The Southampton Town Board on Wednesday adopted a zoning amendment creating a new "Hills Southampton Mixed Use" planned development district that allows a limited number of golf club memberships for non-residents at the Lewis Road development, in exchange for the developer dedicating more than 32 acres to the town and establishing permanent public easements for a recreational trail and parking.
An earlier resolution, numbered 2026-1264, was withdrawn before the board took up the zoning measure, numbered 2026-1511, which was approved as read and co-sponsored by the full board.
The board closed a public hearing on codifying stop signs already installed at the intersections of Greenway Court and Gateway Court in a Hampton Bays subdivision. The assistant town engineer said the signs were coordinated with the engineering, planning and highway departments, one board member asked a question during the hearing, and the board then voted to close it.
A second public hearing addressed amending the town code to add building regulations for "shaded X" FEMA flood zones, areas previously unregulated for flood risk. A representative of the town attorney's office said the change follows new state requirements, but no vote was taken because the local law is still awaiting a response from the Suffolk County Planning Commission.
"I should not have to fight this hard to improve and protect my own home," she said. A board member asked her to leave her contact information for follow-up; no resolution was offered.
Resident Marshall Garypee said town-contracted sidewalk work on Noyack Road damaged his driveway and that he called town officials, including a councilman he described as the liaison to the Highway Department, multiple times without a response. "I'm beyond words. It's very frustrating," he said. Board members said they would have the town engineer follow up.
Ann Marie Pallister, joined by Mark Stricker and Scott Green, asked the board to rename Red Creek Park in honor of Rick Martell, who the board was told served as a Southampton town councilman from January 2020 until his death, and George Skidmore, a longtime supporter of Hampton Bays youth sports. "We respectfully ask the Southampton Town Board to rename Red Creek Park in honor of Rick Martell and George Skidmore," Pallister said. Board members noted a prior plan to name a Little League field and scoreboard after Martell and said they would discuss whether a broader renaming is feasible and follow up with the group.
The board also approved a contract with H2M Architects and Engineers for design and construction services on replacing an elevated storage tank for the Hampton Bays Water District, and an agreement with Suffolk County for STOA funds to continue operating the Southport commuter connection bus service.
Members approved retaining outside counsel in litigation called Tessatori v. Town of Southampton, adopted an update to Suffolk County's multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan, and authorized a request to the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for emergency flood rehabilitation assistance under Public Law 84-99.
The board also approved donating two cottages at 27 Dune Road in East Quogue for affordable housing purposes.