Financial Wizards - 27 East

Letters

Southampton Press / Opinion / Letters / 2336587
Jan 21, 2025

Financial Wizards

I am trying to understand the thinking of the financial wizards in Southampton Town Hall. In a heartbeat they decided to spend $4 million to purchase the Casa Basso property [“Southampton Town Eyes Purchase of Casa Basso, Castle in Westhampton for Waterfront Park,” 27east.com, December 4]. In the same heartbeat they removed the portable toilet from Ponquogue Beach parking Lot. I don’t think it was in the budget.

The town plans to make a park out of the Casa Basso property. That’s hard to understand since they recently cleaned up the Bel-Aire Cove Motel property to get it ready to make a park. So far, nothing has been done in regards to making that park. Have they forgotten about the Bel-Aire property? Spring is only a few weeks away.

Other projects are languishing that should take precedence over Casa Basso: lovely Hampton Bays Diner, 7Zs Swimming Pool property, Getty by Route 24 traffic circle. They are the ultimate in blight and many of us see them often.

The reason for a portable toilet is obvious. Bike riders, bridge walkers, fishermen and women and tourists need a place to go, all year. There are cactus and poison ivy in the nearby woods. It’s unsanitary. There’s no toilet paper. (I bet there are clean, warm restrooms in Town Hall.)

Jim Dreeben

Hampton Bays