Despite Green Light, Westhampton Sex Offender Trailer May Not See Upgrade

In response to a court ruling last week which gave the Suffolk County Department of Social Services a green light to upgrade a homeless sex offender trailer in Westhampton, town and county officials stand on the ready to go back to court should the need arise.

However, according to South Fork Legis. Jay Schneiderman, I-Montauk, the need doesn't seem to be presenting itself as county leaders have told him they will not be moving forward with the upgrades they originally sought - which prompted the lawsuit in the first place - on the grounds that Suffolk County has since taken a .

Thomson Reuters originally reported last Friday that the Town of Southampton's injunctive relief had been lifted on the same day. Schneiderman and Southampton Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst confirmed the decision.

"In spite of the fact that the county has been fighting the town, and the county won, it's irrelevant, because the county is now moving in a different direction," said Schneiderman, who was surprised to hear the news on Monday that relief had been granted.

Rather than housing all of Suffolk County's homeless sex offenders in two Southampton trailers (there is another one in Riverside), the legislature overrode a county executive veto in March to place the convicts - currently near 30 - in a handful of supervised homes throughout the county. However that plan is still in its infancy as, according to Schneiderman, more legislation is required to locate the sites, which are supposed to be situated in industrial zones.

County Executive Steve Levy attempted to block the legislature's program, favoring a voucher system which would give the homeless sex offenders a $90 daily voucher to find housing. DSS Commissioner Greg Blass issued the following statement through spokesman Roland Hampson on Tuesday: "Rather than placing another trailer in Southampton, it is our preference to institute a voucher system that would allow us to close the trailers that we presently have - but unfortunately this proposal was blocked by the legislature."

The legal battle between Southampton and Suffolk started when Southampton sued the county in 2010 after the DSS attempted to install a trailer with hot water hook-up. Claiming the trailer violated local zoning laws - since no approval was given - Southampton was given a temporary injunction by Suffolk County Judge Thomas Whelan.

Schneiderman said early Monday evening that he had spoken to Blass, who "confirmed that he's not going to do anything in the short term to hook up the trailer." Schneiderman said he even drove by the site Monday afternoon, only to find no action.

Friday's overturn came from an appelate court. And Throne-Holst said town attorney Tiffany Scarlato is "looking into whatever remedy we have," working on understanding the county's next move - if there is one - and is ready to go back to court, should the need arise.

"If the opinion of the attorney is that we should go back to court and seek relief, we are prepared to go back as early as tomorrow morning," Throne-Holst said.