ZBA: Southampton day camp needs variance

The Southampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals has ordered the proprietor of a former tennis camp to seek a variance to open a summer day camp with cottages for overnight counselors, prompting cheers from a group of North Sea residents.

"I'm proud of the board, that they made the determination they made," John Barona, president of the Little Fresh Ponds Association, said after Thursday night's meeting. "They protected the community's best interests."

The site's owner said he will pursue whatever variances are required and expressed confidence that the project will proceed. The site of the proposed Southampton Day Camp, near Little Fresh Ponds in the town's North Sea area, is owned by Jay Jacobs, chairman of the state's Democratic Party and proprietor of several summer camps. He bought the property in 2010 for $7 million and wants to operate a camp with as many as 400 school-age campers and 100 staff members.

But residents worry the camp will harm the fresh pond.

In a 16-page decision, the seven members of the ZBA voted unanimously to require Southampton Day Camp to seek a variance for the use of the property as a camp, saying tennis camp and day camp are not interchangeable under zoning laws. They did, however, say the camp was not "abandoned" as association officials suggested.

Jacobs said the part of the decision denying abandonment was a greater hurdle to overcome, because it spared him from having to reapply for various camp-related permits and variances. The tennis camp has been closed for several years, the board said.

"We will . . . be seeking whatever variances are necessary, to make whatever changes we need to make, and we will be operating on that site in due course," Jacobs said.

The ruling allows the site to be opened as a tennis camp immediately, but Jacobs said he had not decided if he will do so.

Dueling lawsuits related to the site are winding their way through State Supreme Court in Riverhead. One, filed by Jacobs against Barona and John Gorman, vice president of the homeowners association, alleges defamation over a flier that says Jacobs lied on his applications to the town. The other is a countersuit by Barona and Gorman, accusing Jacobs of filing the lawsuit for intimidation.