Path forward for Sag Harbor school sports field 'murky,' official says
A controversial plan for a sports field in Sag Harbor on undeveloped land next to Pierson Middle/High School may be on hold. Credit: Gordon M. Grant
A controversial proposal to build an athletic field in Sag Harbor may be on hold after the Southampton Town Board delayed a decision on whether to spend $6 million toward the purchase of property where it would be located.
"The path forward is murky at this point," Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman told Newsday last week.
The town board held a Feb. 28 public hearing about whether to spend Community Preservation Funds — property transfer tax revenue the town uses for land acquisition — in a partnership with the Sag Harbor school district to acquire five parcels along Marsden Street for the project.
The school district, which would spend $2.5 million for the property acquisition, aims to build a regulation-size field for sports like soccer and field hockey on a rare piece of undeveloped land next to Pierson Middle/High School.
But the town board, citing a lack of adequate information from the school district, continued the Feb. 28 hearing to March 14 — with officials also acknowledging they may not have answers by that date to move forward.
"There are a lot of unknowns right now," Councilman John Bouvier said at the hearing. "I feel I have more questions now than I did when we started this."
The district would need to schedule a vote on bonding to pay for the development of the property if the town agreed to spend the CPF.
Sag Harbor schools Superintendent Jeff Nichols said during the hearing that the district faces a March 20 deadline in order to have ample time to get the bond measure on the May ballot, when residents will vote on the annual district budget.
He estimated that bond amount would be between $5.7 million and $6.7 million. He said the district preferred to present that measure to voters in May, but potentially could hold a vote at a later date.
Nichols declined an interview request after the hearing and issued a statement saying: “The school district is continuing to communicate with the town.”
School board president Sandi Kruel said in an email to Newsday that the goal was working with the town “on a path forward.”
The entire project would cost a total of between $14.3 million and $15.3 million, Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni said during the hearing.
The school district has touted the proposal as a rare opportunity to build a field close to the school; students now walk about a mile to fields at Mashashimuet Park.
Most of the 45 residents who spoke at the four-hour hearing were against the proposal, arguing that the project would have negative impacts on the environment and neighborhood and would be an unjustified use of the CPF. Many objected in particular to the proposed 72-space parking lot.
The project also is facing a legal challenge that a pair of nearby property owners filed in February against the school district.
A controversial proposal to build an athletic field in Sag Harbor may be on hold after the Southampton Town Board delayed a decision on whether to spend $6 million toward the purchase of property where it would be located.
"The path forward is murky at this point," Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman told Newsday last week.
The town board held a Feb. 28 public hearing about whether to spend Community Preservation Funds — property transfer tax revenue the town uses for land acquisition — in a partnership with the Sag Harbor school district to acquire five parcels along Marsden Street for the project.
The school district, which would spend $2.5 million for the property acquisition, aims to build a regulation-size field for sports like soccer and field hockey on a rare piece of undeveloped land next to Pierson Middle/High School.
But the town board, citing a lack of adequate information from the school district, continued the Feb. 28 hearing to March 14 — with officials also acknowledging they may not have answers by that date to move forward.
"There are a lot of unknowns right now," Councilman John Bouvier said at the hearing. "I feel I have more questions now than I did when we started this."
The district would need to schedule a vote on bonding to pay for the development of the property if the town agreed to spend the CPF.
Sag Harbor schools Superintendent Jeff Nichols said during the hearing that the district faces a March 20 deadline in order to have ample time to get the bond measure on the May ballot, when residents will vote on the annual district budget.
He estimated that bond amount would be between $5.7 million and $6.7 million. He said the district preferred to present that measure to voters in May, but potentially could hold a vote at a later date.
Nichols declined an interview request after the hearing and issued a statement saying: “The school district is continuing to communicate with the town.”
School board president Sandi Kruel said in an email to Newsday that the goal was working with the town “on a path forward.”
The entire project would cost a total of between $14.3 million and $15.3 million, Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni said during the hearing.
The school district has touted the proposal as a rare opportunity to build a field close to the school; students now walk about a mile to fields at Mashashimuet Park.
Most of the 45 residents who spoke at the four-hour hearing were against the proposal, arguing that the project would have negative impacts on the environment and neighborhood and would be an unjustified use of the CPF. Many objected in particular to the proposed 72-space parking lot.
The project also is facing a legal challenge that a pair of nearby property owners filed in February against the school district.
Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
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