East Hampton Town Plans Two Big Purchases

At its final meeting of 2018 last Thursday, the East Hampton Town Board authorized a bond resolution for the purchase of the former Child Development Center of the Hamptons building on Stephen Hand’s Path and voted to schedule a hearing on the proposed acquisition of property on Route 114 in Sag Harbor for affordable housing. 

The four-acre property is owned by the Triune Baptist Church. The town hopes to purchase the parcel for $900,000, and would construct 20 to 30 units of affordable housing there. Triune Baptist Church acquired the land in 1993 but fell short in its effort to raise the money to construct a church at the site. A hearing is planned.

The property is adjacent to cottages owned by the Sag Harbor Community Housing Trust, and there is potential for the sites to be developed in conjunction with one another. The hearing is scheduled for Jan. 17. 

The purchase price for the 22,000-square-foot C.D.C.H. building, empty since the school closed in 2016, is $800,000, less than a third of a recent $2.6 million appraisal. (The town already owns the underlying land.)

The building is to be used as a community center, with one or more nonprofit-organization tenants responsible for its management. Such a move would align with the town’s policy to secure public-private partnerships with not-for-profit groups for unused buildings, in part to defray management and maintenance costs. 

Possible uses discussed at the board’s  meeting include a day care center and space for education, lectures, performances, and senior citizens services. A number of community groups and organizations might ultimately use the space as well. The board is expected to issue requests for proposals in the new year. 

A report prepared by Drew Bennett, a consulting engineer, identified more than $400,000 in potential future repairs to the 22,000-square-foot metal structure. 

In another vote last Thursday, the board resolved to retain L.K. McLean Associates to provide engineering services in preparation of a bid package for demolition of the old Town Hall building on the Pantigo Road, East Hampton Town Hall campus. L.K. McLean Associates is to provide assistance to the town in soliciting bids and reviewing submissions as well as make recommendations to the town. The town will pay a maximum of $7,960 for the services. 

At the meeting’s conclusion, Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc thanked his colleagues on the board for what he said was a very productive year. “We’ve gotten a great deal of work done that’s benefited our community,” he said. “We have a great deal of work that’s in process that we still need to complete and look forward to doing so in the coming year. But I really appreciate all of your support, your help, and input in this effort, working closely together to get good things done.” 

The board will hold its annual organizational meeting next Thursday at 10 a.m. at Town Hall.