Well, as long as we're reassessing things, I think it would be a good idea to reassess the long-term economic viability of the area if current trends in housing continue. Lets start with some East End realities:
- The supply of available land for housing or any other purpose is extremely limited;
- Almost everyone agrees that preserving open space is important;
- Housing prices currently start at around half a million dollars;
- High-paying year-round jobs for career oriented individuals are virtually non-existent;
- In summer, the transportation infrastructure borders on non-functional;
- Most volunteer and service positions are filled by "working class" individuals.
- The upper and lower (relatively speaking) segments of the real estate market are still hot.
So, as scarce land prices are forced upwards, developers can only make a buck by building McMansions or better. Existing small homes (relative bargains) are bought by second home owners just to be torn down and replaced with something bigger and more expensive. The grown children of the area's working class can neither find affordable homes nor careers in the area and so, move elsewhere. As they leave, service companies, retail stores, schools, hospitals and other employers are forced to "import" workers from western Long Island. The inflow of workers every morning and outflow every evening snarls the two main roads that run through the area. There is no mass transit to take some of the burden off the roads. Due to the decentralized nature of East End communities, mass transit makes little sense anyway. With most of the workers now living elsewhere, there are fewer and fewer people willing or able to fill volunteer positions such as firefighter and EMT. Eventually, these jobs will become paid positions filled by yet more commuters, further increasing the burden on our roads and making it more difficult for the firefighters and ambulance drivers to get where they're going when they're needed most. Paid firefighters and EM Ts also mean higher taxes, which will drive more of the working class out of the area. Expanding the existing roads or building new ones is not a viable option because land is too expensive to buy for widening roads or building new ones (e.g., see the latest developments regarding County Road 39). Besides, no one wants more roads anyway; they just fill up with more cars.
Left unaddressed, this situation will simply spiral out of control. Eventually, the only people who will live here are the very rich and the super rich. They, however, may start to find the McMansion ghettos and overcrowded roads not to their liking, and go elsewhere too. What happens to a resort area after it's been abandoned by the rich is not pretty. It's hard to imagine that the fabulous Hamptons would ever fall out of favor...but, well, just reread the paragraph before this one.
Now, if you've read carefully so far, you may have picked up on the two main threads in the scenario I've outlined: land use -- specifically, affordable housing -- and transportation. The good news is that some people are already thinking about these things; the East End Transportation Council, for one. The SEEDS (Sustainable East End Development Strategies) study that they commissioned and oversaw clearly indicates that the two issues are inextricably tied together, and so the EETC is looking for solutions to both land use and transportation problems.
Unfortunately, some elected officials and even some planners are not yet cognizant of the danger of doing nothing. They may know what the problems are, but they have yet to take steps to find an integrated long-term solution. I don't mean to criticize; this stuff is not easy. Yet, it seems to me that right here in Sag Harbor, we are at a crossroads and steps need to be taken now. Precedents need to be established, a vision created. Right now, there are no less than three major housing developments proposed for the Village. Assuming all appropriate steps are taken vis a vis zoning, architectural review, sewage, parking, etc., these three very large projects will probably all be built. Who will live there? Given the nature of the proposals as they now stand, the answer is that the wealthy will live or summer there. And, of course, they will bring their cars. The obvious omission is that no one appears to be asking the developers to include any affordable units in these developments. No units for teachers, firefighters, ambulance drivers, nurses, plumbers, masons, electricians... None, None, None.
Now is the time to address this issue. Given the very limited amount of buildable space available, establishing a precedent that all major new developments built in Sag Harbor must include some percentage of affordable housing units is a vital step in preserving the livability of our area for everyone. Affordable housing in the hamlet center means that people who work here can also live, and volunteer, here. It allows those who are born here to continue to live near their extended families. It means fewer cars on the road, because more workers live closer to where they work. And, by increasing the density of downtown areas, it makes mass transit options more viable. It still possible to negotiate with the developers to achieve this goal. Pressure can be brought to bear, incentives offered. It must be done for the future of our community, and it must be done now.
