Yes, Gentlemen Prefer Golf

Over the objections of Supervisor Vincent Cannuscio, the Southampton Town Board voted 4-1 on Tuesday to change the zoning of the Bridgehampton Race Circuit to allow Robert Rubin, the owner of the 516-acre parcel, to develop a private 18-hole golf course and 20 house lots there.

Although Councilman Steven Halsey of Bridgehampton, a racing fan, described the decision as the hardest he has had to make since being elected in 1995, he sided with the majority, calling it a reasonable compromise.

Mr. Rubin originally had proposed a residential development of 114 clustered house lots. He later brought in a plan for two golf courses, one public and one private, and 40 lots. Last summer, he further amended his application.

Estate Lots

Under Southampton law, golf courses are permitted in residential areas if they carry a "quasi-public-service-use" designation, which this property, an internationally known race track since the mid-1950s, does. Mr. Rubin's plan must now undergo site-plan review by the Town Planning Board.

The approved plan eliminates the public course and sets three acres as the minimum size for what are called "estate" lots.

Although the Town Board held several lengthy public hearings on the application, it allowed members of the public to comment on the matter again Tuesday before voting. They did so, for about two hours. A steady stream of residents, citing either concerns for groundwater contamination or a desire to see racing continue, urged the board to deny the application. Finally, John Raynor, Mr. Rubin's planning consultant, demanded a vote.

Commendable, But

In casting the sole "no" vote, Mr. Cannuscio, in a prepared statement, cited his concern that the development would threaten the "most critical area for drinking water recharge east of the Shinnecock Canal."

While describing a pesticide monitoring program for the course offered by Mr. Rubin as a "commendable attempt to control contamination," the Supervisor said he feared the need for monitoring proved there was a risk to drinking water. Besides, he said, monitoring would "not prevent the problem from occurring." Grounds keepers would be required to "follow a rule book to the letter," Mr. Cannuscio added. "I fear mistakes will be made."

Mr. Cannuscio also argued that a private golf course would represent a loss for the local economy, when compared to a public one or to the existing race track, because it would benefit only its members.

Meanwhile, longtime supporters of the track have joined forces with environmentalists in the Noyac area, who have been arguing against a golf course for the land, to see what can be done now.

Julie Penny of Noyac said the group, the South Fork Coalition for Fresh Water, was founded in December in reaction not only to the plan for a golf course in Bridgehampton but for others in Amagansett and Quogue. It has called a meeting for 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Bridgehampton Community House.

Ms. Penny's husband is Larry Penny, the director of the East Hampton Town Natural Resources Department, who helped write a water management plan for East Hampton 10 years ago and recently has urged its updating.

Still Hoping

According to Guy Frost, an architect and longtime fan of racing in Bridgehampton, the purpose of the meeting is twofold. One is to focus on zoning laws that could control golf course pollution. To this end, he said, Richard Amper of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society has been invited to speak.

The second purpose is to see if there is any way to save the Race Circuit, Mr. Frost said. He faulted the Southampton Town noise ordinance, which was designed to combat disco beats but was applied to the track in the early '80s, for causing the track's financial problems.

Acknowledging that the Race Circuit's neighbors had a legitimate complaint about noise, he said the answer was to "design an ordinance specifically for the course."