Letters to the Editor: Amagansett Housing 04.28.16

Town’s Oblilgation

Amagansett 

April 25, 2016

Dear Mr. Rattray,

As you know, I write very long text messages explaining my thoughts, and, if necessary, actions to be taken, in explicit detail. To the best of my ability, I make sure these texts are grammatically correct and do not, ever, use the letter “U” to stand for “you.” You know what I mean?

And how do most recipients of my detailed texts respond? Usually they write “K” or “tx.”

I also, when placing a call, leave detailed, actionable voice messages when the other human has failed to answer. And when that person calls back, they generally say, “I see you called, what’s up?” And when I say, “Did you listen to my detailed message?” they respond, “Oh, no, I didn’t. What’s up?”

You imagine that this is the beginning of a rant about the diminished communication skills of yet another “new” generation. But you would be wrong, Mr. Rattray. It’s just tragic evidence of my own lack of synchronization with the current universe and how it speaks. Hit me on my land line.

Flipping that for a moment, years ago I began correcting my grandson Joseph’s grammar when he would text or email me with an array of typos and grammatical shortcuts. Now he actually communicates, whether text or email, in complete sentences. Miracles from heaven? Doubt it.

I also said to Joseph that no matter what he ultimately chooses to do in this life, he should learn to speak with confidence in front of people, articulating his thoughts with the clarity and emotion of his own beliefs. I promised him that people will turn to the ones who can stand up and make the case. I believe he’s a natural leader (I’m his grandfather, for Chris’ake!), but let’s check back in a few years and see how he’s doing.

A few weeks ago Mary and I attended a presentation at St. Michael’s in Amagansett concerning the proposed affordable housing “project” for a five-acre site on Montauk Highway. During the questions and comments portion of the program, I raised my hand and stood up to speak, expressing my feelings that this was a good proposal, thanking the town board and others who had brought the plan to this well-considered place. I used some colorful imagery and vivid analogies to explain the need for this housing as well as to condemn the inferred “consequences” to the Amagansett School should (God forbid!) more students come flooding into the classrooms. And I only dropped the F-bomb once. You’re welcome! The Star quoted part of my remarks, and several of our neighbors have been very complimentary of the stand I took at that meeting. 

Nice. But that little moment I grabbed at the meeting was a trifle compared with the content and conviction brought by several others who spoke on behalf of the proposed housing. Jean Frankel stood and articulated the town’s obligation to apportion responsibility for affordable housing fairly to all the villages and hamlets, including Amagansett. She pointed to the rising tax base in our community which would, in the years to come, go a long way toward mitigating the costs associated with educating our young residents.

Katherine Casey, executive director of the East Hampton Housing Authority, gave a detailed background review of the plan, explaining it would be highly unlikely any “worst case scenario” in student population could transpire with the creation of these housing units.

Hundreds of small communities across our country have suffered declining populations for lack of economic opportunity. Young people are leaving town and they ain’t goin’ back (to quote Bruce), leaving hundreds of schools with shrinking classrooms and budgets.

In the Town of East Hampton, in the hamlet of Amagansett, we have a very different “problem” — a stunning growth in wealth, a demand for goods, services, tradespeople. And, yes, the need for affordable housing for those who want to work and live here. We have a civic and moral responsibility to develop with our community and not attempt to block its natural evolution.

Yrs,

LYLE GREENFIELD

The Right Thing to Do

Amagansett

April 25, 2016

Dear Editor,

As one of the residents of the Town of East Hampton, I find it amusing that the proponents of the 531 subsidized housing project have resorted to name-calling in their efforts to ram this project down our throats. We have been referred to as a small, vocal, well-connected, fear-mongering, racist minority who suffer from dementia and are nuts.

The last two are courtesy of Diana Walker in her letter to The Star last week. She bemoans the fact that for some people age causes the brain to misfire — she should stop looking in the mirror. I know many of the people who oppose the 531 project who have jobs that require 10 times the mental acuity that she uses as she sits at her computer composing letters to The Star while perusing her online dictionary. And she’s not even good at that. She got “fecundity” correct, but slipped badly on “few” and “pay” — the pistons are misfiring again. Even the Housing Authority concedes that the project will increase the Amagansett School enrollment by 37 students, while the study by the district predicted between 36 and 72. Yet for the second time, she says Amagansett can educate “a few more kids.” The definition of “few” is “a couple, two or three.” She used a deliberately misleading phrase, a tactic used by people who find facts hard to absorb: Just lie and hope it sticks. 

Ms. Walker further states that the school district “pays” its superintendent $300,000, another lie. The Amagansett School’s website states that the superintendent’s salary is $188,000 and has been that for a “few” years (as in a couple of years).

  So, the battle lines have been drawn, and the proponents are already guilty of distorting facts and name-calling. Their attempt at intimidation will not work. The argument that “it’s the right thing to do” is also getting old. The right thing to do for many of us is to keep our taxes down so that we can continue to live in Amagansett. Get over to Change.org and make your views known. Let’s get the message of opposition to the politicians and their yes-men and women. As Yogi said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” It ain’t over yet, folks.

BOB ELDI

The salary of the Amagansett School’s superintendent will be $195,520 a year as of July 1, under a new two-year contract recently approved by the school board. Ed.

A Place to Live

East Hampton

April 20, 2016

To the Editor:

We must go ahead with the planned housing in Amagansett. This will give our children a place to live that they will be able to afford. They can work and live where they grew up. I remember when the Amagansett School looked for students and charged tuition for out-of-district students. Now they are afraid of adding a few students. 

This is very selfish of the residents. These people are not coming from out of town. They are neighbors and work in the community.

JULIA KAYSER