Community Vision
Community outcry against the Army Corps post-Super Storm Sandy Downtown Montauk Stabiliztion Project beach reclamation through the use of geo-bags is strong. Yet, without these bags the entirety of downtown Montauk and the Plaza area is under imminent threat. The hotels and motels on the beach will continue to be threatened by the rising waters of the Atlantic.
Suburbanization, urban renewal and urban sprawl were never and are not a threat in Montauk. What is a problem in Montauk is a lack of affordable housing and the imminent threat of rising water.
Short-term rental websites like VRBO and HomeAway have incentivized cash-strapped local families to rent out their primary residences in the summer season to make a quick buck. Although use of these sites is illegal in the Town of East Hampton, their use is impossible to regulate (and regulation may indeed by unconstitutional). The effort to make a buck during the short season puts The Plaza area of Montauk under unbelievable crowd pressure in the summer months.
Parking in the Kirk Beach Lot (west of The Plaza area) and on the street lends some volume control, but people taking the Long Island Rail Road to Montauk also contribute to wild overcrowding. A light rail line or regularly scheduled shuttle bus service running to and from the Village of East Hampton would alleviate traffic pressure, and make entering, and more importantly, exiting The Plaza area of Montauk more efficient.
Including the community through comprehensive charrettes to explore beneficial, more compact planning options for The Plaza area is advised.
The Avallone Apartments were the first affordable rental housing project developed by the East Hampton Housing Authority in 1993. The property was originally surplus federal military housing purchased by developers then donated to the Town of East Hampton. There are only seventeen units to serve the entirety of Montauk. NIMBYs make the development of affordable housing difficult in this part of the world.