Brooks-Park House Demolition On Hold?

Plans to demolish the house and studio buildings on a Neck Path property that once belonged to artists James Brooks and Charlotte Park may have to be put on hold, according to a Springs man.

David Buda, a constant observer and frequent critic of East Hampton Town government, said in a letter to town board members November 30 that they erred when voting to approve the bidding process to demolish the structures. He said the board had not followed the protocol required by town code.

According to Buda, because the site has previously been designated historic, any proposal to demolish structures on it must be vetted by the town’s architectural review board. Buda said he checked its agendas and minutes and does not see the issue listed.

The town board had declared the historic nature of the buildings part of the reason for acquiring the parcel using Community Preservation Fund money.

While the structures on the property are in serious disrepair, there is one small cottage that the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center in Springs, which is run by Stony Brook University and is headed by Helen Harrison, is interested in acquiring. According to Harrison, who spoke about the proposed acquisition of the tiny cottage during a recent East Hampton Town Planning Board meeting, Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock were close friends with Brooks and Park and would stay in the cottage when they visited the couple. The cottage would be relocated to the Pollock-Krasner property.

t.e@indyeastend.com