Working Group Pitches Smaller Homes in East Hampton

Those looking to build their dream palace in East Hampton may need to look elsewhere if a working group sees its proposal through.

The working group pitched the town board on cutting the maximum allowable size of a single-family home in half, the East Hampton Star reported. The group — responsible for evaluating potential zoning code changes — recommended the maximum home size drop from 20,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet.

Town planning director Jeremy Samuelson noted that the maximum size currently allowed easily exceeds the size of the largest big box store that could come to town.

While the size change being proposed could hurt buyers and builders, it may work wonders for sellers. Homes already built would be grandfathered under the previous rule, meaning homes up to 20,000 square feet would quickly become a rare commodity in town.

It would only apply to lots greater than two acres, as smaller lots already aren’t allowed to have homes greater than 10,000 square feet.

East Hampton wouldn’t be the first town on the East End to eye the elimination of grandiose homes. In 2022, Southold Town in the North Fork banned the construction of large homes, except those that would be on exorbitant lots.

The working group also proposed including finished basements and attached garages in the calculation of a home’s gross floor area. Councilperson Cate Rogers noted that people are using the current code to build below grade to adhere to its rules, which isn’t addressed properly in the code.

Councilperson David Lys expressed concerns about the recommendations, worrying they would disproportionately affect owners with smaller lot sizes.

Other recommendations of the group included considering distance to groundwater for all structures, matching rooftop deck railings to commercial standards, including glass railings in building heights and updating the maximum height of accessory structures.

The meeting before the town board included an hour of public comment. The town expects to hear from more residents.

— Holden Walter-Warner