For those who feel traffic between Water Mill and Westhampton this week has been even worse than its summertime norm, here’s one secret service reason why.
Vice President JD Vance hosted a Wednesday evening fundraiser in Southampton Village for young Republican donors that raised more than $5 million. Alex Isenstadt reports on AXIOS.com that the fundraiser, which drew about 35 people, was held at the Meadow Lane home of 1789 Capital President Omeed Malik. After a reception, there was a more intimate dinner with about 20 people. Reception-goers donated $100,000 to the Republican National Committee. Those at the dinner gave $250,000.
Vance is the RNC's finance chair, a position that has given him entree to the party's top donors. The V.P. is expected to reach a decision about his 2028 presidential plans sometime after the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Back to the local traffic impact of Vance’s visit here.
A temporary flight restriction for VIP movement around Gabreski Airport in Westhampton and over Southampton airspace was put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration from 4 p.m. on Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday. Another TFR for VIP movement was issued in Southampton for yesterday from 7:21 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.
It is speculated that Vance arrived at Gabreski Airport some time after 4 p.m. Wednesday and departed Thursday morning from the same location.
With the vice-president now in Ohio, south fork traffic continues to be slowed by splice vault installation and underground conduit work as part of the Southampton-to-Deerfield utility project, resulting in ongoing road closures on North Sea Mecox Road in Southampton and intermittent closures and detours which affect the segment between North Main Street and David Whites Lane.
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A Kings Park developer is seeking a zone change for a 47-acre vacant parcel off Harrison Avenue and Middle Road in Riverhead to build a retirement community with assisted-living and independent-living units for seniors.
Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Harrison Avenue LLC filed an application with the Riverhead town clerk Dec. 30 seeking to rezone the property from Hamlet Residence to Retirement Community.
The application describes the project as the “Harrison Avenue Retirement Community.” It calls for an 81-unit assisted-living residence with memory care on a 10-acre northern portion of the property, and 60 attached and detached independent-living units for residents 55 and older on a 36.83-acre southern portion.
The development would help fill Riverhead’s dire need for assisted-living facilities, Keith Archer, attorney for the developer told Riverheadlocal last week.
The Town of Riverhead’s Comprehensive Plan Update, adopted by the Town Board in September 2024, identifies senior housing and assisted-living facilities as a community need, citing the town’s aging population and the lack of housing options that would allow older residents to age in place. The plan recommends allowing residential health-care facilities, including assisted living and continuum-of-care facilities, in appropriate locations, with particular attention to areas served by sewer infrastructure and near medical services.
The update suggests establishing an assisted-living overlay district near Route 58 and Peconic Bay Medical Center, with the transfer of development rights providing the additional density needed to support development of an assisted-living facility.
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Target will open its new store in the Bridgehampton Commons in October.
As reported on 27east.com, construction has been underway at the property since last winter and the company began advertising for employment positions in the spring.
The familiar Target bullseye sign went up this week on the facade of the building that over the last 50 years has been home to Woolco, Caldor and, most recently, Kmart.
At 90,000-square-feet, the Bridgehampton store will be smaller than a typical Target store on Long Island but is still due to have a Starbucks and CVS Pharmacy within it.
A grand opening is set for Oct. 11.
Tory N. Parrish reports in NEWSDAY that Target’s new Bridgehampton store will look somewhat different from the retailer’s other outlets, given the Town of Southampton’s strict zoning and building code requirements and the aesthetic expectations of Hamptons residents and officials, Target officials said.
“The Hamptons has to have a certain feel and really respecting that and working with [Southampton] and sitting down with them to understand signage was a big thing. … So, it feels very inviting, and feels like you’re kind of coming home,” said Genevieve McJilton, senior project manager of construction for Target.
Yesterday, Plainview-based general contractor EW Howell Construction Group “turned over the store” to about 30 Target employees who will be among the crew stocking shelves with merchandise, assembling fixtures and taking on other tasks to prepare the store for its opening, she said.
A peek inside and outside the store showed that its look will vary in some ways from the majority of Target’s stores.
Instead of the retailer’s signature shade of red for its store names and bullseye logo, the Bridgehampton store's sign and logo are white on a gray background.
“The Planning Board requested with the pre-submission process that the Target sign be white and the applicant was amenable as their site in Medford has a white sign,” Clare P. Shea, Southampton's assistant town planning director, said in an email Thursday.
