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West Neck Circle proposal on tiny lot draws neighbor opposition; ZBA asks for landscaping and stair reductions
Summary
A proposal for a 1,818 sq ft house at 29 West Neck Circle drew strong neighbor opposition over lot size, rear and side setback relief, and drainage; the board asked for reduced stairs, a landscaping buffer, revised survey and written submissions and held the application to August 6, 2026.
The Southampton Zoning Board of Appeals heard competing testimony June 4 over a proposed new house at 29 West Neck Circle, a pre‑existing tiny lot in the West Neck hamlet.
Applicants Sarah Simmons and architect Scott Rose described a modest two‑story house designed to meet flood elevation requirements and to fit the neighborhood scale. The application seeks multiple dimensional variances: front yard relief measured from West Neck Circle (from 80 feet to roughly 30.1 feet for the porch), a rear setback reduction to about 12.4 feet, deck/stair accessory setbacks and a pyramid encroachment of about 772.52 cubic feet on the north side.
Neighbor Nika Strunk, representing John and Susan Stewart, submitted a handout, cited town GIS data and argued the lot is extremely small (5,217 sq ft) — roughly 6.5% of the R80 district minimum — and said the proposed dwelling, including more than 500 sq ft of porches and decks, would be out of character, would reduce light and privacy for adjacent small homes, and might worsen existing drainage. Another neighbor, Constance Clayman, spoke in favor of the applicant’s design but acknowledged the constrained nature of the lot.
Board members who visited the site agreed the lot is tightly constrained. They recommended specific revisions: remove or consolidate external staircases where possible to reduce sideyard encroachments (one or two stairs could be eliminated), supply a landscaping/screening plan that includes significant vegetation along the shared lot line, and examine whether the orientation or footprint can be shifted to relieve the most extreme setbacks. The board also asked for clarification on septic and driveway locations and asked the applicant to consider moving the house forward only if it would not create other functional problems (septic, parking, pyramid impact).
The board held the hearing open and set written submissions due July 24 and a return appearance for August 6, 2026. Members signaled they remain open to a modest amount of relief given the lot’s history and size but want concrete, verifiable steps to reduce visual and privacy impacts for neighbors before granting relief.
