Snowflake: To Stay 'Kid-Friendly'?

Those nostalgic for the East Hampton of yesteryear will be sad to see another local institution, Snowflake, close its doors on Oct. 19. They may be happy, however, to hear that the owner of the Pantigo Road ice cream-and-hamburger spot and favorite Little League team haunt intends that it remain a place with special appeal for kids.

Michael Cinque of Amagansett wants to see the half-acre property continue in the same line of business, he said this week, and will make that a condition of the next lease he signs.

He envisions "a kid-friendly family joint, because I have two boys," who are almost at the age to start Little League themselves.

The Kitchen Sink

"The whole beauty of that place is it can be a great family" spot, said Mr. Cinque, where one could get a Coney Island hot dog and a "kitchen sink" sundae, the impossible-to-eat-it-all kind he remembers from his childhood.

Mr. Cinque, who also owns Amagansett Wines and Spirits and Wainscott Wines and Spirits, bought the property in 1994 for $375,000, under the name Amagansett Associates. He said he had "all intentions of actually running it" himself at the time, but "reality" set in; his other businesses were too demanding of his time.

He still hopes, in a few more years, to have the time to operate the business himself, and even has a name and some menu items in mind. The Snowflake is "definitely a landmark-type of joint in town," he said.

Rent Will Rise

David McMahon of Montauk, a former charter boat captain who has been running the Snowflake for the past 12 years, was philosophical about the expiration of his lease.

He said he had planned to sell the business anyway because it was time for him to retire.

"I imagine the people in East Hampton would be happy to see the property continue in the same sort of use," he said, adding that five people had expressed interest in buying his business, but the new rent was so high "that you couldn't make a profit."

Mr. McMahon kept the Snowflake open seven months a year. While Mr. Cinque interviews prospective lessees, he will be looking for buyers for his business equipment, such as the soft-serve ice cream machines.

Plenty Of Interest

Mr. Cinque said the cost of his mortgage was such that he had to raise the rent above what he said was an outdated sum. "It's strictly economics," he said.

"You can make it a year-round business," Mr. Cinque suggested.

He has received several calls a day for several days, he said Tuesday, from local residents interested in an operation similar to the Snowflake, and expects more in the days to come after placing advertisements in several publications, including The Star.

The property, at the corner of private Maple Lane, is in a residentially zoned neighborhood as well as in a limited business district, though the Snowflake's current use legally pre-exists zoning. If the business use is not continued it will be lost, and the property will revert to current zoning.

Limited Business

Joanne Pahwul, the assistant director of the Town Planning Department, said that on the advice of deputy East Hampton Town attorney Richard Whalen, she did not want to speculate what other kinds of uses might be allowed. "It's kind of a complex matter," she said.

The limited business district allows for certain low-intensity businesses which, in part, preserve the residential character of a neighborhood, though the use is limited to only a portion of a property.

It seems unlikely that the Snowflake building could be used for anything much different from what is there now.