What Our Readers Think: New Canoe Place Inn Application

On Feb. 23 developers, Gregg and Mitchell Rechler submitted in Hampton Bays to the Town of Southampton that calls for the refurbishment of Canoe Place Inn and the construction of 40 town homes along with an amenity building, pool, private marina and sewage treatment system.

Patch readers had a lot to say on the subject. The following is a round-up of their comments. If you would like to add to the conversation, post a comment below.

asked, "A 'town home' is a term of design; a "condo" is a type of ownership. These buildings can be both; what are they trying to differentiate?"

responded, "There is a tax difference between a Town Home and a Condo. The designation was created at the request of the community/town to net a larger tax advantage to the district."

wrote, "I am so glad that they are going to restore this building. I worked at CPI for many years and saw many of the historic pictures of this building and i will find it interesting to see what the place looks like after the restoration."

said, "What a shame. I am going to miss . Nothing like pulling up to the restaurant by boat, sitting by the canal enjoying some music, food and drink. A few years back there was talk of developing the area into something similar to the Gosman's Dock in Montauk, too bad that is not happening. Instead we will have a wall of town homes lining the canal and some open space somewhere with no water view."

commented, "The Town board along with the Planning board should be fired!! These people are useless. What a waste, This is what they came up with, Save a teardown? Get rid of the restaurants that bring money and people into town? If you people want to save the CPI then move it across the street to Town property. The historical society, planning board & town board can go down on nights and weekends to fix the place up. Look around people the Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays looks awful compared with other parts of the Town. There is no good reason for having a planning board, we have a Town Code. Want to save money FIRE those people they are a waste of your money and time...."

said, "If the Town Board approves this obvious circumvention of the zoning law they should be voted out of office. Replacing waterfront restaurants with town houses increasing the already densely populated Hampton Bays School district with another 60 units is a bad deal. Restaurants with waterfront access are part of the charm of Hampton Bays which has always been a boaters paradise. Taking away irreplaceable waterfront restaurants and replacing them with densley populated housing reduces the value of Hampton Bays community. With the Lobster Inn, Tidewaters, and One North closing and being converted to condos or town houses, Hampton Bays will be losing three great waterfront locations to appease our greedy development community. This would not be tolerated in Southampton, Westhampton or Quogue. What is wrong with our town planners and our town board? Allowing the Rechlers to put some 'lipstick on the pig' and dumping the CPI on the town as a trade off for 40 Townhouses is the last thing needed by Hampton Bays. Please go to the public meetings on this topic and tell the board to reject this unnecessary PDD."

And wrote, "Let's get real- The CPI will not be restored to its former self. The members of the Town Board will long be gone and the residents of HB's will be stuck with a 'white elephant' and 40 Town houses. The Town Board speaks out of both sides of its mouth. On election day they promise 'no more density' in HB's, but when the Nassau developers come knocking with political contributions they sing another song. The Board spins this as a 'community benefit.' Let the developers do what they want on CPI property and East of the canal WITHIN THE ZONING LAWS. NO PPD. These two properties should be treated independently. This Hamlet changing issue should be put to a referendum."