Additional details about the Sag Harbor Village Board’s proposal to impose a temporary moratorium on commercial redevelopment in the village’s waterfront areas were presented at a board meeting on Aug. 26.
In an effort to manage development and protect water views and the character of the village, the board has proposed a law that would suspend until March 1, 2021, the planning board’s authority to grant approval of site plans, special permits, and subdivisions. While the moratorium is in place, the village is planning to undertake a study of the areas and refine the code to “ensure that future construction is consistent with the village’s goals,” Kay Lawson, the chairwoman of the planning board, said at the meeting. The moratorium would prevent businesses from redeveloping properties before those code changes are in place.
The areas of study would include the Long Wharf shopping plaza, the Breakwater Yacht Club, and properties on Bay and West Water Street including the Beacon restaurant, and the West Water Street Shops, a more than 15,000-square-foot commercial building that contains a 7-Eleven and other stores, and is currently for sale. Properties on Main Street are not part of the study nor would they be subject to the moratorium, but a section of the commercial core to the west, which includes the post office and parking lots would be.
The village plans to work with the Nelson, Pope, and Voorhis engineering firm and the Form Based Code institute, a nonprofit that helps municipalities develop regulations that guide the shape and size of buildings. “The current zoning code focuses more on uses [of buildings] and is pretty silent on these form aspects that will help you preserve your waterfront,” Marta Goldsmith, the director of the institute, told the board.
The full scope of the project will be presented at a board meeting on Tuesday at 6 p.m., Mayor Kathleen Mulcahy said.
