In an initial review of Stony Brook Southampton Hospital's proposal to build an emergency room annex and diagnostic center in East Hampton, members of the East Hampton Town Planning Board voiced concerns about the facility's impact on traffic flow, the placement of a Medevac helipad, and the possibility of "mission creep" at a meeting on Aug. 5.
The hospital is seeking site plan approval for a nearly 24,000-square-foot annex to be built on a 4.5-acre parcel at the end of Pantigo Place, a heavily-trafficked artery off Montauk Highway on which the East Hampton Healthcare Foundation medical facility, an office building that houses several municipal departments, and a small shopping plaza that includes a branch of Goldberg's Bagels and one of Aboff's paint stores, are located.
The site plan also includes an approximately 810-square-foot garage for an ambulance that would be operated by the hospital, parking areas with 57 spaces for visitors and 15 for employees, a 456-square-foot generator enclosure, and a 400-foot-long lane that would provide access to the nearby Town Hall property at 159 Pantigo Road, on which the hospital is seeking to build a helipad. An existing roundabout entryway to the site would be replaced by a more streamlined road that ambulances would be able to navigate more easily, said David Larson, the project's architect.
In 1957, at the advent of the town's zoning regulations, the parcel had been originally designated as commercial-industrial property, according to Eric Schantz, a town planner. In 1988, it and other parcels on Pantigo Place had been part of a subdivision plan and rezoned as residential. As a condition of that change, the properties' owners at the time agreed to prohibit development within 50 feet of the lot's northern property line.
The hospital is seeking to install a low-nitrogen septic system and drainage control structures within that setback. Mr. Schantz said the restriction can be removed by the planning board by a vote of the majority plus one member.
The parcel is also 400 feet to the east of the site of a Montaukett burial ground, according to a memo prepared by Mr. Schantz. During a 1917 excavation, 39 burial sites and numerous artifacts including jewelry and pottery had been found there. As part of a review of the 1988 subdivision plan, another archaeological survey had been performed. Four pits were dug as part of the study, and "no artifacts were found, nor were there any signs of historic or aboriginal debris," the survey found. "However, it is felt that more test pits are called for."
Elizabeth Vail, a lawyer for the hospital, told the board another archaeological survey of the area will be done prior to construction.
There are two existing Little League baseball fields on the parcel, which is now zoned for parks and conservation and has also been designated by the town as a potential site for affordable housing. After removing the ball fields, the hospital has agreed to provide $1.75 million for the construction of new ones to be built on property provided by the town.
For the project to proceed, the hospital must receive permission from the town board to have the zoning changed back to commercial-industrial. "The Planning Department does not have any objection to the requested rezoning," Mr. Schantz said in the memo, but in exchange for the planning board's support, the town board should be asked to designate another 4.5 acres of land for affordable housing.
The town board is conducting a review of the potential environmental impacts of the project, and a vote on rezoning is expected to take place on Oct. 15.
"Traffic is the biggest issue here," said Ian Calder-Piedmonte, a planning board member. "I think we can accept some increased traffic because of the importance of the facility, but that area is already backed up pretty frequently."
A 2016 study found that, if the facility were constructed, traffic flow would be impaired for vehicles making turns between Pantigo Place and Montauk Highway, and recommended that a traffic light be installed at the intersection, according to Mr. Schantz.
Ed Krug, a board member, said a traffic light would be "imperative," but Samuel Kramer, the chairman, and Kathy Cunningham, the vice chairwoman, suggested a roundabout instead.
Because Montauk Highway is a state road, the state's Department of Transportation would ultimately decide what, if anything, would be installed.
The hospital has agreed to have an updated analysis done of the traffic impacts, and the board decided to hire a consulting engineer to provide another assessment.
Although a 55-by-55-square-foot concrete helipad is proposed for a neighboring site and is not part of the proposal before the board, it became a point of contention for several members. "A helipad is an important feature, because, frankly, I don't think I would be in favor of just having medical offices," said Mr. Calder-Piedmonte. "The point is for emergency services, and a helipad is essential." He and other board members asked for more details about the lane connecting the site to the helipad. "We need to make sure the access route makes sense so that it works well," he said.
Board members differed on whether they would vote to relax the 50-foot setback restrictions for the construction of drainage structures and the installation of a septic system, but all agreed that the hospital should be required to make room in that area for a bike path the town is seeking to develop.
The hospital was asked to provide a detailed narrative about how the facility would be used, including the anticipated number of ambulance and Medevac trips, the hours of operations for various departments, fluctuations in staff size, and how it would integrate its services with other medical facilities.
Anticipating that the facility might end up focusing just as much, if not more, on nonemergency care, Mr. Kramer also asked for an assessment of the possibility of "mission creep."
"We don't want to be in a position where in 10 years there's an application to double the size," he said.