In East Hampton Town, Councilman Ian Calder-Piedmonte won a special election to serve another year on the town board, and voters overwhelmingly approved a proposition that will allow the town to remove the property sometimes called the Sherrill Triangle from its list of nature preserves so that it can be used for future road improvements.
Mr. Calder-Piedmonte was appointed in January to fill Kathee Burke-Gonzalez’s position when she became town supervisor. His election Tuesday means he will serve out the remaining year of the term.
He has served in government for 13 years, first as an appointed member of the town planning board, “but this is my first election,” he said Tuesday night. “It meant the world to me to have the opportunity to serve East Hampton, the place I love, when I was appointed by the town board in January, but it feels all that much better to have the votes and be duly elected.”
He was speaking at an event in Sag Harbor where Democrats had gathered to watch returns with Tommy John Schiavoni, who won a State Assembly seat (that race is covered elsewhere in today’s paper).
Of East Hampton, he said, “I’m able to work with friends and all sorts of community members with different backgrounds, different political persuasions, and together, when you care
about the same thing, you can really make a difference.”
Technically, there was a Republican challenger, Hyman Mariampolski, but he had suspended his campaign too late to have his name removed from the ballot. Unofficial results from the Suffolk County Board of Elections show Mr. Calder-Piedmonte with just over 69 percent of the vote, and Mr. Mariampolski with just under 31 percent.
“Now, I think we have to fix it the higher up you go,” Mr. Calder-Piedmonte said. “The state level and national level, we have to listen, we have to reach out, and we have to do better. In the last decade, I think things are going in the wrong direction. I just want to remain optimistic and hopeful for a better future, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to serve.”
Prop 3 Passes
As for Proposition 3, on the triangle of green space at the busy intersection of North Main Street with Springs-Fireplace and Three Mile Harbor Roads in East Hampton, nearly 57 percent of voters supported it. Removing it from the nature preserve list means that the town can allow Suffolk County to use the land to reconfigure the intersection as part of a larger road improvement project extending from North Main Street’s intersection with Collins Avenue to Three Mile Harbor Road where it meets Copeces Lane in Springs.
Suffolk is planning a $14.5 million redo of what is known as County Road 40, with work to begin in 2027. It is to include curbs, bike lanes, storm drains, and some retaining walls. The town has lobbied for the county to consider improvements at the Three Mile and Springs-Fireplace intersection, specifically for a roundabout, but it is the county that will ultimately decide on the design.
“This decision enables us to take a critical step toward addressing longstanding traffic delays and safety concerns at this busy intersection,” Supervisor Burke-Gonzalez said in a statement yesterday morning. “We appreciate the community’s engagement throughout this process and will continue working closely with Suffolk County as they evaluate roadway improvements, including options that will enhance safety, improve traffic flow, and benefit all residents.”
With Reporting by Christopher Gangemi
