Doud: Why Main Streets are a model foraging Long Island towns

Main Streets across Long Island continue to define the communities that surround them.

So when their retail storefronts become tired, aging and obsolete, it not only directly impacts the perception of that community, it also drags down property values, increases the tax burden on residential homeowners, and places a subtle asterisk on that community as a place that has lost its way. Like much of the East End, Hampton Bays has experienced a substantial strengthening in property values and is a thriving Hamptons town, commonly favored for its access to waterfront and its active year-round community but with an improved Main Street–it could truly reach its full potential.

In Hampton Bays, one homeowner truly believes in his town’s potential and is leveraging his development experience to propose a reimagining of that community’s downtown which has the means to act as a regional model for other villages and townships.

Alfred Caiola met this summer with a community group to discuss his proposal to create a pedestrian-friendly Hampton Bays downtown that deliberately seeks to maintain the character of the community while abiding by the recently approved “Pattern Book” that the Southampton Town Board drafted and passed for the purpose of setting out specific guidelines for development.

He envisions new store facades for retailers that serve the community—some residential above those stores—and a road that allows easy pedestrian access to the existing, but underutilized, community green known as Good Ground Park.

This essayist doesn’t know Caiola, but his proposal comes to the community at the right time. Hampton Bays residents currently face a “Main Street” that has several nods to improvements, including a few celebrated stores, restaurants and beautiRcation efforts, but for the most part it is comprised of take-out joints, nail salons, a small strip mall with less than inviting outlets, and few and far between choices for a night out. What was once a charming, vibrant Main Street has, for the most part, lost its luster.

Caiola and supporters aim to restore the downtown as a thriving vibrant place. With increased property values, the town now has an opportunity—a calling—to hold onto its
unique ambiance while making it a better place for the next generation of locals and visitors.

What makes Caiola’s efforts of particular note for the Long Island development community is his recognition that there must be grassroots engagement regarding his proposal. Only in that way does it have the means of becoming a shared vision that is equally consistent with the strategic planning document approved by the Town of Southampton. A veteran of various real estate development projects, Caiola recognizes that no proposal can move forward without community support, and so he has engaged in what is essentially a neighborhood listening tour.

There will be critics. On Long Island that is as constant as gravity.

Caiola has already met with one community group this summer where some 150 people filled a library meeting room for an informative and candid discussion. Surrounded by artist renderings of what might be possible, residents discussed what they liked about his plan and areas they believe still need to be addressed. What was striking was there were no raised voices, no personal attacks—only a genuine desire to actually engage in examining the options for an improved Main Street.

He has continued his outreach as he recognizes the importance of a sustained community involvement regarding specific aspects of Caiola’s plan that relate to height; aesthetics; and how to incorporate his vision with the Pattern Book that was the result of years of discussion, review, comment and debate. Also for community discussion is how best to incorporate the aforementioned community park in his overall proposal that creates an inviting downtown.

While the details are important, what is particularly welcoming is there is now respectful dialogue among all parties that recognize the need for change, that compromise and consensus is possible in considering redevelopment. Time is not on the side of an aging Main Street anywhere on Long Island, least of all Hampton Bays. There is now a unique opportunity for a community’s heritage and modern redevelopment to come together for the betterment of the town and the quality of life sought by its residents.

A Hampton Bays resident, Sarah Doud is a real estate salesperson with Saunders & Associates on the East End.

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Hampton Bays Revitalization Proposal Launches New Website

Discover the exciting possibilities for revitalizing downtown Hampton Bays! A new website has launched, inviting residents to explore redevelopment opportunities and share their thoughts on the future of our community. Spearheaded by local homeowner Alfred Caiola, this initiative follows a series of engaging community meetings aimed at gathering feedback and fostering collaboration.

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