East Hampton extends comment period on six water-quality grant hearings; few callers spoke

The East Hampton Town Board on May 21 read six public hearing notices for water-quality grant awards and voted to extend the written public record for each hearing to May 28, citing errors in the published call-in information that could limit remote participation.

The notices detailed projects ranging from a 600 gallons-per-day septic replacement at 51 North Main Street (project sponsor Britain Bistrian) to a 9,600-GPD upgrade at the TreeScape 11B condominiums (funding award listed as $416,280), an injection-based permeable reactive barrier (PRB) at 66 Wainscott Main Street to treat nitrogen-rich groundwater ($309,529), and other community or commercial system upgrades. For each hearing the clerk read the project summary and the proposed funding award, then asked whether any callers were on the line. For most hearings the answer was “zero callers.”

When the board noted that the call-in number in the printed notice was incorrect, members proposed leaving the written record open for one week to allow additional written comments. A motion to extend the written record to May 28 carried by voice vote each time (the board recorded “All in favor. Aye.”).

Two callers joined to offer expertise or representation. Sean O'Neill, identified as president of Bridgewater Environmental in Westhampton Beach, said he was acting as project manager for the TreeScape 11B application and offered to answer technical questions. “I just wanted to make myself available if you had any questions,” O'Neill said. A caller identifying himself as Professor Gobler, director of the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology, said he was available to answer questions about the Wainscott Pond PRB project. A separate caller (Loring) spoke in support of the Clear Bays monitoring grant on behalf of local harbor protection committees.

The board’s action to extend the written record applies only to the public comment period; no final awards were announced at the meeting. The hearings will remain open for written comments until May 28 as the board completes its review and any follow-up work with staff.