What’s Next?

The results of a community survey done last year were presented to the Hampton Bays committee for the first time in January. The meeting was led by members of the Southampton Town Planning Board and representatives of Historical Concepts Architecture and Planning, a Georgia-based architecture firm hired to help the town create a “pattern book” — an illustrated guide for potential property owners and architects to see what type of businesses and buildings, including design elements and allowable heights, the community thinks would benefit the neighborhood.

Now that adjustments have been made, the next step is to wait for results from an environmental impact study, which had begun in February and is expected to be completed this month. Once it is, final additions and modifications will be made to the
pattern book.

The town added bike lanes in the design of the roadways, and town Principal Planner Janice Scherer said a larger bike network study will also be done to see about incorporating other ways to make biking safer, if the study finds there is a need for that. Other residents requested the addition of more crosswalks to make navigating
Montauk Highway safer.

Once the pattern book for the downtown district is completed, the town board will vote on whether or not to adopt the findings. In December 2015, the board approved a similar overlay district, known as the Riverside Action Plan, in the hamlet of Riverside as part of ongoing revitalization efforts in that community.

desiree@indyeastend.com