Southampton to spend $3.8 million to boost affordable housing

Long Island Morning Edition

The East Quogue school system has employed armed security staff at its one school building, officials said, marking yet another small Long Island district to place a guard with a gun on campus. Craig Schneider reports in NEWSDAY that the East End district, which serves about 400 students in grades K-6 in a single schoolhouse, brought in armed guards at the start of the school year on Sept. 3, said Michael Miller, the district's superintendent and principal.

"If ever something takes place, we'll have someone on campus who can save valuable time before the police arrive," said Miller, adding that the school board approved the measure this summer after a year of study by the district safety committee.

East Quogue has three security staff — all retired police officers — on duty during the school day, and two for after-school and nighttime events such as board meetings, said Jason Davin, a member of the safety committee. No new security staff will be brought on board, but one officer will be armed during the day and evening. Only one officer will be armed at a time, and the officers will rotate who has the gun. Their handgun will be concealed so as not to create anxiety among the students and staff, he said.

The arming of the guards will cost the district a total of $75,000 a year, about $40,000 more than it already had spent on the officers. The district is contracting Arrow Security to manage the arming of the guards, including training and certification, according to Mr. Miller.

East Quogue is among about 20 Long Island school districts, out of 124, that have brought in armed security guards, including several smaller districts, said Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association. Other smaller districts that have armed security staff include Montauk, Tuckahoe and East Moriches.

***

Local officials and other community members gathered at Riverhead Town’s World Trade Center Memorial Park in Calverton Wednesday morning for a prayer ceremony honoring those who lost their lives in the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Town Clerk James Wooten read a brief chronology of the horrific events of that September morning, from the time American Airlines Flight 11 struck the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. through the downing of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville Pennsylvania at 10:03 a.m. The Town of Riverhead’s World Trade Center Memorial Park symbolizes “the resilience, our gratitude and our memory for what happened that day, a place where we can come and reflect and pray, meditate and remember —not only the tragedy, but who we are as a nation and what freedom means,” Wooten said. The memorial park, located at the corner of Edwards and Riley avenues, was the creation of Hal Lindstrom of Calverton, who conceived and designed the space and spearheaded a fundraising campaign to cover the cost of its construction. Riverhead Town workers in the building and grounds division did most of the construction work and continue to maintain the park for community use.

***

The Suffolk County Water Authority will be hosting the next installment of its WaterTalk series of educational forums this evening at 6 p.m. in the Cutchogue New Suffolk Free Library in Cutchogue.

This free event provides an opportunity for customers to learn more and ask questions about their drinking water. Those who are interested but cannot attend can view the event virtually, with the link available on SCWA’s website.

SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo says, “The North Fork public supply system is unique compared to the rest of Suffolk County, so addressing the sensitive aquifer and limited capacity to supply water in the area is important.”

The WaterTalk series features a panel of experts that will discuss important topics, such as the quality of drinking water, the ways in which SCWA is implementing new infrastructure to improve water service and quality, the importance of conservation and more.

During the discussion, attendees are invited to ask questions. Water is Suffolk County’s most precious natural resource and SCWA officials hope attendees walk away from this event with increased knowledge about their water and increased trust in the product being delivered to their homes.

Residents who are interested in attending SCWA’s WaterTalk can register by emailing [e-mail]. Residents who would prefer to attend virtually can do so at www.scwa.com.

Free

***

All boat traffic through the Shinnecock Canal has been halted until further notice after one of the gate doors on the canal’s lock suffered a mechanical failure that left it inoperable. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that Suffolk County has mobilized a repair crew that was expected to begin repair work today, but has warned that it still could be several weeks before the lock is operable again and the canal fully passable. A spokesman from Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine’s office said yesterday that a hinge on one of the manually operated gates to the lock failed and will have to be replaced. But that will require erecting a cofferdam around the lock doors and pumping out the water so that repair crew can work on the door. Southampton Town Police Marine Patrol officials said that the county has asked that boat traffic be restricted from transiting the canal for safety reasons. One of the tide gates has been pinned open to allow emergency vessels to transit the canal if needed, said Senior Marine Patrol Officer Richard Franks. The open gate on Wednesday’s incoming tide in Shinnecock Bay created a turbulent torrent of water and swirling eddys as the higher waters of Shinnecock Bay dumped into the Peconic Bay side of the canal. Running the single open lock could be hazardous even for emergency vessels, Franks said, so the U.S. Coast Guard is planning to move one of its launches from the USCG station near Ponquogue Bridge to the Suffolk County marina at the northern end of the canal and the Southampton Town Marine Patrol will station some of its boats to the Shinnecock Bay side so it has access to vessels in both bays. Franks said that it could be two weeks or more before the canal can be safely opened to boat traffic again. The 4,000-foot-long canal, constructed in 1884, sees upward of 27,000 boat trips each year.

