Supervisor candidates square off in Flanders
The Town of Southampton will get a new supervisor soon, as incumbent Jay Schneiderman is facing a term limit after eight years in office.
The two candidates seeking to the fill the post — Democrat Maria Moore and Republican Cyndi McNamara — spoke Aug. 16 before the Flanders, Riverside and Northampton Community Association.
Ms. Moore said many of the issues in Flanders, Riverside and Northampton are similar to those she faced while serving as mayor of Westhampton Beach, including the need for an expensive sewer connection and the removal of blighted and shuttered gas stations.
Ms. McNamara said that the many issues facing those Southampton hamlets are challenges that don’t plague other areas of the town.
“The town may be turning a blind eye to some of these issues,” she said.
Ms. Moore has been mayor of Westhampton Beach for nine years, while Ms. McNamara has been a Southampton Town councilwoman for the past two years.
As mayor, Ms. Moore said, she was able to get things accomplished by talking to residents, rather than arguing. The $16 million Main Street sewer and sidewalk upgrade there was something officials had been discussing for years, because it was seen as necessary to improve the village’s finances. She said the village “applied for every grant” and ended up getting about $14 million in funding toward the project.
FRNCA’s long range goal is to upgrade infrastructure across all three hamlets but the group’s initial focus is on Riverside, which is considered one of the most impoverished hamlets in all of Suffolk County.
Like Westhampton Beach, the town has been trying to get a sewer hookup for years.
About eight years ago, Southampton Town compiled a “Riverside Revitalization Action Plan,” which envisioned apartments on top of small stores near the traffic circle. However, none of the proposals ever came to fruition because of the lack of sewage facilities.
Officials have been told that the estimated cost of installing sewers is more than $20 million.
On the issue of abandoned gas stations, residents have objected to the proposed development of a 7-Eleven convenience store and gas station on the Riverside traffic circle. That project would replace a vacant gas station, but residents argue that there are already five 7-Elevens in the area. The proposal had been in the planning stage for almost three years.
Other issues brought up by FRNCA members included the parking situation at the former Wildwood bowling alley.
Ms. McNamara said Southampton Town tried to buy the bowling alley, but was outbid by a church, which has drawn complaints about parking.
