Coalition to Stop the Wainscott Commercial Center
In 2022, the Group joined concerned citizens and community organizations to stop the Wainscott Commercial Center proposal, which would transform the former 70-acre Wainscott Sand and Gravel pit into a 50-lot commercial/industrial subdivision. Given the environmentally sensitive location of this site, which lies just north of the headwaters to Georgica Pond and Montauk Highway, we are calling on the East Hampton Town Board to purchase the property for conservation and limited municipal purposes. The looming threat of such an unprecedented proposal and its related impacts to groundwater and traffic is deeply concerning from an environmental and public safety standpoint.
The Wainscott Commercial Center would be the largest commercial/industrial subdivision in the history of East Hampton; be more than double the size of the Bridgehampton Commons; be located next to a New York State-designated Special Ground Water Protection Area, within 600 feet of Georgica Pond; and increase traffic on a stretch of Montauk Highway that is already experiencing one of the highest rates of roadway congestion in the Town of East Hampton and on the entire South Fork.
In early 2023, the Group testified before the East Hampton Town Planning Board. Now, we are waiting for the town’s review of the draft environmental impact statement, and will continue to advocate for the protection of the natural resources of Wainscott and the waters of Georgica Pond in 2024.
