East Hampton board authorizes up to $3.975 million to buy 13 acres on Wayne Scott Northwest Road for possible affordable housing

The East Hampton Town Board voted June 9 to authorize closing on two adjacent parcels at 549 and 550 Wayne Scott Northwest Road and to expend up to $3,975,000 plus customary closing costs from the town’s Community Housing Fund, a move supporters said preserves a rare opportunity to secure land for future affordable housing and opponents said may conflict with state law and local environmental protections.

The resolution (2026996) authorizes the town to complete the purchase and to pay reasonable survey, title, tax, recording and related charges from the CH fund. Supervisor Kathy Bur Gonzalez and housing liaisons said the intent is to secure the land now and undertake full environmental review and community engagement before any development is proposed.

“We have to act when a site like this becomes available if we want to keep the option for affordable housing here,” said Ian, the board’s housing liaison, who led the after‑hearing discussion. He said town counsel has advised the purchase is legally permissible under Town Law §64‑k and that, if the property proves unsuitable for housing after SEQR and other reviews, the town could sell it and replenish the CH fund.

Opponents and nearby residents urged the board not to spend CH funds on the site. Brian Matthews, speaking for Retreat on WNR LLC, said the town’s proposed use of nearly $4 million in CH funds “appears violative of the state law” that governs how those funds may be spent and asked the town to reconsider using preservation financing instead. Neighbor Kirby Mark Antonio warned the woodland sits in a water‑recharge protection area and said the parcel likely could only yield a handful of units under current zoning.

Claudia Chamberlain Sahorski, a partial owner and beneficiary in the estate tied to one of the parcels, read an attorney’s letter objecting to the proposed sale and asked that the estate cancel the closing, asserting co‑owner consent was required and that the purchase price was discounted.

Residents also flagged wildlife and water‑quality concerns. Alan Rosenthal told the board the site lies within a sensitive recharge overlay and could be home to federally endangered species; he questioned whether the acquisition would meet the CH fund’s statutory requirement for actual housing production.

Board members acknowledged residents’ concerns but said the town will be bound by SEQR (environmental review), will seek to honor environmental protections, and will involve neighbors in planning. “If anything comes up during the environmental review that indicates we can’t develop this property responsibly, we won’t,” Ian said.

The resolution passed after the board’s vote. The town will now proceed to closing and follow the environmental and planning processes required for any future development proposal.

Authorities and next steps: The town cited Town Law §64‑k during the debate; the purchase is explicitly authorized by Resolution 2026996 and will be followed by full SEQR and planning review before any development approvals. The board moved to executive session after completing the public business.

What remains unresolved: Neighbors have signaled likely legal challenges and called for use of alternate town‑owned sites such as cleared airport or gun‑club parcels. The town said any plan for the Wayne Scott parcels will require rezoning and SEQR as applicable and that sale of the land would be considered if development proves infeasible.