East Hampton Village combines lots, gains about 35 spaces and builds barn-style storage for fire department antiques

East Hampton Village has combined two rear parking lots behind Main Street and renovated them into a single long-term (employee) parking area while constructing a new barn-style storage building for the fire department’s antique equipment, Mayor Jerry Larson said on a local broadcast.

Larson said combining the lots reclaimed space and created "about 35 new parking spots," which the village expects will help employees and visitors. The storage building — described as a shingled barn that fits the area’s historic character — sits next to Whitmore School; Larson said the fire department and local donors helped fund and construct the facility.

The mayor thanked the East Hampton Village Foundation for raising funds, named individuals who secured and continued grant support (Fred Theel and Tommy John Scavone) and acknowledged donated materials and volunteer labor from local builder Ray Harden and BK Builders. Larson said the village used a portion of a grant and village money alongside volunteer work and department fundraising to complete the project.

Why it matters: the work adds parking capacity in a high-season, high-demand area and provides dedicated protected storage for antique fire equipment that had been taking space inside the firehouse. The project used a mix of public funds, grant proceeds and private donations; Larson credited community volunteers and contractors for reduced costs.

Larson did not announce a separate formal vote or ordinance tied to the project on the broadcast; he described the work as completed or near completion and credited prior grant activity rather than new appropriations.