Over-the-Top Complex Requires More Vetting
You can’t fault Scott Rubenstein for asking. And, frankly, we might assume that even he is surprised by how smooth the path in Town Hall has been so far for his plan for a bowling alley, miniature golf course, and 200-seat sports bar.
We’ll repeat that last item, just so you don’t miss it — a 200-seat sports bar. Do we have your attention now?
Some neighbors are beginning to notice and have asked for the official love-fest to cool down a bit. This is appropriate. Even though the project is on a secluded site near the East Hampton Airport, its impact could be significant. Notably, property owners along South Breeze Drive, which is a shortcut between Route 114 and Daniel’s Hole Road and could be used by Mr. Rubenstein’s patrons, are concerned.
It was myopic for some at a recent town planning board meeting to dismiss the South Breeze folks’ concerns as stompy-footed NIMBYism; put 200 seats of anything anywhere in town and there is going to be a serious impact, both in the immediate area and on a broader scale. Such projects cannot be vetted in a vacuum. Much as one might like Mr. Rubenstein, and think new recreational facilities are a good idea, far more official balance is needed.
Indeed, in an April 6 vote the Suffolk County Planning Commission suggested that East Hampton Town take a hard look at what the sports complex could generate. The town planning board has the option of ignoring this request if at least five of its seven members vote to do so. They should not back away from this responsibility.
Having now been alerted by neighbors and the commission, the town must take a second, more detailed look, paying particular attention to what might happen if that 200-seat restaurant and bar is ever filled to capacity. We have already seen what kind of mayhem results from unchecked nightspots — particularly in Montauk. Planning board members would be totally out of line to blithely approve something even remotely similar anywhere in town. Some say that Montauk already approaches a yawning hell in summertime; exporting even some of it to another hamlet should not be countenanced.
Key also for town planners predisposed to okay the vast complex (Diana Weir and Reed Jones, we’re looking at you) is that although Mr. Rubenstein might be a great guy, approvals persist no matter who owns a property. The next owner or the one after that might have different ideas and by then almost nothing could be done about it.