Storage Building Okay at Main Beach

    The storage building used by lifeguards at East Hampton Village’s Main Beach, damaged by Hurricane Sandy last October, will soon be demolished and reconstructed.

    The East Hampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals voted to grant the village a coastal erosion permit and an area variance so that it can proceed. The new building will be on the site of the old one on the west side of the Main Beach pavilion. It will be larger, however, going from 396 to 603 square feet. Ed McDonald, the beach manager, had asked for the larger structure to house modern lifesaving equipment, the board noted.

    Measuring approximately 23 feet by 26.5 feet, the building will be constructed on pilings, in compliance with Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations, and will have a gable roof. The existing building is on a slab and has a flat roof.

    The board found that the new, larger building did not require further State Enviornmental Quality Review Act study, having no adverse effect on the character of the area or traffic. Nor will it have an impact on sewage treatment or removal because it will have no plumbing.

    Larry Cantwell, the village administrator, said a crew is likely to spend a few weeks completing construction next month. The elements of the building are expected to be prefabricated off site.

    “It’s isolated back there,” he said. “It won’t disturb the operations of the beach.” But, he added, “The idea is to try to get it rebuilt as quickly as possible.”