As they prepare for a Nov. 3 vote on the acquisition of five lots off Marsden Street for athletic fields, Sag Harbor School District officials have found themselves countering an onslaught of what they describe as inaccurate and misleading dialogue circulating on social media, on lawn signs, and in private emails among concerned residents.
The misinformation chiefly concerns the amount of money involved in the Nov. 3 vote and whether the project will include some sort of artificial turf surface. Some residents have also asserted that the school district already has a set plan to develop the land — despite numerous statements to the contrary by school officials, who have repeatedly said they will first conduct extensive public outreach for use in crafting such a plan.
"It's a little disappointing, from my perspective," Jeff Nichols, the district superintendent, said this week, "because I believe very much that people should have the right to express their views and have differences of opinion. I respect someone's right to not support the utilization of district reserve funds to complete the purchase, but what I don't support is when people spread inaccurate information in an attempt to distort reality and to accomplish their goals."
On Nov. 3, the school will ask residents for permission to spend $3,325,000 that it has already set aside in a reserve account dedicated to capital improvements for the outright purchase of one Marsden Street lot plus a 30-percent contribution toward four more lots that would be bought in partnership with Southampton Town using $6 million in community preservation fund money. That pot of money comes from a real estate transfer tax paid by purchasers of high-end properties who aren't first-time homebuyers.
The district is not asking for additional tax money from the residents at this time, and has been clear in stating that any future bond proposal to actually build new facilities will happen in conjunction with community comments. The purchase of one lot on the south side of Marsden Street is contingent upon the approval of C.P.F. money for the other four contiguous lots on the north side of the street. Of the $3.325 million on the ballot, $50,000 would go toward transaction closing costs.
The district's $3.325 million ballot proposition is far lower than the figure of $26 million that has popped up on lawn signs and in material disseminated by opponents of the project. Grover Pagano, a district resident, said by email on Tuesday that he calculated that figure by including Southampton Town's share of approximately $6 million along with the $13.5 million proposal that the school district previously floated for Mashashimuet Park renovations. The park plan has been put on hold pending proceedings on Marsden Street.
Mr. Pagano said in an email that he got those numbers "from the East Hampton Star article (Mark Borghi)" and that he "estimated the remaining, as there is no information coming from the school." The Star has published neither an article stating such a cost, nor comments on this topic from Mr. Borghi.
Another resident, Peter Gethers of Division Street, has already petitioned the New York State Education Department to potentially nullify the outcome of the Nov. 3 vote. "We're outraged at the cost for what we think is unnecessary additional athletic fields and athletic buildings, and what it will do to the historic district, which is an important part of Sag Harbor," he said by phone on Tuesday. "There are better ways for them to spend the huge amount of money that has been bandied about that it will cost. There are many reasons to be against it."
Additionally, Sag Harbor school officials have formally stated that there has been no decision yet on artificial turf, and that they are sensitive to the fact that new athletic fields would be located within a residential area.
"I believe that there is lots of disinformation out there, and lots of people jumping to a conclusion that we haven't even proposed to the public yet. It's very sad that it's gotten to this point," Sandi Kruel, the Sag Harbor School Board president, told The Star on Tuesday. "We will always be respectful of our neighbors. We will always be good neighbors. For this to come out like it is, it's upsetting — this is not about turf."
Other opponents have asserted that athletic fields are not a permitted use of C.P.F. money. The law does allow municipalities to use it for recreational spaces, and Mr. Nichols said that in conversations with Southampton Town's C.P.F. committee it was decided that the public would be allowed to access the fields when they are not in use by the school district.
"Am I worried that some of this misinformation could result in people rendering votes that maybe are based on inaccurate info? Yeah, I guess I'm a little worried," Mr. Nichols said on Tuesday, "but we have to do our best to make sure that people have the accurate information."
The C.P.F. contribution from Southampton Town is not a done deal, as many were led to believe early on; it needs a public hearing and an affirmative town board vote. James Burke, an attorney for the town, said by email late Tuesday that the town board is still reviewing the matter. It could proceed as originally anticipated, but there are other options, he said. "The town could also consider purchasing the property outright as a full-fee purchase or for use as housing opportunities for the area."
According to school officials, enhanced athletic facilities would benefit a majority of Pierson students. Approximately 69 percent of kids in grades six through 12 play on at least one sports team, and the school fielded 44 teams — including middle school, junior varsity, and varsity levels — during the 2021-22 school year.
The Pierson P.T.S.A. hosted an informational session on Tuesday night during which at least 60 people — divided nearly equally among in-person and Zoom attendees — listened to Mr. Nichols and three school board members explain the details of the Nov. 3 vote.
"I'm viewing this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. . . . These lots are subdivided and for sale," said Alex Kriegsman, one of the board members in attendance. He is also an attorney specializing in real estate and was active in the Marsden Street negotiations. "When lots are for sale, if they are not purchased by a public entity . . . someone is going to buy them. Those are going to be houses, or they are going to be fields for our kids."
As of yesterday morning, nearly 400 people had signed a Change.org petition urging people to vote yes on the proposition.
The Nov. 3 vote is open to registered voters in the Sag Harbor School District. Voting hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Pierson gym. Families from outside the district whose children attend Sag Harbor schools will be eligible to take part in the survey process.