Neighbors Oppose Sports Field Lighting
On Tuesday night, the East Hampton School Board heard residents’ concerns about the possible installation of lights on the high school athletic field and had a brief discussion about affordable housing.
An anonymous donor recently approached Adam Fine, East Hampton High School’s principal, about installing permanent lighting on the field, with total costs estimated at around $500,000. Several community members expressed their dismay at the prospect, with Ed Collum, who lives near the athletic field, also complaining of noise and loud music.
Catherine Collum, his daughter, a kindergarten teacher at the John M. Marshall Elementary School, said that her property would suffer “the greatest impact” from the installation of lights. “Ultimately this is a donation, but are there going to be long-term implications for taxpayers?” she asked. “Is this truly necessary?”
Tom Cooper, an East Hampton resident, mentioned additional costs associated with lighting design, engineering, and installation. “I’m all for taking donations,” he said. “But we’re under a budget constraint. The donor is willing to pay for the lights, but are they willing to pay for the costs associated with it?”
J.P. Foster, the board president, thanked those who spoke and said that several questions remain unanswered.
“Are lights right or wrong for our community? It’s still early,” said Mr. Foster. “The process has just begun.”
Christina DeSanti, the board’s vice president, met recently with Windmill Housing Development officials to discuss their 49-unit affordable housing proposal in Wainscott, which has drawn the ire of that hamlet’s school board and some of its taxpayers, and to examine how affordable housing already in existence affects the East Hampton district.
About 200 students now live in various affordable housing developments scattered throughout the district. Board members said most of the complexes pay far less to enroll their students in the district’s three schools than the $24,000 it costs to educate each child.
“The numbers are unbelievable,” said Rich Wilson. “We’re struggling to hang on to programs and $4 million of our budget is going to subsidize it.”
Ms. DeSanti said that the “town needs affordable housing,” but she and other board members wondered why there were so many developments in East Hampton.
“Do we want affordable housing? It’s a clear yes,” said Mr. Foster, who supports the proposed Wainscott location. But, he added, “the public needs to know what we’ve taken on. If another district is concerned about the impact on their district, we’re not going to encourage them to go looking for another piece of land in East Hampton.”
Earlier in the meeting, the board accepted paid and unpaid leaves of absence for child-rearing purposes for both Amy Falkenhan and Noelle Jack, teachers at John Marshall. The board also approved unpaid medical leaves for Robert Remkus, a custodial worker, and Patricia Higgins, an elementary school teacher. Lastly, the board accepted a letter of resignation from Jessica Vultaggio, a secondary English teacher, effective Jan. 16.