Town Closes On Blighted Hampton Bays Motel

HAMPTON BAYS, NY —Southampton Town has closed on the sale of the blighted Bel-Aire Cove Motel in Hampton Bays, with an eye toward spurring tourism.

According to Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, the sale closed on Dec. 19; next steps involve grandfathering the sanitary flow on the parcel with the Suffolk County Health Department so the building can be razed, he said.

"We are also going to the community," the supervisor said, to decide if residents favor a 12-unit townhouse or a 22-unit boutique hotel. "Once that is decided we will work on design renderings with community input."

Once all permits are in place, the town will seek a grant to be used toward a nitrogen-removing sanitary system, Schneiderman said. Finally, the parcel will be auctioned off to the "best bidder, based on a scoring formula we will develop," he said.

After much discussion and debate, including a formal public hearing and comments received during public portion at a number of town board meetings, the Southampton town board approved the Hampton Bays Revitalization Plan in April, which opened door for the town to purchase the Bel-Aire Cove Motel from Bel-Aire Cove Resorts, Inc. located at 20 Shinnecock Road in Hampton Bays.

The town agreed to purchase the property for no more than $1,060,000; the approval authorized the town to spend up to $1,200, 000 to include the purchase, closing costs, environmental study, survey, title insurance and demolition, officials said.

The urban renewal plan proposes selling the property for redevelopment as a boutique motel or seasonal condominium.

Moving forward, the town will work with the community on creating a redevelopment plan for the property that also addresses environmental and visual concerns. Southampton Town officials will identify the qualified developer through the competitive bidding process.

"The town will assist in the transformation of this blighted property back to a positive contributor to the Hampton Bays community and the local economy," said Schneiderman.

Recently, he added, the town has invested millions of dollars in Hampton Bays to improve tourism. Some of the improvements include the repaving of Dune Road; the renovation of the Ponquogue Beach Pavilion; the renovation of the Tiana Life Saving Station; the upgrade to the Tiana bayside facility; the rebuilding of the fishing and diving piers at the old Ponquogue Bridge; the building of Good Ground Park; the renovation of the Lyzon Hat Shop and Canoe Place Chapel; and the plan to improve the Maritime Park on the Shinnecock Canal.

Councilwoman Julie Lofstad added: "There are very few motel rooms available for those who want to visit Hampton Bays. We also don't have as many seasonal homeowners as other hamlets. Visitors and seasonal homeowners spend money in local shops and restaurants, have little or no impact on our schools, but do create additional tax revenues, which is exactly what we need to revitalize the hamlet."