***

Local officials and other community members gathered at Riverhead Town’s World Trade Center Memorial Park in Calverton Wednesday morning for a prayer ceremony honoring those who lost their lives in the terror attacks exactly 23 years earlier on Sept. 11, 2001. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Town Clerk James Wooten read a brief chronology of the horrific events which occurred that tragic Tuesday September morning. Then Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard stepped up and spoke to the sense of unity that existed for a precious few weeks following the 9/11 attacks. “If you can say there was a positive thing to come out of this, which is very hard to imagine, it was the unity that this country felt in the hours and days after the attack…It didn’t matter whether you were black, white, yellow, pink, green. Didn’t matter what your religion was, what your sexual preference was, we were a united country of one and a strong united country of one,” he said. “Memories tend to fade sometimes. 9-11 will never fade from us, but that memory of unity has started to fade. And I ask you today, when you leave here, when you leave this service today, go and talk to somebody and remind them of how we felt after this happened and how this country was,” said Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard yesterday at the World Trade Center Memorial Park in Calverton.

***

Former New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his aides have mounted a forceful defense, paid for by state taxpayers, against accusations of sexual harassment and other misconduct. Benjamin Oreskes reports in THE NY TIMES that the state has spent about $25.4 million as of last month representing the legal interests of Mr. Cuomo and several of his top aides as they fend off civil complaints, criminal investigations and inquiries from the NYS Legislature. Of the $25.4 million, more than half has gone to defend Mr. Cuomo and several top aides in four lawsuits filed by three women in state and federal court. Because Mr. Cuomo’s alleged actions in these lawsuits took place while he was governor, state law requires taxpayers to foot legal bills related to the accusations.

***

The Town of Southampton plans to spend $3.8 million from its new Community Housing Fund to boost affordable housing in Tuckahoe and Sag Harbor.

In Tuckahoe, the town will use $2.5 million to acquire adjacent parcels where officials plan to build up to 10 affordable single-family homes.

In Sag Harbor, the town is purchasing a deed restriction on a 6-unit multifamily home at 11 Suffolk St. that will require the landlord, Sag Housing LLC, to continue charging affordable rents. The town board this past Tuesday approved spending $1.3 million to pay off the Sag Harbor property owner's mortgage.

"We need affordable housing in all different ways," said Kara Bak, Southampton Town’s director of housing and community development. "We need rentals and we need homeownership, so we're trying to diversify it."

Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that the Town of Southampton has amassed more than $15 million in its Community Housing Fund, which voters approved in a referendum in 2022. The town generates revenue through a 0.5% tax on most real estate transactions and sets it aside for affordable housing initiatives.

East Hampton, Shelter Island and Southold also created housing funds in 2022. Those towns have established advisory boards to map out affordable housing initiatives.

Southampton Town is planning to set money aside for down payments and an accessory dwelling units program, Bak said.

The two purchases in Tuckahoe — at 320 Magee St. for $875,000 and 362 Moses Lane for $1.6 million — allowed the town to acquire parcels adjacent to another town-owned property. The town board approved the acquisitions, spanning 1.8 acres, in August.

Town officials hope to build 10 single-family homes on the new land, the maximum allowed under current zoning laws, officials said.

Based on current figures, the homes would be priced at about $507,000 and designated for homebuyers who earn up to 130% of the area's median income. That equates to an annual salary of $203,000 for a family of four. The homes would remain affordable "in perpetuity," Bak said.

In July, the median sale price in the Hamptons reached a new high of nearly $1.9 million, according to a report from real estate brokerage Douglas Elliman and appraisal firm Miller Samuel.

Bak said the purchases "wouldn’t have happened" if it weren't for the housing fund.

Once the sale takes place, the town board can decide whether to develop the properties in a partnership with the Southampton Housing Authority or to seek bids from developers.