Neighbors of Southampton's Sandy Hollow summer camp say cars parked near their street create hazard
Sandy Hollow Day Camp, where Southampton Town is considering adding no parking restrictions to Mountain Laurel Road, pictured here on Thursday. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
For 55 years, the Sandy Hollow Day Camp in Southampton has welcomed children to its 2½ acre property each summer for days of arts and crafts, swimming and tennis.
In recent years, however, the camp has faced growing complaints from neighbors who say too many cars park along the street parallel to the camp entrance, crowding the road that leads into their residential neighborhood, Mountain Laurel Estates.
The Southampton Town Board is considering restricting parking seasonally from May 15 to Sept. 15, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the town street, Mountain Laurel Lane, according to the resolution proposed at a public hearing last week. Camp officials say the proposal is unnecessary and potentially dangerous.
Neighbors at the hearing on July 9 said parked cars can create a safety hazard by potentially blocking access for first responders during an emergency. Camp officials say restricting parking would force some parents to drop off children on the much busier Sandy Hollow Road, a county road and a main artery for vehicles traveling between Sag Harbor and Southampton.
“We want to have good relations with the neighbors,” said Fiona Barrie, 25, whose grandparents founded the camp in 1969. “We just want to make sure there’s a safe way for kids to get to camp.”
Some neighbors said parking on the street hadn't been an issue until recent years, although camp officials say it's always been a common practice.
The camp runs nine weeks each summer, serving about 100 children mainly between ages 3 and 13.
Kathleen Doherty, 62, said during the public hearing she has lived at Mountain Laurel Estates since the complex was built in the mid-1990s.
“This is not about Sandy Hollow Day Camp existing,” she said. “This is about a small residential cul-de-sac that is now being used as public parking for a neighboring business.”
A dirt driveway off Sandy Hollow Road provides a path to where campers enter. Orange cones and counselors positioned at the top of the driveway guide vehicles to the turnaround to exit.
During the busiest times, camp officials say, the driveway can back up with a dozen or more cars and some parents prefer to park along Mountain Laurel Lane. A short trail of about 20 yards separates the street and camp.
Todd Barrie, 59, who works in the camp's administration, said parking is only an issue during drop-off and pickup, periods of less than 30 minutes. The vehicles have ample room to park on the shoulder, he said.
"It's so disappointing because we're in the community so long," Barrie said during an interview about the controversy. "We want to be friendly with the neighbors."
The town board did not take action, and officials will seek input from Suffolk County for any changes to Sandy Hollow Road that could alleviate the problem.
On Tuesday morning, a Newsday reporter observed nine vehicles parked on Mountain Laurel Lane during drop-off, most staying no more than a few minutes. None of the cars drove toward the neighborhood, where the first home is about 150 yards north of the trail.
Camp officials said vehicles can back up more during pickup time around 4 p.m. when parents tend to arrive at the same time.
Joanna Rude, of North Sea, guided her daughter, who will soon turn 3, along the trail Tuesday morning after parking on the street.
“When it’s very busy, this is very congested and you worry there’s a lot of young kids around,” she said, adding that parking on the parallel street “creates more space.”
Attorney Timothy S. McCulley, who represents some of the homeowners, told the town board restricting parking is a “very simple solution.”
“Otherwise, we’re going to continue down the road, and it’s not going to be good,” he said.
For 55 years, the Sandy Hollow Day Camp in Southampton has welcomed children to its 2½ acre property each summer for days of arts and crafts, swimming and tennis.
In recent years, however, the camp has faced growing complaints from neighbors who say too many cars park along the street parallel to the camp entrance, crowding the road that leads into their residential neighborhood, Mountain Laurel Estates.
The Southampton Town Board is considering restricting parking seasonally from May 15 to Sept. 15, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the town street, Mountain Laurel Lane, according to the resolution proposed at a public hearing last week. Camp officials say the proposal is unnecessary and potentially dangerous.
Neighbors at the hearing on July 9 said parked cars can create a safety hazard by potentially blocking access for first responders during an emergency. Camp officials say restricting parking would force some parents to drop off children on the much busier Sandy Hollow Road, a county road and a main artery for vehicles traveling between Sag Harbor and Southampton.
“We want to have good relations with the neighbors,” said Fiona Barrie, 25, whose grandparents founded the camp in 1969. “We just want to make sure there’s a safe way for kids to get to camp.”
Some neighbors said parking on the street hadn't been an issue until recent years, although camp officials say it's always been a common practice.
The camp runs nine weeks each summer, serving about 100 children mainly between ages 3 and 13.
Kathleen Doherty, 62, said during the public hearing she has lived at Mountain Laurel Estates since the complex was built in the mid-1990s.
“This is not about Sandy Hollow Day Camp existing,” she said. “This is about a small residential cul-de-sac that is now being used as public parking for a neighboring business.”
A dirt driveway off Sandy Hollow Road provides a path to where campers enter. Orange cones and counselors positioned at the top of the driveway guide vehicles to the turnaround to exit.
During the busiest times, camp officials say, the driveway can back up with a dozen or more cars and some parents prefer to park along Mountain Laurel Lane. A short trail of about 20 yards separates the street and camp.
Todd Barrie, 59, who works in the camp's administration, said parking is only an issue during drop-off and pickup, periods of less than 30 minutes. The vehicles have ample room to park on the shoulder, he said.
"It's so disappointing because we're in the community so long," Barrie said during an interview about the controversy. "We want to be friendly with the neighbors."
The town board did not take action, and officials will seek input from Suffolk County for any changes to Sandy Hollow Road that could alleviate the problem.
On Tuesday morning, a Newsday reporter observed nine vehicles parked on Mountain Laurel Lane during drop-off, most staying no more than a few minutes. None of the cars drove toward the neighborhood, where the first home is about 150 yards north of the trail.
Camp officials said vehicles can back up more during pickup time around 4 p.m. when parents tend to arrive at the same time.
Joanna Rude, of North Sea, guided her daughter, who will soon turn 3, along the trail Tuesday morning after parking on the street.
“When it’s very busy, this is very congested and you worry there’s a lot of young kids around,” she said, adding that parking on the parallel street “creates more space.”
Attorney Timothy S. McCulley, who represents some of the homeowners, told the town board restricting parking is a “very simple solution.”
“Otherwise, we’re going to continue down the road, and it’s not going to be good,” he said.
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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