East Hampton planning board signals support for workforce-housing concept at 350 Panago Road

The East Hampton Planning Board on June 26 signaled its preference for a privately financed "workforce housing" concept for 350 Panago Road and asked the planning director to send a memo to the Town Board documenting the board27s support.

Christopher Kelly, attorney for the applicant, described a proposal that would change how the town27s affordable-housing overlay is used: instead of tenant-based rental units tied to household income, private developers would build units to be sold to local employers for use by workers. Kelly said the concept includes code changes to increase density (up to 12 units per acre in proposed language), require oversight by the town27s housing office, and limit resale profits so units remain affordable in perpetuity.

The applicant27s managing partner, Kirby Mark Antonio of 350 Panago LLC, told the board the team hopes to build roughly 48 one-, two- and three-bedroom townhouse units served by a package sewage-treatment system. He said units would be priced below comparable market housing and sold to employers for their employees; he added Southampton Hospital expressed interest in as many as 30 units to house medical staff for a new emergency room opening nearby.

Board members pressed for details. Sharon (Planning Board member) and others asked whether units would be year-round or seasonal, how a "unit" is counted for density purposes (one-bedroom vs three-bedroom intensity), and what legal protections would preserve affordability if employers own the units. Lou (Planning Board member) emphasized he still prefers traditional affordable housing targeted to year-round residents but said the workforce model could meet pressing staffing needs if properly regulated. Several members urged that the proposal return with specific statutory language and a site plan if the Town Board advances any zoning amendments.

Kelly and Kirby said the plan would include a cap on resale and mechanisms to ensure intended occupants are eligible employees; they also noted the project27s package septic system and parking/traffic impacts would be addressed at site-plan review.

The board did not adopt a final motion to change zoning but reached a consensus that the workforce-housing concept is preferable to the pending three-lot subdivision for this parcel and authorized the planning director to document that position to the Town Board. The board asked that any legislation or code changes come back to the Planning Board for review and that a formal site plan be prepared if the Town Board moves forward.

Next steps: the applicant is expected to take the board27s input to the Town Board and to prepare more detailed statutory language and site plans for further review.