Southampton Town Police issue traffic advisories ahead of Trump visit to South Fork

Long Island Morning Edition

The clubhouse, a traditional social hub in housing complexes, would have exam rooms. Senior apartments would be equipped with technology for telehealth visits and monitors to check for vitals, like blood pressure and heart rates. A shuttle will bus residents to nearby medical centers.

Northwell Health is pitching a senior and workforce housing development on 44 acres in Eastport to bring health care services to the town's aging population.

The concept serves a dual purpose by creating affordable housing for Northwell staff and units specifically designed to meet the needs of seniors, according to the health group. Joe Werkmeister reports in NEWSDAY that the proposal is a first-of-its-kind project for Northwell, the state's largest health care provider, and would address a critical need for affordable housing on the East End, developers said.

Andrew Mitchell, former president and CEO of Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead — a Northwell hospital — is leading the project as a consultant. He pitched Southampton town board members on the plan at their July 25 meeting. About 217 units would be designated for senior housing, with another 60 for health care employees and others. The shuttle would be available to bus residents to Northwell’s Manorville complex, where the Northwell Health Grossman Imaging at Manorville and other facilities are located.

Growing the supply of affordable housing for seniors has been a top focus for town officials.

About 23% of Southampton Town's population is 65 or older, compared with Suffolk County, where 18.2% of residents are 65 or older, according to U.S. census data.

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Riverhead’s controversial emergency order, originally intended to stop migrants and asylum seekers from being relocated to the town, will be renewed indefinitely, Supervisor Tim Hubbard told RiverheadLOCAL recently. Alek Lewis reports on Riverheadlocal.com that Hubbard, who has continued to renew the emergency order first issued by former Supervisor Yvette Aguiar in May 2023, said on July 18 that he would stop the emergency “when they stop shipping migrants up north towards New York City and there’s just even a remote possibility that they would be brought here.” “I don’t know that there’s a statistical point” when the order would end, Hubbard said. There is still the “threat” of people who need housing in border states coming to the town, he said. “There’s going to have to be a much stronger stance on the border crossing than there is now,” he said. Hubbard said he “would like to see it go back to the norm of, if you come into this country the proper way. Period. Just like many, many, many immigrants have done. Legally. Through the proper channels.” It’s been almost 15 months since Aguiar declared the emergency, claiming on May 16, 2023 that “well over 1,000” migrants were imminently being bused to Riverhead by New York City. Former Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller told RiverheadLOCAL he had “no credible knowledge” supporting rumors of migrants being bused to the town.

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The Southold Town Board and Greenport Village Board remained at an impasse over the best way to spend Community Preservation Fund money after a testy two-and-a-half hour joint work session this past Tuesday. Beth Young in EAST END BEACON reports that for the past 25 years, each of the five East End towns has been collecting money in a dedicated fund for environmental preservation, paid for through a 2 percent transfer tax on real estate transactions. Initially the program enabled the towns to use the funds primarily for land preservation, but those uses have expanded over the years to include water quality and historic projects. Greenport residents and representatives initially came to the Southold Town Board’s July 16 meeting asking that a portion of Southold Town’s CPF money be used within Greenport Village boundaries — the village is within Southold Town and CPF money from real estate transfers there goes to Southold. Though the town has preserved about 345 acres surrounding Greenport Village, it has not used the money in the village, which is one square mile and mostly built out.

At the July 30 work session, village representatives pointed out their aging sewer infrastructure and drainage and flooding issues.

But Southold Town staff members who work on land preservation and water quality projects gave presentations arguing that preserving land — particularly farmland — continues to be a priority of the town CPF program, and the town has been using other sources of money for water quality projects. Southold Land Preservation Coordinator Lillian McCullough gave an overview of how the village can be involved in the future with adding potential projects to the CPF project plan, which is due for an update. Members of both boards agreed to work together on this issue, and Southold board members agreed to attend an upcoming work session in Greenport Village to continue the discussion. CPF funds in the five East End towns are enabled by New York State law that gives rigorous guidelines for how preservation projects are considered, and requires the plan be updated every five years.

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Southampton Town Police have issued traffic advisories for extensive delays expected late this afternoon and evening, in anticipation of a fundraising visit to the South Fork by former President Donald J. Trump. Michael Wright reports on 27east.com that police say motorists should expect “rolling road closures” between Westhampton and Bridgehampton on Friday afternoon and evening…asking motorists to avoid traveling local roads if possible. “There will be extensive rolling road closures and heavy gridlock throughout the afternoon and evening hours in the areas of Westhampton, Hampton Bays, Southampton, Shinnecock Hills, North Sea, Water Mill and Bridgehampton,” police said. “Please avoid the area and make alternate route plans.” Former President Trump is expected to attend a fundraiser party in Bridgehampton hosted by Howard Lutnick, the CEO of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald. Bloomberg News reported this week that attendees are contributing as much as $500,000 to the former president’s election campaign to attend this evening’s event. Trump last visited the east end in 2020 when he was raising money for his reelection campaign. On that visit, he flew into Gabreski Airport on Air Force One then flew by helicopter to Southampton and traveled by motorcade to two fundraiser parties, one in Southampton Village and one in Bridgehampton.

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The Sag Harbor Community Band will perform Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, accompanied by 3rd NY Regiment Musketeers, this coming Tuesday, August 6, from 8 to 9 p.m. in Marine Park in Sag Harbor as part of its 66th summer season. The 1812 Overture tells the story of Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, and Russia’s eventual victory over the French invaders. Tchaikovsky composed the musical story through a masterful mix of recurring themes and melodies that are punctuated with cannon fire. To mimic the sound of the 5-inch cannons in the piece, musical director David Brandenburg has brought in the 3rd NY Regiment Musketeers, to play the “cannon” part of the 1812 Overture, as they have the past 10 years. Admission is free, and donations are accepted. Audience members are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair to sit on.