Southampton Town officials move hearing to fit anticipated crowd

With a large crowd expected for next week’s third public hearing for a controversial proposed plan to build a golf and country club in East Quogue, Southampton Town officials announced they have moved the location of the hearing to fit the anticipated crowd.

The public hearing on “The Hills at Southampton” project will now take place at the East Quogue Elementary School next week, according to Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman’s office. 

While Schneiderman had announced at the last hearing on the issue in December that the next hearing would be held at Town Hall, “due to the expected crowd size for the third public hearing, the location has now been changed back to the East Quogue Elementary School at 6 Central Avenue,” a statement from the town read.

The last two meetings on the “The Hills at Southampton” project, which proposes creating a mixed use planned development district to develop 168 acres on Spinney Road in East

Quogue with 118 residential units and a golf and country club, drew several hundred people. 
Opponents of the project are concerned that construction of the golf course would have a negative impact in the Long Island Pine Barrens area.

Both meetings have previously taken place at the elementary school. The hearing will take place at 6 p.m. on Jan.10 at East Quogue Elementary School.