Sylvester Manor officials poised for public hearing on site plan

 Following two years of meetings with the Town Board, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board, residents will finally have their say on March 16 about the fate of Sylvester Manor’s site plan.

Hanging in the balance between praise and criticism is whether officials will get the go-ahead for major renovations to the Manor House.

Grants have been received that must be put to work on the $13 million project and permits are pending from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services and the New York State Department of Environmental Services. The Zoning Board of Appeals has enabled a transition from its residential status to educational/nonprofit use.

The Planning Board met March 10 and told Executive Director Stephen Searl it would be issuing a memorandum to the Town Board that sounds like a mixed bag. Planning Board Chairwoman Julia Weisenberg and member Sean Davy aren’t out to kill the project, but Mr. Davy described information received on mapping of sites as “garbage.”

An interchange between Mr. Davy and Mr. Searl that followed resolved the issue with Mr. Davy explaining he was simply seeking mapping of sites that might draw criticism — concerts, location of grave sites and ongoing archaeological activities.

Ms. Weisenberg expressed concerned about parking at large events and what is done to ensure safety. Mr. Searl said at large events, professional parkers are hired.

The Planning Board memo that will go to the Town Board this weekend is being drafted by Ms. Weisenberg and the newest Planning Board member, Sarah Lewis, East Hampton’s principal planner.

At the Town Board meeting Tuesday morning and Planning Board Tuesday night, resident Mike Gaynor has characterized the ZBA change as ending the single house status, but said it has transitioned to an events venue, not an educational/nonprofit status. He pointed to other sites where concerts have been held, including the Shinnecocks who started with a Palm Tree Music Festival that attracted a few hundred attendees but has ballooned, to the consternation of Southampton Town, into 10,000 people attending.

For 16 years, Sylvester Manor has operated without proper permits, Mr. Gaynor said. There was one concert last year that was staged without a permit. Mr. Searl said it is a policy to apply for an event permit for such occurrences, discussing arrangements with Police Chief Jim Read.

He told Mr. Gaynor the memo will include the need to mitigate noise during concerts and other concerns Mr. Gaynor had voiced.

Mr. Gaynor also challenged Councilwoman Liz Hanley to recuse herself from the discussion and a vote because she and her husband, David Austin, a member of the Planning Board, had before having their current positions, spoken in favor of the Sylvester Manor site plan. Ms. Hanley said both wold be recusing themselves. That could also be the case with Councilman Benjamin Dyett, a former president and board member of Sylvester Manor.

That would mean it would take the votes of Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams, Deputy Supervisor Meg Larsen and Councilman Albert Dickson to approve the site plan.

If past experience is a predictor of this public hearing and actions, it will be a lengthy hearing. That would indicate there is no likelihood of a Town Board vote on Monday night.