Grass or brick? Those were the options on the table during a town board discussion Tuesday about “beautification” to the south side of Amagansett Main Street from Hedges Lane to the west entrance to Amagansett Square.
Councilman David Lys said that the current sidewalk, which is four feet in width, is to be replaced by a wider (five-foot) sidewalk where feasible. That will allow for summertime promenaders to walk side by side and relieve pressure on the grassy median, worn down to hardpack earth where people have been forced to step off.
Rather than plant more grass between the roadway and sidewalk, or some other vegetative buffer, the current plan is to install brick in beds of concrete.
“We would end up putting the brick in between the trees; they would also be boxed in,” said Mr. Lys. The huge old trees would be boxed into six-by-six-foot planters, matching those on the north side of Main Street. “It’s a focus on safety and A.D.A. access,” Mr. Lys said, also arguing that “it would maintain and enhance the historical character of Amagansett.”
“The reason why we put bricks in concrete, it’s a longer lasting construction methodology” he continued. “The brick won’t heave up and create more tripping hazards long term. It will improve access to businesses and increase foot traffic. It’s also easier for snow removal and long-term maintenance.”
Board members were supportive, but the plan drew some critical public
“Don’t pave the grass,” said Dan Mongan, a trustee of both the Amagansett Library and the Amagansett Historical Association. He said he was speaking for himself, but had also spoken with friends and neighbors about the “hardscaping” project.
“I’m delighted by the idea that the town would take interest in the footpaths in Amagansett, which are quite significantly ready for attention throughout the hamlet,” he said. “What’s not great for me is taking grass out and putting in hard paving. I think you have options. I think you have less expensive and more beautiful options. . . . In particular, the idea of bringing the design philosophy of the north side of the street, at that section, to the south side is undesirable, in my opinion.”
“Those two sides of the street are quite different,” he continued. “The north side is more densely developed. It’s more commercial. It’s more heavily used. Everything about it is busier, and it currently has 100 percent paving.”
Jaine Mehring also called in to the meeting to express concern. “Could some grass areas be saved?” she asked, noting that all of Main Street is in the Amagansett Historical District, which calls for its rural and informal character to be retained.
“If you can really minimize as much as possible the concrete,” she urged. “I also would love to hear some discussion from the arborist, because I know this will require a whole bunch of root-cutting.”
Mr. Lys admitted that tree roots would likely be damaged. “They will be disturbed, but trees are resilient and they will regrow deeper and stronger,” he suggested.
(Indeed, large-scale sidewalk improvements are not without risk to mature trees, which often do not get the respect they deserve. On Halloween in Sag Harbor, a large historic tree fell on Madison Street when sidewalk contractors cut its roots to repair a nearby stretch of sidewalk.)
If the town board is focused on safety, Ms. Mehring suggested, perhaps a more needed project would be to add another crosswalk in the vicinity of the Stephen Talkhouse. She also wanted assurance that the “beautification” work would not creep east of Hedges Lane. “To see this extend any farther over time would really change the village’s character,” she said.
A third caller, Michael Cinque, owner of Amagansett Wines and Liquors, supported the brickwork. “Right now, most of the year, it’s either mud or dirt,” he said of the medians in question. “There’s many trip items between the unleveled dirt and the drop-off from the concrete to the dirt.” Mr. Cinque, who is on the board of the Amagansett Village Improvement Society, said AVIS is supportive, and “excited to put our flower boxes there, and flags through the holidays.”
“I think everybody on this board, if you ask us, you know, in a vacuum, do we prefer grass or brick? We would all say grass,” said Councilman Ian Calder-Piedmonte, “So it’s not without controversy.”
“It would be lovely to have grass there,” agreed Councilman Tom Flight, “but with the increasing foot traffic we’re seeing there, plus with the kind of ecological setup there, with summer when the trees are in full bloom, there’s not that much light to help the grass thrive. It’s not a great environment for grass to grow.”
“ ‘Can’t maintain’ say some. ‘Won’t grow’ say others,” wrote Mr. Mongan in a follow-up email. “Bollocks. After enduring absolute neglect for 20-odd years, it’s a testament to the power of nature that significant vegetation survives. And survive it does! There is compaction and wear adjacent to the footpath, but that’s not irreversible. Tilling, topsoil, and T.L.C. would turn the tide. The gravel in front of Jack’s was defeatist (and perhaps a peccadillo).”
“We can always pave, but seldom unpave,” he continued. “I for one am not ready to give up on these little swards. The question before our mighty board is this: Shall we rush through a fescue miscue, or show mercy to the bonny little leas of Main Street? I say let them live another day to gladden our hearts and soften our steps.”
The bricking of Amagansett will be a topic at Monday night’s Amagansett Citizens Advisory Committee meeting, which will meet at the Amagansett School Library at 6:30.
