To Study Business Needs
The economy of East Hampton Town — how money is made, from whom, and the needs of consumers and businesses — will be the subject of a study to be commissioned by the East Hampton Town Board.
Recommendations for a business study were drafted by a business needs committee chaired by Job Potter, a forner town board member, and current planning board member, and presented on Tuesday to the town board. As outlined, the study’s goal is “to determine what the town needs to do to allow business to thrive and meet the needs of our communities within the context of our comprehensive plan goals.”
East Hampton’s comprehensive plan, according to the outline, “articulates the overall image of what the community would like to be in the future.” It says that future development “should be harmonious with the existing character of the community,” that the seasonal economy of second-home owners and visitors should be encouraged to continue, and that “a diverse population should continue to have opportunities to engage in a variety of livelihoods ranging from traditional agriculture and fishing to clean technology and the arts.”
The study, said the business needs committee, should include an inventory of local demographics and the types and functions of existing businesses, as well as a survey of consumers’ “habits, needs, and wants.” An analysis should be conducted, the group said, to document the town economy, determining its sectors and the percentage of the overall economy they represent. Zoning, parking regulations, and other town laws should be examined with an eye toward their impact on the various sectors.
Planning studies of the town’s various hamlets would also be undertaken, as was called for in the 2005 update of the comprehensive plan. Because future decision-making on land use and other matters in each hamlet could be tied to the outcome of the business needs study, the town board plans to commission the hamlet studies concurrently.
A request for proposals will be created for both, and submitted to the board for review in several weeks.