Hoping everyone reads the Q&A article in The Southampton Press concerning the development of the Shinnecock Nation’s Westwoods property [“Q&A: Lance Gumbs Says Agreement With State for Highway Access Would Benefit Everyone,” 27east.com, November 22]. I agree with Lance Gumbs: They are not the enemy.
Due diligence is an essential activity, particularly when wading into, for some, highly charged subject matter. I say this because I can cite my own success story, by having done my due diligence on an issue that had huge repercussions for Hampton Bays and the entire Town of Southampton.
For those of you who are unaware: Because of my proactive and independent efforts to get informed and, in turn, alert my community about the public and environmental safety issues of siting grid-scale lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS), this hot topic spread like wildfire, pun intended.
As a direct result of my scholarly desk research findings, I raised the flag to our then Hampton Bays Citizens Advisory Committee Town Board members and had several conversations with the Planning Board.
However, it was ultimately my PowerPoint presentation about grid-scale BESS to the Hampton Bays Civic Association (via an invite from the then-president, Maria Hults) that informed and alerted an unaware community-at-large about this technology, the Canal Southampton BESS and another pre-applicant at the time.
As a result, a groundswell of organized opposition was created, many of whom are continuing to do their own due diligence on the subject.
As a result, local government officials and other authorities having jurisdiction were forced to educate themselves on this subject.
As a result, we no longer have to concern ourselves with residential grid-scale BESS zoning in the Town of Southampton. And I trust that the Town Board will ensure that this status remains in perpetuity, along with capping the size of stand-alone BESS systems at 5 megawatts and systems tied to a solar array at 20 megawatts.
Margaret Friedlander
Hampton Bays
Clarity for AdvocacyThank you for your recent publication of the Q&A with Lance Gumbs, which delivered critical information and transparency to your readers around the development plans for Westwoods [“Q&A: Lance Gumbs Says Agreement With State for Highway Access Would Benefit Everyone,”...
StraightforwardI just read Joseph Shaw’s interview with Lance Gumbs [“Q&A: Lance Gumbs Says Agreement With State for Highway Access Would Benefit Everyone,” 27east.com, November 22]. I was so impressed with Lance’s honest, candid and informed answers. After each interview question,...
Beneficial ProgramWe are very saddened by the news that the Southampton History Museum is terminating the lease with the Conscience Point Shellfish Hatchery [“Eviction Notice Sparks a Split Between Venerable Museum and Shellfish Group,” 27east.com, November 20]. Their program is not...
Effective StrategySouthampton Town will soon take up a critical proposal to close the town’s nonconforming sand mines and support the longstanding environmental goals of the town’s Comprehensive Plan. There is likely to be some drama, but here is what your readers...
The Real ProblemSince the Shinnecock Nation cleared trees from the Westwoods property in the middle of the night in early February, the town has insisted on an approach of open dialogue and friendly communication with the nation. Since the summer, when the...
Giving ThanksThe Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5350 in Westhampton Beach completed its annual “Turkey Trot” on Thanksgiving morning at Gabreski Airport. The weather is traditionally challenging on this great American holiday, and it was again on this day, yet many...
History Before 1640I was very disappointed to learn that the Southampton History Museum is evicting the Conscience Point Shellfish Hatchery from Conscience Point in order to highlight the English settlers who landed here in 1640 [“Eviction Notice Sparks a Split Between Venerable...
Profound ImpactI had the privilege of volunteering at Conscience Point Shellfish for over three years. This experience was instrumental in shaping my marine science career — and it’s deeply disheartening to think that future students might not have the same opportunity....
