The East Hampton Town Board unanimously supported a conceptual drawing of a new 35-spot permeable parking lot in Springs at Tuesday’s work session. Access to the proposed lot would be from Springs-Fireplace Road, and a concrete path would connect it directly to a brick walkway at the Springs Library.
“This is just lines on paper, any of this stuff can change,” said Matt Jedlicka, a principal engineer with L.K. McLean Associates, a firm that often does work for the town. The cost of the lot, $175,000, is already in the town’s 2026 capital plan, which covers both engineering and construction.
In our automobile-dominated landscape, nothing says “community center” like a nice flat slab for our four-wheeled friends, and recent improvements to the hamlet’s historic district have increased use.
“This project also shows the town’s investment into the heart of Springs,” Councilman David Lys said.
The Blacksmith Shop has been reclad. The library has received new windows and Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant access. Ashawagh Hall, through a town grant, was able to install a new innovative-alternative septic system. Old Stone Highway has been repaved and the bridge repaired. A permeable barrier has been placed around a portion of Pussy’s Pond to reduce nitrogen.
“And we removed the phragmites so that Loring wouldn’t go out and remove them herself at night,” Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez joked, referring to a phragmites removal project at Pussy’s Pond and Loring Bolger, a member of the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee who was in the audience.
“It’s just showing how the administration is supporting infrastructure in this area,” Mr. Lys said, “and I think it’s been widely supported by the residents of Springs.”
Ms. Bolger spoke favorably about the project during the meeting’s public comment section.
“Speaking for all the entities in the historic Springs area, we are in favor of this,” she said. “There has been an expansion of programming throughout the district. I applaud you for doing it, and for doing it so quickly.”
“It gets treacherous on Springs-Fireplace Road,” Ms. Burke-Gonzalez said. “People park on both sides of the street. It would be helpful to get those cars on a back lot.”
Ian Calder-Piedmonte, the board liaison to the advisory committee, said the goal was to provide the most parking with minimal impact and that the area that would need to be cleared was “not very high-quality habitat.”
The lot does sit in a harbor protection overlay district, however, where clearing is restricted to 50 percent of the lot area. As of now, 59 percent of the lot is cleared, but 81 percent will need to be cleared for the parking area.
A row of evergreens was proposed to screen the parking lot, though what species was not discussed. No lighting was proposed.
“The immediate concern is for Pussy’s Pond,” Mr. Calder-Piedmonte said, adding that he had received preliminary comments from the Natural Resources Department that indicated the lot was an appropriate distance away. An official design will be drawn before it goes out to bid.
“It would be very optimistic to think this would be ready for this summer,” Mr. Calder-Piedmonte said. He encouraged residents to contact him with feedback.
