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Community Corner

Spanburgh: Why Doesn't Southampton Have More Villages?

You may refer to Bridgehampton and Water Mill as villages, but they're not. How come?

Why aren’t many more of Southampton Town's hamlets incorporated as villages?

Why shouldn’t many of the hamlets, such as Hampton Bays and Bridgehampton and Water Mill, be their own incorporated villages and have their own local government and monitor their own historic resources and set their own parameters about what is landmark worthy etc., etc., etc.? The town of Southampton has seven incorporated villages: North Haven, Sag Harbor, Sagaponack, Southampton, Quogue, Westhampton Beach and Westhampton Dunes. Why not more? Is it for tax reasons as some areas can afford another tax bill and some cannot?

When discussing the proposed revamping of the current town landmarks legislation, I sometimes hear people say, “I don’t want town hall telling me what I can and can’t do with my property.” Well then, take matters into your own hands; get together with the like-minded citizens of your hamlet and incorporate. You want to write your own rules that are specific to your hamlet? Then do it. Sagaponack is the most recent example. Why not others?

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In that same conversation I hear people saying that the tweaking of the landmarks legislation is an “overreach of government.” Baloney. The town of Southampton has put their legal notices in the newspaper and the Landmarks Board is in the process of making about nine, maybe 10, presentations across the town. The public has been more than duly notified and had ample opportunity to participate. Silence is approval people. If you have something to say, you’d better show up at town hall on April 12 at 1 p.m. or write a letter. Otherwise we all assume you have no issues with what’s being proposed.

Since took over the Bridgehampton News and other media outlets, some have complained that the identity of the individual hamlets was sort of consumed by the larger Southampton Town. Maybe incorporating is the answer to renewed hamlet identities and invigoration. Other people are always commenting on how different the various East End libraries are: from Hampton Bays, from Quogue. Of course each hamlet has its own unique personality and character. Maybe it’s time they had their own government too. This isn’t my wish, but from the comments I receive, it sure seems to be the ambition of others.

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I recently asked a prominent citizen of one of the hamlets, "Why not incorporate?" The answer was that at the end of the day, no one wanted to take part in the government. No one wanted to be the mayor or the treasurer or the building inspector. It had nothing to do with financial consequences. When it comes time to step up to the plate and actually accomplish something, many are simply unwilling. Baffling.

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