It now appears that the Springs General Store is not covered after all by a facade easement, which, according to a 2015 report in The Star, would have precluded the addition of new structures to the site, protected the store, the gas pumps, and existing outbuildings from external change, and preserved the view of the property. The East Hampton Town Board had approved such an easement, when the store was on the market in 2015, but new information came to light this week indicating that the sale went through that same year without it.
The town board had voted unanimously to purchase the easement for $170,000 from Mike and Jan Collins, then the owners, with money from the Community Preservation Fund. The store was in danger of closing at the time. “There’s something special about being able to preserve an important icon in Springs,” said Larry Cantwell, who was then town supervisor.
The board’s vote was to no avail: The Collinses sold the property that year to an anonymous “angel buyer.”
“The seller [the Collinses] ultimately decided not to sell the facade easement, so, yes, the facade can be altered,” said Scott Wilson, director of the Department of Land Management and Acquisition, on Monday.
The store is on the market again, for $2.9 million. The property, on 1.3 acres fronting Accabonac Harbor, includes an approximately 2,520-square-foot building with a distinctive porch, a detached two-car garage, and a trio of old gas pumps. Built in 1844, the store has changed little over the years.
It is in the Springs Historic District, which protects some aspects of its appearance. The town code, for instance, says historic buildings in Springs “with either natural shingle siding or with shingle or clapboard siding painted white should retain those treatments.”
The easement would have been yet more restrictive.
Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said this week that he was not aware the general store was back on the market, and that it was likely the town would engage the current owner to see if he or she would agree to sell the facade easement. “The board and the community would support retaining the facade,” said Mr. Van Scoyoc. “But you have to have a willing seller.”