As it turned out, affordable housing was the dominant theme of the evening, brought into crystal-clear focus by one of the earliest speakers, Sara Gordon, and raised to a dramatic crescendo by Shawn Beyer, a local teacher whose grandparents worked (and met) in the Bulova factory. So many citizens came to speak of the desperate need for affordable housing in this area, that by the time my turn came, I had to scrap my prepared comments and just wing it so as not to repeat questions that had already been raised and ideas already broached. It was inspiring to be there though, and to speak in harmony with the community's raised voice.
How prescient of the Village's Planning Board to have called this meeting early in the approval process for this undertaking! I don't know if they had any idea what they would hear, but it was obvious that they were deeply affected by the comments of local residents like themselves. Board Chairman Jerome Toy concluded the meeting with his own heartfelt request to the developers to take notice of the community's need to be able to house its working people.
Until last Tuesday, I believe the Bulova developers thought that they would be able to finesse this issue by focusing on the economic benefits Sag Harbor would derive from this project, and their laudable intention to make this project as "green" as possible. Their prior public and private comments made clear that, as far as they were concerned, affordable housing was not on the table for this project. I hope they realize now that this is an issue that cannot just be shrugged off as someone else's problem.
To be sure, there is no current legal requirement that affordable housing be included in this, or any other new housing project in Sag Harbor. That may change soon, but, according to the Mayor, any change in the law will not affect the Bulova condos. So what is it that we should expect from Sag Partners, who are, after all, just developers who want to make a buck and move on to the next project?
Before I answer that question, let's take a look at an example of an unacceptable response to the need for affordable housing as reported in today's New York Times. In an article entitled "Long Island Journal; East End Blues: Working Hard And Unable To Buy a Home" The Times quotes James McLauchlen, owner of James R. McLauchlen Real Estate in Southampon, as saying, ''People own things and naturally they wish to get the best financial benefit from their ownership rights...If their property is worth a lot of money, which certainly might be unaffordable for a certain segment of the population, that's too bad, but that's the way it goes.'' Naturally? Too bad? That's the way it goes? I guess in the alternative universe that many business people like to pretend they live in, where no one has any responsibilities other than to make as much money as possible, that may be a reasonable attitude, but, in the world of people for whom other values still take precedence, that attitude doesn't cut it. Not for James R. McLauchlen, who of course, makes a living selling over-priced real estate, and not for Sag Partners, the developers of the Bulova property.
When did the fiction that when money is involved, it's OK to put aside our other values, gain such wide acceptance? According to this way of thinking, it would be wrong to ask someone to make less money than they might conceivably make, even if by not doing so they create or exacerbate problems for others in the community, or for the community itself. I think that's unacceptable. Whatever the law may or may not say, we all have a responsibility to care for our community and each other that trumps our commitment to building a personal fortune. Should we choose to ignore that responsibility, sooner or later that choice will come back to haunt us.
The East End of Long Island is already a community perilously out of balance. There is simply too great a concentration of wealth, too many second homes and far too few opportunities for average people to build careers, homes and families, not to mention too many real estate offices and too few businesses that actually produce a useful product. Our choice is clear, we can either accept the challenge of dealing with these hard problems, and the sacrifices that may involve, or watch as the East End becomes Disneyhampton -- a place where people come to have fun, but when the gates close at night, everyone goes home.
So, getting back to the question of what can be expected of Sag Partners, and of other businesses hoping to make a buck here in the Hamptons, the answer is simple. Those who plan to invest in a business venture in this community, must also invest in the long-term sustainability of the community's resources, both environmental and human.
Regardless of the outcome, Sag Harbor's citizenry did the right thing by speaking up on Tuesday night. I hope Sag Partners, and other developers waiting in the wings were listening.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Currently listening to: Firecracker
by The Wailin' JennysPowered by ScribeFire.
