Alternatives to Affordable Housing at Former Camp Discussed

Southampton Town may be poised to put the brakes on a and possible accessory apartment at the former Girl Scout camp in Hampton Bays.

Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst said on Friday that she believes a few important elements were not vetted at a previous meeting she was unable to attend. She said she would like to table the proposal for further discussion.

“This is not to open a can of worms,” Throne-Holst said.

Throne-Holst suggested that instead of refurbishing the caretaker’s building for affordable housing, the home could be sold privately to generate funds. Those monies, she added, could be used for a different affordable housing project in another part of town.

After hearing about the initial proposal, residents saw red.

“Hampton Bays does not need any more affordable housing,” Eve Houlihan said. "If the town board was really responsive to the community, you could reverse course. You should be looking toward alleviating, not exacerbating, existing conditions.”

Houlihan said the Hampton Bays Civic Association had never been contacted for input.

Councilman Chris Nuzzi reminded, however, that when the property was originally purchased, it was intended to be used for affordable housing.

The plan was for the Southampton Business Alliance Housing Initiative Corp., a charitable arm of the Southampton Business Alliance, to oversee the creation of one affordable home at the site, and possibly an affordable accessory apartment.

The town purchased the 65 acres from the Nassau County Girl Scout Council for $16 million with Community Preservation Funds and the 20,000-square-foot piece of property that the house sits on was “carved out” specifically for affordable housing. It was purchased with the town’s affordable housing opportunity bank in 2007 for $225,000.

“Conditions have changed,” Houlihan said. “Perhaps in 2007 it wasn’t such an egregious prospect, but we have other projects looming, and suggesting Hampton Bays needs more affordable housing is offensive and disingenuous.”