a concession building in the center.
The site is flanked by Wainscott-Northwest Road to the east, the private Hedges Road to the west, and the railroad tracks to the north. A former sand pit, the property is no longer used in connection with the adjacent sand and gravel business.
According to the plan, the entrance and exit to the drive-in would be from Daniel's Hole Road, where it meets the railroad tracks, at the northeast corner of the property. The access would be just south of the intersection of Daniel's Hole Road and Industrial Road. A "theater circulation road" would loop around the entire site.
Permitted Use
Mr. Tintle could not be reached by press time regarding the plan or what is proposed for the remainder of the site. Before proposing the drive-in plan, Wainscott Properties had been pursuing a subdivision of the 71 acres into 16 parcels, all zoned for commercial/industrial use. The drive-in project would leave more than 45 acres free for other commercial/industrial uses.
There is no special provision in the Town Code for drive-ins, but "motion-picture theaters" are permitted in commercial/industrial zoning districts (as well as neighborhood-business and central-business zones) with a special permit from the Planning Board.
However, the Town Code restricts the capacity of a cinema facility to a maximum of 500 seats, "regardless of the number of theaters involved in the plan." The application does not address that restriction.
Expects Opposition
Rumors of the proposal had made their way to the Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee as early as three months ago. The committee had been closely following the previous Wainscott Properties' application. Told about the site plan yesterday, the committee's chairman, David Eagan, said he expected opposition to the plan.
"I would anticipate there being some real serious questions about this," he said. Noting this would be the only facility of its kind in this area, he said the project would be a large draw for those from out of town.
"I don't know if that's the type of development we need, considering the traffic problems we already have in Wainscott. . . . I'm not one of those people that is against everything, but I think this will get the blood pressure up."
Earlier Drive-In
This would not be the town's first drive-in movie theater. The Hamptons Drive-In operated for many years on what is now a portion of the Bridgehampton Commons shopping center.
The Planning Department has just begun its initial review of the project. Neither Lisa Liquori, the town's planning director, nor Marguerite Wolffsohn, the planner assigned to review the plan, returned phone calls yesterday.
The project is expected to be on the Planning Board's agenda at its next meeting, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.