East Hampton Town Debates Building Traffic Circle Near Parkland

Residents voiced their concerns about plans to build a traffic circle near Sherrill Triangle Park during a public hearing at the East Hampton Town Board meeting on August 15.

The construction of the proposed traffic circle is intended to alleviate congestion on the surrounding roads of the park. Sherrill Triangle is situated at a point where North Main Street branches off into Springs Fireplace Road and Three Mile Harbor Road. The street provides crucial access to the northern portion of the town from Montauk Highway, and is highly congested as a result. East Hampton officials have proposed the removal of the park from the town nature preserve, allowing a traffic circle to be constructed in the area. But opponents of the roundabout believe it to be unsightly and a desecration of natural parkland.

“There are two issues at stake here tonight,” resident Betsy Petroski told the board. “One is the alienation of a beautiful nature preserve and woodland that is important to our environment. The other is the possibility of constructing a massive asphalt and concrete roundabout that this board is considering at the base of the entryway to our two working class neighborhoods.”

Many more residents opposed the idea, citing that the movement of cars near the serenity of the parkland should not be prioritized over pedestrian movement. But the proposal was not entirely unpopular with the public. A few proponents of the traffic circle made mention of the dire traffic conditions around the park, making the area noisy and unpleasant. If done tastefully, according to some of the residents, the roundabout would actually make the area more tolerable.

“The noise, screams and honks from the highway to the fork are incredibly unsettling,” resident Prudence Carabine said. “There’s a sense of catastrophe and danger in the area. You just take your life in your hands trying to walk or bike in the area.”

The town board is expected to continue debating the issue at future meetings, pending approvals from outside agencies.