Seven potential water quality improvement grant projects were introduced to the East Hampton Town Board last week and two either directly or indirectly benefit Rita Cantina, the Mexican eatery in Springs that has been a party in a multiyear lawsuit against the town and has consistently angered close neighbors.
While the town’s water quality committee makes its recommendations based purely on the benefit to water quality, the town board unanimously decided that the $70,038 (that would cover 65 percent of the installation costs for an I/A septic system) that would be given to the restaurant at 28 Maidstone Park Road should be withheld until it comes into compliance with town code.
The restaurant produces over 2,000 gallons of septic flow per day and the system has already been installed.
“I don’t support funding projects that have already been installed,” said Councilman David Lys.
“Are they in compliance? That’s the question,” said Councilwoman Cate Rogers. She then asked Jake Turner, the town attorney, if he could provide a memo clarifying the restaurant’s status.
“We could,” said Mr. Turner. “It’s going to depend on two things. One, confirmation with Code Enforcement. Second, there are the two pending supreme court cases, which we are waiting on.”
Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said that “Until there’s compliance, there’s no discussion.” She suggested forgoing a public hearing on the grant until the restaurant followed town code.
However, Rita Cantina could benefit indirectly from another grant the town board supported, for a septic upgrade at 2095 Montauk Highway on the Napeague stretch, which is the former location of Dive Bar Pizza and the future home of Roadside Rita, an offshoot of Rita Cantina.
The owner of the lot, Marina Vasarhelyi, stands to receive $300,000 from the town to replace a failing septic system on the property that made it impossible for Dive Bar Pizza to operate there. Once the system is replaced, the 120-seat restaurant would generate nearly 4,000 gallons of septic flow daily. A new system would prevent over 500 pounds of nitrate annually from reaching Napeague Harbor.
Two projects, for a septic upgrade at the Napeague Camping Club on Crassen Boulevard in Lazy Point (recommended to receive a $469,430 grant from the town) and another at the East Hampton Condominiums on Treescape Drive ($416,280), when installed will remove 715 and 1,260 pounds of nitrogen, respectively, from nearby water bodies.
Also of note was a $309,529 grant recommended for the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology. Its proposal to install a 250-foot permeable reactive barrier to treat nitrogen up to 20 feet below grade flowing toward Wainscott Pond, at the recently acquired 66 Main Street parcel, found board support.
“They’re aiming to reduce 130 pounds of legacy groundwater nitrate annually,” said Mellissa McCarron, a principal environmental analyst in the town’s Natural Resources Department, who made the presentation to the board.
“To date, we haven’t been able to fund a C.P.F. water quality project in this waterbody,” she said. “Now that we have this public access, it’s feasible.”
Councilman Tom Flight resurrected part of the management plan debate about that parcel.
He asked Mr. Turner, “Jake, if the property had been landmarked, would we have had more challenges in doing this?”
“I don’t know off the top of my head,” said the town attorney.
The next step is that public hearings on each of the suggested grants will be held, likely by the end of May.
