Voters to weigh separate propositions in Southampton and East Hampton

Voters in two Suffolk County towns will decide on separate propositions that could pave the way for traffic calming measures at a busy East Hampton intersection and the removal of toxins from Lake Agawam in Southampton.

The propositions will appear as the third proposal on the ballot in East Hampton and Southampton, after a statewide and a countywide referendum. Voters can cast ballots during early voting and on Nov. 5 — Election Day.

The Southampton Town proposition would allow Southampton Village to install a filtration system on a parcel of preserved land. In East Hampton Town, voters are being asked to approve a land deal that could give Suffolk County the ability to build a roundabout at the intersection of two county roads.

In Southampton Town, voters are being asked to authorize a land swap with Southampton Village as part of a yearslong effort to treat the polluted Lake Agawam. If approved, the village would be allowed to build an algae harvester on preserved property to treat and filter water in the lake.

The system removes cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae. A 10-day pilot program in 2019 proved effective at treating toxins in the lake, according to a 2020 report published by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Under the proposal, contaminated water would be drawn from the north end of the lake and discharged on the sound end.

Between 2013 and 2019, an average of 13 harmful algae blooms were recorded there annually, according to the report. The tally of those that were "confirmed with high toxins" at the lake ranged from 3 in 2014 to 18 in 2019, the report found.

As part of the exchange, the village would acquire a 4.8-acre vacant parcel on the opposite side of the lake to be preserved for parkland.

The village has received $10 million in grants to install the water filtration system. The site, known as Doscher Park, is behind a parking lot and is the only viable location for the system, officials have said.

Algae harvesters will "clean approximately 3 million gallons of polluted Lake Agawam water every day," town councilman Michael Iasilli said at a village board meeting earlier this month.

Village Trustee Roy Stevenson said the proposition is a "win-win" since there is no additional cost for taxpayers.

The Lake Agawam Conservancy, which was formed in 2019 to help revive the lake, supports the proposition.

The lake could be safe for recreation within three years, according to the conservancy.

East Hampton proposal

In East Hampton, voters will decide on a separate referendum to allow the town to transfer to Suffolk County a two-acre parcel at the intersection of Three Mile Harbor Road and Springs-Fireplace Road.

Town officials say the transfer would allow the county to build "significant traffic improvements" at the intersection either with a roundabout or different solution. The roundabout would address "long-standing traffic delays, public safety and congestion issues," according to the town.

The triangular property that separates the two roads is known as Lions Town Park, or Sherrill Triangle, and is considered part of the town's Nature Preserve. Councilman David Lys said the property had been gifted to East Hampton and added to the Nature Preserve in the early 1980s.

Those properties are preserved land and cannot be altered unless the state approves the alienation of parkland, officials said.

In July, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation to allow that process to take place.

The Suffolk County Department of Public Works has started work on reconstructing Three Mile Harbor Road — also known as County Road 40. The county is resurfacing roads, building new curbs and sidewalks and repairing drainage systems.

Town consultants, using state Department of Transportation data, examined the larger area known as the Springs Fireplace Road Corridor in 2020. There were 88 reported crashes in the overall study area during a three-year period, the report found.

About seven of those crashes were located where the roundabout is proposed. The consultants' most recent traffic study found that vehicles experience "extreme delays" during peak hours at the intersection.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

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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