“A ray of hope” for East Hampton Town’s Little League baseball players, coaches, and parents appeared on Saturday when ground was broken for the playing fields near the former Child Development Center of the Hamptons, at 110 Stephen Hand’s Path in Wainscott.
“I think they saw the reality of this project moving forward,” said East Hampton Town Councilman David Lys, “instead of being stale or not happening.”
“That was such a fun event,” Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said of the groundbreaking on Tuesday. “It was great to see all the Little Leaguers with their golden shovels. There is a great deal of excitement about providing activities and facilities for youth within our community. I’m happy to see that underway and look forward to a ribbon cutting in the spring.”
The two new fields will replace those at 400 Pantigo Place in East Hampton, which will be removed to make way for Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s freestanding emergency department and imaging and diagnostic center. The town board previously approved a lease with the Southampton Hospital Association, which is responsible for the removal and demolition of the existing fields and will spend up to $1.7 million toward construction of the two new lighted fields and associated amenities.
The new fields are intended to be comparable to those in larger municipalities to the west. One is to include a synthetic turf infield and outfield and a fence around the outfield’s perimeter, and the other will be entirely synthetic turf with multidistance base lengths to accommodate different levels of play.
Mr. Lys acknowledged that not everyone was happy with the decisions made by the board and a relocation committee that was appointed in 2018. Some residents argued that the location on the town’s west side would inconvenience some players and parents, particularly those living in Montauk. Others disagreed with the decision to use synthetic turf instead of natural grass. “Not everyone was favorable all the way through,” he said, “but the board listened to everyone. I’m very happy to see the groundbreaking.” He hoped that the fields will be completed in time for the first pitch of the 2023 season.
Each field will have an electronic scoreboard, Mr. Lys said. The grounds will feature two batting cages, dugouts, shade pavilions, and expansion of an existing walking trail. The site at present features two soccer fields, two volleyball courts, and two playgrounds. It is hoped, Mr. Lys said, that a small basketball court will be renovated. The grounds, he said, “will be set up in a way that a family can do multiple activities at the same location.” More parking will also be added, and the septic system serving the comfort station will be upgraded to an innovative-alternative system.
