B.A.N. was able to claim victory against the Town sponsored PDD.  The pressure from our community sent a loud and clear message to the leadership in Southampton Town Hall.   However, our work is not over and we need your help once again for the next upcoming battle which is imminent. The future of the Gateway property in Bridgehampton (across from the Bridgehampton Commons) is critical to the future of our historic hamlet and the Kellis pond watershed.  This watershed area is in trouble as are so many of our once pristine ponds on the East End.  Overdevelopment has and will continue to hurt our natural habitats and freshwater ecosystems unless we are poised to stand up and STOP IT.   The Gateway property was zoned decades ago for Highway Business Zoning long before unrelenting development transformed our local roadways into parking lots and unending development Polluted our local waters. As the Town Board is well aware, this particular project site has been problematic for decades because the type of commercial development that would be allowed under it’s present zoning would only make our traffic and water quality problems worse.  In recent years, growing evidence of degraded ground and surface water quality in the Kellis Pond Watershed have provided stark evidence of the rising levels of Contamination associated with Runoff, Wastewater disposal and Fertilizers within the Watershed. These indicators tell us that aggressive commercial or residential development in our historic hamlet should be prohibited, and that the time has come to revisit the specific Zoning that has been applied to this and other vacant parcels in the western reaches of the Bridgehampton hamlet and throughout the Kellis pond watershed.  Over 30 years ago, no one imagined that our charming hamlets would be overrun with tourists and overdeveloped land. But that is exactly what has happened.  Today, the developer who owns the Bridgehampton Gateway parcels is now seriously considering a CVS on this property and possibly a 28,000 square foot high volume Equinox health club. Under the current Highway Business Zoning, they will still need a variance for a CVS as it is a Convenience store with a pharmacy. Some say it is nothing more than another 7-11.  Bridgehampton certainly does not need another Convenience store/pharmacy across from Kmart, Rite Aid and King Kullen !  This is especially true now that CVS has just opened on Montauk Highway in Wainscot. As you all know, Water Mill, Bridgehampton, Sagaponack and Wainscott are next door neighbors. A project of this magnitude on this particular parcel is simply far too expansive given the property’s inherent site limitations. Just the traffic congestion and bottlenecks alone on Montauk Highway in the immediate vicinity of the project are enough to say STOP! Add this with the declining water quality conditions in nearby Kellis Pond (which is already listed as an impaired body of water by New York State) connected to several other ponds and Mecox Bay, add grave concern.   The Gateway is a high visibility location, which magnifies the impact of any aggressive development of this site. The proposal the developer is considering has many of the same planning and environmental impact, and design concerns that were present in the prior Gateway PDD proposal.   We believe any development of this site that would result in the further Degradation of Traffic conditions, the Quality of Local Ground and Surface Waters, or the Aesthetic character of Bridgehampton should be prohibited. The best possible outcome for the Gateway parcel would be public acquisition through the Town’s Community Preservation Fund and or other preservation groups on the East End. This would allow for the purpose of passive recreation, water quality protection and visual aesthetics at the entrance to one of the Town’s most historic hamlets, Bridgehampton.  As a community, we are united in our commitment to achieve a vastly improved approach to planning and zoning for Bridgehampton as it reaches its final “build out” and we are prepared to challenge any and all development applications that put our roadways, Visual Character and Precious Water resources at further risk of degradation.  We want protection of our open spaces that enhances the Bridgehampton's Historic character, and achieve the highest level of Water Quality Protection.  Please urge the Town Board to consider a REZONING of this parcel to a low intensity use category that would "minimize traffic" allow for the greatest protection of the site’s natural environment and preserve the site’s visual character.  We thank you for your time and attention to our comments about the future of this critical parcel and what role the Town can play in providing the greatest level of Environmental Protection and Community Character Preservation.    Bridgehampton Action Now is 501(C)3 not-for profit organization.  Your support in signing this petition will help us with the Town Board.  However, in order for us to claim victory to keep the Gateway Green, we will need funds to pay for legal and or any other fees that are necessary. Any donation is greatly appreciated - Payable to Bridgehampton Action Now Send your kind donation to PO Box 1245, Bridgehampton , N.Y. 11932