In March 2021, NY State enacted legislation legalizing non-medical cannibis dispensaries. Towns had until December 31, 2021 to opt out. All of the incorporated villages opted out. However, without holding so much as a town hall, public meeting or otherwise seeking any input from the affected taxpayers and residents, and despite the final regulations not even having been published, Supervisor Schneiderman and the then Town Board chose to not opt-out, effectively opting in. This had the effect of unfairly burdening the unincorporated hamlets such as Bridgehampton, and we are now seeing the impact of this poor decision making. Southampton could have waited, to study the issue, see the regulations and opt in later, but instead chose to act by omission forever binding the town (and really the unincorporated hamlets) to support the proliferation of these pot shops. At the time, Supervisor Schneiderman said he thought it would maybe it would be one or two (one east of the canal, one west, and the tax benefits would be well worth it. Well, here we are and we are seeing a proliferation - not of one or two in total but several in each hamlet, some mere yards from each other!

In Bridgehampton, Greg Konner is proposing to turn our beloved Carvel into a pot shop called Budhampton and it seems there is nothing much we can do about it thanks to Supervisor Schneiderman and then Town Board Members Schiavoni, Lofstad, Martel and Bouvier, who never considered the negative impact it would have on Bridgehampton. We are working with the current Town Board and our NY State representatives to see what relief might be possible.

Development is a natural progression in a vital hamlet, especially one as desirable as Bridgehampton. At the same time, the rampant overdevelopment we have seen in recent years has led to burdens on our infrastructure, resources and quality of life. As members of the CAC and now BridgeCivic, we have taken aggressive positions on a number of projects that have come before Southampton Town’s various elected and appointed boards — opposition to a downtown Bridgehampton CVS, an expanding Art Market Hamptons, a second shopping center in place of what is now open space across from the Bridgehampton Commons at the gateway to our Hamlet, and a fraught plan to replace a beloved local farmstand with a museum for the Sag Harbor Fire Department’s fire trucks. As an unincorporated hamlet, Bridgehampton residents do not have local control of our land use, and must instead rely upon the Southampton Town Boards, on which Bridgehampton representation is lacking. That is why we advocate with elected officials and appointed Boards to maintain our building codes and consistency with the Town's comprehensive plans and with the Bridgehampton Hamlet Plan.

We are currently working in opposition to development plans to protect several of our precious Bridgehampton agricultural reserves including: 625 Butter Lane Ag Reserve; North Edge Stables (at the corner of Lumber Lane and Scuttle Hole Road); and Two Trees. We believe the easements and restrictions on these properties MUST be enforced as written by the Town, especially where CPF funds have been used to purchase development rights only to see new purchasers try to develop the lands in the name of agricultural structures. Agricultural overdevelopment is still overdevelopment!

Our directors worked with the Town’s Landmarks and Historic Districts Board, attending every meeting, to urge our elected officials to create a Bridgehampton Historic District. BridgeCivic co-sponsored an application and in December 2023 changes to the Town Code were adopted finally making the Bridgehampton Main Street Historic District a reality, stretching from Snake Hollow Road to Ocean Road!

We have already seen the fruits of our efforts with LHDB reviewing both the two new buildings proposed at the corner of Butter Lane and Montauk Highway and the new Farrell building on Montauk Highway!

As the former CAC we were able to successfully advocate for the installation of new sidewalks, crosswalks with enhanced safety features, and other measures to enhance pedestrian and traffic safety. At the top of the list of quality of life issues brought to our attention is the increase in traffic and noise that the recent expansion of development has brought to our Hamlet. We work with officials and advocate for further measures to improve safety, such as lower speed limits and driver feedback signs, increased enforcement including a dedicated traffic officer for our Hamlet at peak hours, and improved signage and visibility at some 4-way intersections. We work with town officials and code enforcement to address the almost 24/7 barrage of noise from outdoor events, amplified music, landscaping equipment and construction that threatens the peaceful serenity of our Hamlet.

We are proud to announce the approval of an all-way stop at the intersection of Maple and Lumber Lane! Thank you to Michael Iasilli and the rest of the Town Board that supported this measure!

Our agricultural reserves, wetlands, woodlands, Aquifer Protection Overlay Districts, and greenways are under attack. We are staunch supporters of maintaining the legal covenants between the Town of Southampton and the property owners that dictate the kinds dictate the kinds of activities and development that can take place on our agricultural and other reserves and greenways. We also work to protect our Aquifer Protection Overlay Districts and wetlands by advocating that Town officials enforce the codes concerning over-clearing and improper revegetation on these parcels. We attend and speak at ZBA and Planning Board and other hearings to support the maintenance of these sensitive properties.

We are currently working in opposition to development plans to protect several of our precious Bridgehampton agricultural reserves including: 625 Butter Lane Ag Reserve; North Edge Stables (at the corner of Lumber Lane and Scuttle Hole Road); and Two Trees. We believe the easements and restrictions on these properties MUST be enforced as written by the Town, especially where CPF funds have been used to purchase development rights only to see new purchasers try to develop the lands in the name of agricultural structures. Agricultural overdevelopment is still overdevelopment!

The lack of enforcement of many aspects of the Southampton Town Code is among the main frustrations of our residents. When reviewing boards like the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals grant variances and special exception permits for certain projects, it is easy to question whether those boards aren’t, in effect, rewriting Town Code without legislative or due process. We have also seen instances when the Building Department, the Planning Board, and Code Enforcement are slow to follow up, sometimes resulting in violations that are not cured on agricultural easements for years, if at all, on residential properties, on Aquifer Protection Overlay Districts, wetlands, with noise and dark skies compliance, illegal rentals, obtrusive signage, and litter, among other matters. BridgeCivic takes a holistic view of the land use and development issues affecting the region to work toward efficient resolutions.

As the former CAC, we successfully advocated for planting new height-appropriate and mostly native variety trees along Bridgehampton Main Street, and we are now advocating to establish a town-wide comprehensive tree planting and maintenance program, a project contemplated by the Town’s Comprehensive Plan of 1999 that to date has not come to fruition.

Hamlet office zoning called for one affordable apartment for each 1000 square feet in any building over 3000 square feet. However, with variances granted, few have materialized. Workforce and possible senior housing is being added to the Bridgehampton Senior Center as part of its renovation. Additional workforce housing can now be added to golf courses for their employees with a new code amendment and an application from the golf club.

Under new NY State law, towns can opt to be designated a “Pro Housing Community”. While at first glance this may seem to be a great benefit to Southampton, giving Southampton preference for certain state grant money, it is more complicated. Like with the pot shop law, the incorporated villages have not yet all made their decisions. This means that were the incorporated villages to opt out, and the Town to opt in, it would be the unincorporated hamlets like Bridgehampton that would bear the entirety of building the new housing. Although it is not mandatory, to take advantage of the grant preference, Southampton would need to show a 1% growth in new housing each year. For an already overburdened and overdeveloped East End with traffic nightmares, this would heavily tax our already stretched thin infrastructure.

BridgeCivic has urged the Town Board to take their time, unlike with the pot shops, and study the issue more carefully before deciding whether to opt in, as Southampton may opt in at any time in the future.

The town is renovating the Bridgehampton Senior Center on the Bridgehampton Sag Harbor Turnpike. As part of this renovation, the town will be adding affordable workforce and possible senior housing, the first of its kind for our hamlet. We continue to offer our input on the project to the town and are awaiting more detailed plans.

Currently, we are monitoring updates with the proposed commercial center for Wainscott and East Hampton Airport, and how they may impact our Bridgehampton residents and community.