A big change to a parcel at the entrance to Amagansett Main Street has been proposed by the owners of 136 Main, HREA, a limited liability company. Representatives of the corporation came before the East Hampton Town Planning Board on Aug. 24 with a proposal to build a mixed retail and housing complex in the narrow, deep lot, where Balcuns Service Center, an automobile repair garage, now operates. Balcuns would be removed.
The building now there was constructed in 1920. The two-story part facing Main Street is considered historic, and would remain as is. It now houses Madison IT Group and Gloria Jewel on the ground level facing Main Street.The building’s second floor would be used for offices. A one-story addition along the side of the building, where One Stop Pet, La Parlour Salon, and a small money-transfer business now face a small parking lot, would have a total of six storefronts following renovations.
A second building, of 7,200 square feet, would rise behind the first. It would contain six additional storefronts on the lower level, with four affordable-housing units upstairs.
Members of the planning board, while acknowledging that the parcel was primed for redevelopment, found the preliminary plan to be out of scale with the Amagansett business district.
“My initial reaction is, it’s too much; it needs to be scaled back a bit. It should be more Amagansett-y,” said Samuel Kramer, chairman.
“The number of uses seems high. It’s an ambitious project. It seems like you’re going right up [in coverage] to what’s allowable, and perhaps a bit over, with this first pass,” said Ian Calder-Piedmonte, a board member. The owners propose 17 uses at the site; 15 are currently allowed under town code.
Every board member expressed concern about traffic exiting the development through another curb cut on Main Street, where it is already difficult to turn left onto Main Street.
“How much worse are we going to make it?” asked Randy Parsons. He wondered if the parking lot could link up with the lot at Amagansett Square, obviating the need for a new curb cut.
“I live west of here,” said Michael Hansen, the newest member of the board. “Making a left-hand turn across Montauk highway is crazy. I would park in the Square, walk to these shops, and then make a right down Hedges Lane.”
Other board members were quick to point out that turning right from the Square onto Hedges Lane is prohibited (though the faded sign prohibiting it is often ignored).
Entering the small lot could also be a problem, said Mr. Calder-Piedmonte, who worried that the lot itself might not be large enough to handle patron and resident parking, not to mention truck deliveries for 12 businesses. “We have to make sure it works,” he said.
New paving would be required for 53 proposed parking spots, and the preliminary configuration of the lot would crowd its rear property line, which backs up on a residence. There are now 29 parking spots on the site. The new paving could create more stormwater runoff, members noted; another issue for neighboring properties.
Comparisons to Amagansett Square were unavoidable.
“It’s a constrained site,” said Ed Krug, a board member. “Cut the back building in half, cut the number of uses in half, create more lawn area, improve access to housing, and call it a day.”
“The biggest negative is the increase in density that you’re creating,” said Lou Cortese. “Compare it to Amagansett Square, and the number of locations in a much larger area. It just seems too intense.”
“It’s 12 [storefronts] in a very confined space,” said Mr. Kramer. “This site could work with fewer.”
“I would much rather see what they did in the Square,” said Mr. Parsons. “That was well designed. Lots of open space, not chockablock storefront. That’s more in keeping with downtown Amagansett.”
“The overall coverage is the issue,” said Mr. Calder-Piedmonte. “I’m not so worried about the number of stores. Ironically, when Amagansett Square was installed, it was not very well received.” (An understatement. Hedges Lane neighbors and others fought furiously but unsuccessfully against the Square when it was proposed in the early 1970s.)
The board agreed that specialty retail stores could work if they were scaled correctly. Members were also keen to ensure that the housing was well separated from the retail area.
“We want to make sure what we do supports the community, pedestrian access, and integrating into the rest of Amagansett,” said Mr. Krug.
Brian Matthews, speaking for HREA, said a traffic study was already underway, and that the number of uses would be adjusted if necessary.
HREA L.L.C. was incorporated in late July 2021, according to the New York State Secretary of State. A Zillow search finds the property last sold for $5.6 million on March 1, 2022, after selling in 2014 for $4.1 million.
