Family Compound in Dunes

After a hearing before the East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals Tuesday night, Fred and Joanne Wilson’s plan to build a family compound in Amagansett appears poised to clear its last hurdle.

It was the couple’s second appearance before the board. On Aug. 30, they asked permission to tear down a seven-bedroom house at 15 Seabreeze Lane, built just three years ago, and replace it with a four-bedroom house, using the extra space for amenities such as a theater room and a game room. The board okayed that project last month.

The Wilsons, who bought the lot at 15 Seabreeze in 2000, bought the neighboring parcel, number 9, earlier this year. That parcel has a three-story house on it, unusual in East Hampton Town, where the limit is two. The Wilsons’ attorney, Andy Hammer, explained that the house was built before the zoning code took effect.

It will be torn down and replaced with a 4,890-square-foot two-story house if the board allows it. There are dunes and wetlands in the area, so a permit must be granted before construction can begin. “This is where he wants his family to spend the rest of their days now,” Mr. Hammer said.

For the board, there were two major selling points in the proposal; first that there will be a new septic system on the property, and second that an existing swimming pool, just 27 feet from wetlands, will be removed. The pool is no longer needed, Mr. Hammer said, because 15 Seabreeze Lane already has one.

David Lys, a board member, asked if the Wilsons would be amenable to having scenic easements on the property. Mr. Hammer indicated that would be fine. No one spoke in opposition to the application.