Many folks said no to the NYS Department of Transportation a few years ago when they proposed a roundabout at the wharf end of Main Street.

CONPOSH (Coalition of Neighborhoods for the Preservation Of Sag Harbor) and others said no to the expansion of 127 Main Street by its former owner, Jon Gruen.

The John Jermain Future Fund said no to the idea of a new library building near Mashashimuet Park.

The Sag Harbor CAC (Citizens Advisory Committee) — of which I am co-chair — tried to say no to the new Bayburger Restaurant opening soon on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike.

More successfully, the CAC said no to the Reid brothers’ plans to expand their service station to include a full-service car wash, and large parking facility for the use of contractors working locally.

Many in the community, including columnist Tony Brandt and newspaper editor Rick Murphy, would very much like to say no the the Sag Harbor School District’s  budget.

The Water Mill CAC, and the Village of Southampton are attempting to say no to LIPA’s effort to run new power lines on immense 60′ metal poles through the Village and parts of Water Mill and Bridgehampton.

Neighbors tried to say no to Wolffer Vineyard’s effort to erect new workforce housing on Narrow Lane in Bridgehampton, adjacent to the vineyard.

Almost everyone on Long Island, except the mayor of Greenport, wants to say a loud no to Broadwater’s floating Liquid Natural Gas terminal proposed for Long Island Sound.

Many, many people, including County Executive Steve Levy as well as the Southampton Town Board, and East Hampton Village’s powers-that-be are vociferously saying no to any kind of hiring hall or worklink center for day laborers wherever they gather looking for work.

Some folks in Sag Harbor want to say no to the new condominiums proposed for the area at the foot of the North Haven Bridge where the Sag Harbor Professional Building now stands.

Back to Narrow Lane where (the same?) residents said no to a bike lane along their street.

Sag Harbor citizenry said a most definite no to the purchase of two properties adjacent to the High School by the school district.

Barnes and Noble in Bridgehampton? No.

Affordable housing Remsenberg/Speonk? No.

Anti-war protesters in Southampton’s Independence Day Parade? No. (Well maybe, now that the courts have spoken.)

How about expanding Sunrise Highway all the way to the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike so that then-Governor Hugh Carey could get to his summer home on Shelter Island more easily? No. (Alright, that was a really dumb idea.)

A nuclear reactor in Shoreham? No way. (Yeah, that one was pretty dumb too.)

I could go on. I seem to have an almost photographic memory for ideas and projects that were shot down by community activists and/or local government. Frankly, I was one of the community activists expressing my disapproval in many (but not all) of the aforementioned instances. While I don’t regret my involvement in those issues, the cumulative weight of all those “nos” has got me thinking that I’m really tired of saying no. I’ve reached the point where I just want to say YES to something. Yes, Yes and Yes. And I’m going to start right now.

I say yes to Mike and Pat Trunzo’s proposal to create a mixed-use affordable housing/office development on their property on the Turnpike.

Yes to Five Towns Rural Transits’ efforts to create a light-rail and bus network here on the East End.

Yes to a new and/or expanded Library, wherever it may be located.

Yes to the Sag Harbor Village zoning code overhaul, and the Mayor’s and Trustees’ efforts to create more opportunities for affordable housing in the village…and yes to accessory apartments.

Yes to cops and cones on County Road 39, whatever the hell it costs.

Yes to more bike lanes, sidewalks and safer routes for kids walking and biking to school.

And finally, yes to acknowledging our common humanity and kinship to each other; to treating all people with dignity and respect; and so, yes to providing safe places where people who want to do needed work can find the work they need to do to support themselves and their families.
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The extremely well conceived section on “Site Access and Traffic Calming” directly refers to Ken’s efforts to move this program forward, in addition to putting forward a few ideas of its own. Today I found a comment in that section by Sag Harborite Jonas Hagen who has apparently put in some time reading the report. In a nutshell, he praised the traffic calming ideas put forth by the committee, and suggests that those ideas get implemented immediately. Reading his comment, I had one of those moments where you just marvel at how clearly the path is marked once someone shows it to you. Jonas, I agree, and I know Ken Dorph would too. Rather than reiterate all the points the CLC makes, I’m giving you a link to the orignal. Just click here. Jonas’ comment is down at the bottom of the page.

These are really sound ideas, in line with similar ideas previously put forth by CONPOSH, (Coalition of Neighborhoods for the Preservation of Sag Harbor), The EETC (East End Transportation Council),
the NYS Department of Transportation, and the Safe Routes to School Program, mentioned above. There’s absolutely no need to wait for work to commence on the library (old or new) before making it safer to walk, drive and bike in our community.

Why isn’t there a sidewalk along the Main Street side of Mashashimuet Park? Why do the Village and Park Board still allow that dangerous head-in parking next to the children’s playground? Why aren’t there more crosswalks, and “yield to pedestrian” signs in the historic triangle area? That area also cries out for such traffic calming devices as bump-outs, designated parking spots, and better road striping. Why not a bike lane down Main Street that goes right into and through Mashashimuet Park connecting the old library and the new one? There’s absolutely no reason why work can’t begin on some or all of these projects right now.

By the way, Jonas, you’re wrong about the library. Let’s talk.