Town hearing on local law to add Maloney, Downs properties to Nature Preserve draws support

At the May 21 meeting the East Hampton Town Board read a proposed local law to amend Town Code Chapter 182 to designate three tax-map parcels (former Maloney and former Downs properties) as town nature preserves and opened the matter for public comment.

A resident identified in the meeting as Lauren spoke in favor of the designations, praising the late honorees and suggesting that the town consider placing a bench to enable visitors to enjoy the harbor view. "This is going to make her very happy," Lauren said of the late Siel Downs, noting Downs’s role as a co-founder of the Accabonac Protection Committee.

The board moved to extend the written record for the local law to May 28 to allow additional written comments because the public call-in information was printed incorrectly in the meeting notice. No final vote on the local law occurred at the May 21 meeting; the matter remains open for submissions to the town clerk through May 28.