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ZBA asks for more engineering details on proposed Montauk house after geotechnical review
Summary
At the June 2 ZBA session the board requested additional geotechnical and retaining‑wall details for a proposed 2,667 sq ft house at 273 Old Montauk Highway. Engineers reported loose fill near surface but competent soils at depth; the record was left open with a July 7 submission and July 21 town‑engineer review.
The East Hampton Zoning Board of Appeals left the public record open on June 2 for a Montauk homeowner to provide additional engineering and construction‑protocol information after geotechnical results prompted detailed board questions.
Attorney Alice Kulie presented the applicant team for Kevin Gaddy, accompanied by TF Engineering’s geotechnical engineer Ethan Zoeski. The consultants reported that near‑surface soils appear loose—consistent with placed fill—but found competent material at roughly 10 feet below the finished floor (reported as elevation 86). Zoeski described a proposed approach: excavate to the competent elevation, install four feet of engineered structural backfill in compacted lifts, and then construct conventional footings. “What we ended up coming to the conclusion is that the top layer of soil there is rather loose ... but if you go down to elevation 86 ... there’s actually good material,” Zoeski said.
Board members pressed the applicant on how perimeter stability would be maintained during deep excavation, how much fill the proposed pool would require, and how the retaining wall would be founded. The town and the board requested a construction protocol that addresses temporary shoring, design details and how fill will be measured and controlled to prevent destabilizing slopes or wetlands.
Planning staff and the applicant agreed the additional material should be forwarded to the town engineer for review. The ZBA set a schedule: the applicant will submit the requested engineering analysis by July 7, and the town engineer will have time to review before the matter returns for further consideration (the board set a target of July 21 for the engineer’s response).
