Landmarks board approves one‑year COA for Bridgehampton Museum outdoor sculptures

The Town of Southampton Landmarks and Historic Districts Board voted June 30 to approve a certificate of appropriateness (COA) authorizing rotating outdoor sculpture exhibits at the Nathaniel Rogers House, home of the Bridgehampton Museum, but limited the approval to the 2026 season and excluded permanent lighting and moving pieces that would distract drivers.

Connor Flanigan, agent for the Bridgehampton Museum, told the board the museum’s program highlights east-end artists and that large works are planned a year in advance while smaller works may be swapped during a season. He said the museum aims to avoid blocking the principal façade visible from Montauk Highway and that it has no plan for permanent exterior lighting: “we don’t have any lighting plans really for any of these sculptures…there’s the very very basic pathway lighting…otherwise we don’t plan to have any light installation,” Flanigan said.

Concerns raised by board members and public commenters focused on precedent and visibility: speakers noted that sculptures placed directly on sidewalks or within public rights-of-way can create pedestrian and traffic issues and that neon or internally lit works raise dark‑sky and nuisance questions. Edward Snowski of Bridgehampton urged the board to apply Secretary of the Interior standards when considering impacts on historic character and recommended a public hearing to address broader policy for outdoor displays in the village.

Board members discussed whether to issue a blanket, open-ended COA or a time-limited authorization and whether review thresholds should hinge on visibility from Montauk Highway or proximity to public walkways. The board ultimately agreed to a year-limited COA for 2026 and directed staff to circulate a revised resolution removing the word “ongoing” and specifying the seasonal authorization. The resolution notes that any future exhibit that does not conform to the attached narrative and map will require a subsequent COA review.

The board’s action is advisory to the town administration where required by town code: the chair will forward the COA and resolution to the CPF fund manager and the town clerk per Section 330-324E. The board said it expects to convene a public hearing or community forum later to consider broader rules for outdoor displays on Main Street and other public-facing sites.

The board approved the revised COA by motion; no roll-call vote tally was recorded in the meeting transcript. The chair said she will circulate the final amended resolution after the meeting.