August 07, 2025

 

To: Supervisor Maria Moore and Town Council Members: Rick Martel,

Bill Pell, Cyndi McNamara, and Michael Iasilli

From: Concerned Residents of  the Three Western Hamlets of Southampton, NY

We, the undersigned residents and supporters of the Riverside community, urgently call upon the Town of Southampton to honor its commitments and reconsider housing and development strategies that continue to concentrate 100% on affordable housing in Riverside.

We are not against affordable housing – we are against the repeated and harmful practice of isolating it in a single, underserved neighborhood. For too long, Riverside has been forced to bear the weight of short-sighted planning that perpetuates poverty and neglect, rather than uplifting the community.

In 2015, the Town adopted the Riverside Revitalization Action Plan {RRAP}, a vision that we supported because it promised real balanced change.  That plan called for:

·         Mixed-use and mixed-income development

·         Infrastructure investment (including sewers)

·         Economic development

·         Community-led revitalization

·         Environmental stewardship

We are still waiting. And instead of revitalization, we are being offered more of the same, large scale 100% affordable housing projects that go against the very spirit and goals of the RRAP.

We demand the following:

1.      Stop all new 100% Affordable Housing Projects in Riverside

              These projects are not equitable. They concentrate on poverty, create further  stigma, and deny Riverside the diverse, thriving, community it deserves.

2.      Deliver the Mixed-Use, Mixed-Income Vision Promised in the 2015 RRAP.

We demand the implementation of the original plan: market-rate and affordable housing together alongside retail, small business space, green space, and community amenities. Let Riverside thrive – not just survive.

3.      Prioritize Infrastructure Development -  

Starting with Sewers.

The failure to build proper infrastructure in Riverside is unacceptable. Without sewer systems, we cannot grow. This delay has crippled the community and blocked investment.

4.      End the Stigmatization of Riverside.

We are not defined by closed buildings and crime statistics. We are families, elders, workers, students, and leaders. The community deserves to be seen and treated with dignity – not used as a dumping ground for failed policies.

Riverside, Flanders and Northampton have worked for decades to improve conditions, attract opportunities, and shed the negative image that has plagued our community due to systemic neglect. Yet Riverside remains the focus of damaging development decisions that are out of alignment with our needs and the promises made in 2015.

We are not against development – we are for fair, balanced and community-driven development. It is time the Town of Southampton stops treating Riverside as an afterthought – or worse, a dumping ground.

We will not accept this any longer. Honor your promises. Respect our community.  Build the future Riverside as promised. We hope that this will open the door to further discussion before any decisions are made.

Sincerely,

Concerned Citizens