Southampton Town ups contract with firm in lawsuit involving proposed East Quogue golf course

Southampton Town has increased the amount of its contract with an Islandia-based law firm to represent it in a lawsuit involving a controversial East Quogue golf course plan.

The town Zoning Board of Appeals voted in November that an 18-hole golf course could be considered an accessory use to a residential subdivision and be built under current zoning. The decision paved the way for a project once known as The Hills – which has drawn attention for its location in the environmentally sensitive central pine barrens – to move forward. The application is currently before the town planning board.

Environmentalists, Assemb. Fred W. Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) and East Quogue residents in December filed a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the zoning board decision.

The Town Board voted in January to hire Margolin Besunder, LLP and pay the firm up to $15,000 to defend the town in the lawsuit. It voted 5-0 at its June 11 meeting to raise that amount to $50,000.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.