Sag Harbor Park Hope Uncertain
While negotiations are ongoing between the Village of Sag Harbor and the owners of property where the village would like to create a waterfront park — to the south of the North Haven bridge — Greystone Development, the Manhattan real estate company that owns the land, has brought a nearby project for 11 condominiums into play.
Greg Ferraris, the chairman of the planning board, called a joint session of his board with the zoning and architectural review boards, as well as the harbor committee, last Thursday at which Greystone’s preliminary plans for two buildings replacing what is known as the “1-800-LAWYERS” building at 2 West Water Street were described. Although there is no application before any of the boards, the developers appeared to have scaled back their plans.
Gary Brewer, an architect with the Manhattan firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects, showed the gathering designs for the new buildings in an L-configuration. The larger of the two would have three stories with three units on each floor. The other, to be known as the garden house, would have one unit on each of two floors. Both buildings would have porches facing the harbor.
Mr. Brewer said he had just begun to work on the design. “We’re looking at the whaling history and the Greek Revival architecture that typically goes with the whaling industry, not just in Sag Harbor, but other towns as well, Martha’s Vineyard and whatnot,” he told the boards.
He mentioned shingled roofs, clapboard siding, classical eaves, movable wood shutters, and landscaping that would help “nestle it into its site.” He also said Greystone wants to work with Ed Hollander, a noted landscape architect who lives in Sag Harbor and has worked on a design for the village park. The buildings, he said, would complement the park.
Though Greystone’s preliminary drawings show a park to the south of the North Haven Bridge, it was unclear how much acreage it would be willing to set aside for the park. When the park was first proposed last year, the developers said they were unwilling to sell.
The village has been interested in buying the developed properties Greystone owns at 1, 3, and 5 Ferry Road for the park in addition to the vacant land nearer the bridge. Denise Schoen, a village attorney, said it was appropriate that the village board was not at the session because it is negotiating to buy the proposed parkland using the community preservation fund. “We have a Chinese wall up,” Ms. Schoen said.
Greystone had earlier planned to include the Ferry Road parcels in a 30,000-square-foot project with a “staggered row” of single-family condominium houses, which would stretch toward the commercial shops on Long Island Avenue. The square footage of the newly proposed condominiums was not provided.
Reached on Tuesday, Mr. Ferraris said, “This application is substantially less complex than the prior. We won’t have to deal with the logistical integration between the 1, 3, and 5 Ferry Road parcel and the 7-Eleven and La Superica buildings. That was a big issue that needed to be addressed.”
Even though it is scaled back, the new proposal will require variances, though the number is unclear. At the meeting, Mr. Brewer said the roof of the three-story building would be about 46 feet above grade. The village code limits heights to 35 feet, or two stories. However, the 1-800-LAWYERS building, with its cupola, is 58 feet tall, according to Angelo Laino, a civil engineer with V.H.B. Engineering, which will be handling environmental issues for the developers.
Mary Ann Eddy, a member of the harbor committee, said she was having difficulty imagining the scale of the new buildings and asked if she’d be able to see them while having lunch outdoors at the American Hotel, although she said she was being facetious. “I’m wondering if it’s going to be a presence for Main Street.”
Dennis Downes, a Sag Harbor attorney representing Greystone, pointed out that there are three-story buildings across the street from the hotel, though he didn’t know their height.
A parking garage is proposed underneath the buildings, and a variance would likely be needed for parking, as well. Only 13 parking spots were mentioned, which, Mr. Laino said, was because some of the area that could be used for parking would be a park.
Mr. Downes said he expected the main part of the application to go before the zoning board of appeals. However, the planning board is expected to take lead agency status under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, which requires a study and which Mr. Downes said could take four to six months.
Questions about public access and the park were on the minds of those who attended the joint session. John Shaka, the chairman of the harbor committee, asked about public access along the waterfront. Mr. Downes said a walkway was under consideration but not in the current plans.
Answering a question from Nathan Brown, a member of the planning board, Mr. Downes said, “If this plan goes forward, the land the park goes on would be conveyed to the village.” The acreage Greystone would reserve for the park remained uncertain.
Ms. Schoen told the group that once an application is made, the boards considering it “can’t take into account the purchase by the village, legally.”
“We’re anxious to move forward with this process,” Mr. Downes said. He told the group he hopes other joint meetings would be possible. “We’re all very grateful you came out tonight.”