Lit signs are not permitted in the shopping center, so Target’s will be lit from overhead, said Ken McQuade, a principal architect for store design at Target.
The large, red cylindrical bollards typically in front of Target stores are gray in Bridgehampton.
“We agreed to make those gray because the town didn’t want it to feel like there was too much branding, using too much red on the outside. So, we changed those to gray, which is something we don’t normally do, which is kind of fun,” McQuade said.
Minneapolis-based Target Corp. has more than 2,000 stores, including 20 open on Long Island.
The new store, which will be Target's farthest east on Long Island, will open at 2044 Montauk Hwy. in Bridgehampton Commons, a shopping center owned by Kimco Realty Corp., a real estate investment trust in Jericho.
The store will eventually employ about 140 to 150 workers, McQuade said.
Target signed a lease for the Bridgehampton space in 2021, McJilton said.
But the Hamptons has been a desired market for Target “for years, if not decades,” said Brandt Uthus, regional real estate director for Target.
“I think what makes the Hamptons, South Fork challenging, is really the real estate availability. … So, this Kmart really was the only box that was available that would be big enough for us, and so it required a lot of patience on our end to wait it out and understand and recognize what was going on with Kmart,” he said.
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Members of the Bridgehampton School community welcomed a very special visitor to their gym on Thursday morning.
New York Knicks forward Josh Hart, fresh off helping his team win its first NBA Championship since 1973 just two months ago, spent almost an hour with students, parents, faculty and other members of the Bridgehampton School community after finishing an hourlong workout at the gym.
Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that Ron White is a Bridgehampton resident, 1999 graduate of Bridgehampton High School, former longtime school board president and current head coach of the Stony Brook School boys basketball team. White helped organize the meet-and-greet event with Hart for the Bridgehampton School community.
Hart is not the only NBA player who visits the East End during the summer. His teammate, Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, was at East Hampton High School several weeks ago, and over the years, other players have been in the area, making use of high school gyms for occasional workouts.
Coach White called Hart’s visit a “blessed occasion for the Bridgehampton community.”
“Josh was excited to show some love to his supporters throughout the years and to the Bridgehampton students and family,” he said yesterday. “We love our Knicks and he was more than willing to say a few words and take a few pictures and give back to the community.”
White said it’s not hard to see why these players spend time in the area during the offseason, and spoke about the mutual affection that seems to have developed between Hart and the surrounding Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor community.
“He has found his niche here and his family feels comfortable here,” he said. “I think he likes it here.”
Hart spoke yesterday about some of his “go-to” spots he likes to visit when he’s on the East End during the summer. He’s been photographed on several occasions at Sagtown Coffee and said he also enjoys Bostwick’s, La Bilboquet, Lulu’s in Sag Harbor, the Sagaponack General Store, and also Bon Bon, the Swedish candy shop in Sag Harbor.
Hart’s fun-loving personality, in addition to his hard-nosed playing style and his reputation as an unselfish team player are just a few of the reasons why he’s a fan favorite. While he was soft-spoken and considerate with his time and his words yesterday, he also showed that playful side and sense of humor as well.
Hart reminded the group of parents and students sitting in the bleachers, hanging on his every word, that he hasn’t forgotten who he is and where he came from, despite all the attention he’s received as an NBA champion.
“To come out here and see you all, it’s cool,” Hart said. “I always think of myself as a little kid from Silver Spring, Maryland, and I just happen to play basketball. What I always say to people about people in my position, is that we’re just people; we have dos and don’ts and likes and dislikes, like you guys. Me being able to come out here and show you guys some love is super cool because I never thought I’d be in this situation. I appreciate you guys and your love and support for me and the Knicks.”
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Developer Adam Potter’s controversial proposal for a three-story, 81,000-square-foot mixed-use building with commercial and residential units at 7 and 11 Bridge Street was on the Sag Harbor Village Zoning Board agenda again this past Tuesday night. The meeting brought out a group of residents who expressed vehement opposition to the project, which has been before land use boards — and would require a large number of significant variances for approval — for years.
Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that further discussion and deliberation on the merits of those variance requests was ultimately adjourned to the September 15 meeting. Before the adjournment, however, Potter gave a lengthy presentation to the board. Utilizing maps and diagrams dotted with multicolored Post-it notes, he argued the merits of his proposed development and pointed to past precedent that he said paves the way for approval. He also noted that the proposal, which originally included 12 large variance requests, now has just six. At one point during the presentation, Potter described his proposal as “relatively modest” compared to other village projects that have required variances related to parking, building height, floor count, density, and more. To support his point, he cited the Sag Harbor Cinema, the Watchcase Factory building, and the existing three-story Harbor Court condominiums across from his properties on Bridge Street.
When it comes to the main issue raised by opponents — that the development is not in keeping with the character of the village — Potter disagreed. “The existing surroundings provide a very clear picture of this particular part of Sag Harbor,” he said, asserting that looking at properties in every direction reveals a neighborhood already characterized by the type of project he is proposing. He added that a three-story building is “already part of the built environment surrounding 11 Bridge Street.”
His arguments did not seem to sway the individuals who came to speak, despite the decrease in the number of variances he is seeking.
The project has been unpopular in Sag Harbor for years. While Zoning Board Chairman Val Florio assured Potter and his attorney, Tiffany Scarlato, that the board would follow the letter of the law and exercise due diligence in reviewing the application in detail, members of the public were eager to share their concerns about the project.
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The Orient Association hosts a public forum on “Ticks & Tick-Borne Diseases” this Sunday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m. at Poquatuck Hall in Orient. Dr. Scott Campbell, Chief of Arthropod-Borne Disease Labs at the Suffolk County Department of Health Services and Southold Town Environmental Analyst Craig Jobes, who runs the town’s Deer Management Program, will speak.
Learn about:
- Alpha-Gal Syndrome
- Ticks & Tick-Borne Diseases
- How to Prevent Tick Bites
- How to Reduce Ticks in Your Yard
- Deer Population
Sunday’s “Ticks & Tick-Borne Diseases” forum is free and open to all. No registration required.
That’s this Sunday at 4 p.m. at Poquatuck Hall in Orient, N.Y.
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The lot at 350 Pantigo Rd. is pretty much just that, paved over with cracked asphalt and creeping greenery. A Stern’s department store stood there decades ago; the property has been vacant for years. But when Kirby Marcantonio looks at the site, he sees condos — and what he believes could be a step toward a radical new solution to a growing labor crisis on the East End.
Brianne Ledda reports in NEWSDAY that the longtime magazine publisher and East Hampton High School grad has proposed 47 condos on Pantigo Road in East Hampton that would be sold to local businesses, which could then rent the apartments to employees. More than 70 Hamptons employers have reached out to inquire about purchasing a condo, which may cost more than $800,000 each, Marcantonio said.
“Local population evaporating? We can do something about that,” he said. “If we don’t, there won’t be anybody here to teach your kids. There won’t be anyone here to plow your roads in the winter. There won't be anybody here to bind your wounds or serve your cocktail at [restaurant] Nick & Toni’s.”
Marcantonio said the project represents a $25 million investment. Once approvals are secured, he estimates construction would take less than a year.
While proponents say the development could house workers who otherwise couldn’t afford to live in the area, critics argue that putting housing in the hands of employers creates a power imbalance that could have a chilling effect on workers’ ability to advocate against unfair labor conditions.
“It’s a dangerous position to put an employee in,” said Samuel Kramer, a local attorney and former chair of the East Hampton Town Planning Board who has criticized the proposal at public hearings.
The town needs affordable housing, he acknowledged, but he doesn’t see the potential development at 350 Pantigo Rd. as a solution. Among his primary concerns is that connecting employment with housing could make it more difficult for people to report inequities or poor conditions in the workplace.
“They’re vulnerable to start with and this only makes them more vulnerable. I don’t think the town should be facilitating that vulnerability,” he said.
The concern is not entirely theoretical. A New York Times investigation last year reported allegations of mistreatment involving J-1 visa workers at a Long Island nursery who paid $200 per month to live in company trailers that were infested with mice and cockroaches, sometimes sleeping two to a bed.
Marcantonio has described his backer as a South Fork businessman with deep roots in the community, someone who has experience in business and management, but said the investor wants to maintain his privacy as he navigates a devastating illness.
The development remains in limbo as the East Hampton Town Board considers legislation that would permit the private sector to build employer-sponsored housing with certain restrictions amid debate over worker protections, traffic, environmental impacts and oversight.
