Hotel James Plan Pulled, For Now
Ceding to a groundswell of opposition from neighbors and concerns from Southampton Town planners, the would-be re-developers of Water Mill's historic Hotel James have withdrawn their plan for now.
In a letter to the Southampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals earlier this month, Gilbert Flanagan, a lawyer for Mecox Bay Inn Inc., requested the application be withdrawn "without prejudice" to re-submit.
Mecox Bay Inn, and its principals, Harold and Carol Konner of Bridgehampton, had hoped to restore the dilapidated turn-of-the-century build ing on Montauk Highway and convert it to a 50-unit hotel and conference center, with a 70-seat restaurant.
Too Intense
The application, however, drew staunch opposition from nearby residents, who argued the use was too intense for the site and that the commercial use of the property had been abandoned, changing it to the area's current residential zoning.
He said Konner Development Corporation was still in contract to buy the property from Thomas H. James and Lorraine Kluge on the condition that permits can be obtained to reuse the site.
The developers had first applied for a "use" variance to permit the conference center, but later amended the application to seek permission through another zoning provision that allows the reuse of landmark buildings, provided the use preserves the building's historical qualities.
The latter application received scrutiny from Z.B.A. members who questioned whether two proposed additions to the original building would compromise its historic integrity, even if the original portion was restored in-kind. Mecox Bay has been seeking to have the building listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places.
Believed to have been built between 1906 and 1916 as a summer residence, the stately 7,000-square-foot building has served through the years as a house, an inn, a general store, and, from the '60s to the '80s, a nightclub.
The Water Mill Citizens Advisory Committee, which has opposed the redevelopment of the site, welcomed the news of the withdrawn application at its Oct. 20 meeting.
Aside from the committee's concerns, the plan had faced a petition signed by more than 200 residents and neighbors against the plan. A group of neighbors hired a lawyer to represent them.
Mr. James had originally hoped to subdivide the property after closing the nightclub, but a number of hurdles, including possible archaeological remains, held the plan at bay. He eventually put the lot on the market. Konner Development has been in contract since October 1996.