RECenter Sets A Timetable

With a clearer idea of when the East Hampton Youth Alliance will be able to hand over the keys and operating costs of the planned East Hampton RECenter to the Town of East Hampton, Stephen B. Latham, an attorney and officer of the East Hampton Youth Al liance, asked the Town Board last week to extend its formal agreement with the alliance through December 1998. The center will be built with private funds but will be run with town funds.

The Youth Alliance, Mr. Latham reported, has raised close to $2.7 million, and hopes to raise another $300,000 by the end of June. He announced that recent large donations had come from Charles and Wendy Entenmann of Springs ($60,000) and from the Dolan Family Foundation, the family that owns Cablevision and recently moved to buy Madison Square Garden ($50,000.)

To Design Review

Construction on the first part of the building - 17,000 square feet of space that will include large and small swimming pools, a canteen-lounge, a fitness and technology center, locker rooms, and offices - is now expected to begin in September. The estimated cost for the first phase is $3.4 million.

A 7,500-square-foot gymnasium is to be added in the second phase of construction, bringing the total cost of construction to $4 million.

The Youth Alliance has a design for the facility with a few alternative site plans and will bring these before the East Hampton Village Design Review Board for final approval this spring, Mr. Latham said. By the end of June the group hopes to begin interviewing contractors.

He also reminded the board that the alliance, the town, and the Village of East Hampton, which is donating the land, would have the job of establishing a seven-member recreation commission to develop programs and an operating budget.

"We need to think about the kinds of people who will put in time to work with kids . . . really dedicated, committed people," he said.

Many of the practical questions surrounding the center, such as what programs will be offered, whether there will be membership fees or passes for out-of-town guests, and how security will be handled are yet to be addressed.

One notable dilemma is how students from Montauk, or even Springs, will get to and from the facility.

Transportation will be a key topic at a meeting the lliance plans to hold in the Montauk School gymnasium Tuesday at 7 p.m. "This comes at a great opportune time," Supervisor Cathy Lester said.

The results of a townwide transportation study are expected to be released in mid-April.