Pantigo ‘Shed’ at Issue

Plans to move a 1,000-square-foot outbuilding from one spot to another on a Pantigo Road property that straddles neighborhood business and residential zones have residential neighbors crying foul.

The nearly one-acre property at 458 Pantigo Road, which backs up onto Skimhampton Road, has space for four businesses. Two are vacant, and the others are occupied by Calvo’s Deli and Wilson Express Cargo.

According to Daniel Michels, representative for the owner, Gary Seff, moving the outbuilding would provide better access to it for the businesses on site. The move requires no variances, but does require site plan approval from the East Hampton Town Planning Board.

A planning board hearing on Nov. 5 drew three neighbors who question the plan, six letters in opposition, and an attorney for another neighbor, who is also opposed. Richard Lynn, a Skim?hampton Road resident, warned the board that previous owners of the property had tried to open a second access to the site from Skimhampton Road without planning board approval. “It’s called a shed,” Mr. Lynn said. “It’s 1,000 square feet. They are pretty much making a new building.”

The outbuilding was constructed before the code was written. The proposed location, closer to Skimhampton Road, is the residential side of the property, Jonathon Milioti, also of Skimhampton Road, said. “It doesn’t make any sense,” he said. 

Neighbors will get another chance to weigh in on the proposal. Mr. Seff was required to mail notices to neighbors 10 days in advance of the Nov. 5 hearing, but those notices did not go out until Oct. 29, according to John Jilnicki, the planning board’s attorney. Mr. Jilnicki instructed the board to move forward with the public hearing last week, but said that Mr. Seff’s representatives must re-notice the neighbors, who will have another chance to be heard at the planning board’s Dec. 10 meeting.