More Parking, New Lights

Amagansett’s perennial parking problems will get some relief. In a plan being prepared by town officials, the commercial district parking lot would be expanded to an adjacent parcel and the existing lot reconfigured.

East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell and the rest of the town board on Tuesday directed a consultant working on parking issues to also draw up plans for adding a timed-ticket system like the one used in East Hampton Village.

The town bought the roughly 2.5-acre site of the proposed parking expansion from the Field family for $2.9 million in 2016. Under farmland preservation regulations, only 30 percent of the property can be used for parking. Under the proposal, the addition would accommodate 43 vehicles and be used for long-term parking.

A gain of 10 parking spots in the main lot would result from the redesign; three of those would be for handicapped parking.

Mr. Cantwell said that a ticket system would enhance the ability of traffic-control officers to enforce time limits in both the existing and new lots. As it is now, a haphazard mix of short and long-term spaces makes it difficult to ensure that spots are not occupied  longer than allowed. It should be possible to make the necessary changes to the town code by March, Mr. Cantwell said, with construction completed by Memorial Day.

New, dark skies-compliant lighting would be added to the parking lot, as well.