Sag Harbor Voters Approve Marsden Street Purchases

Residents of the Sag Harbor School District approved, in a 638-521 vote on November 3, a plan to expend $3.28 million in capital reserve funds toward the purchase of five lots on Marsden Street for athletic fields directly across from Pierson Middle High School. But the deal also hinges on the Southampton Town Board agreeing to contribute $6 million from the Community Preservation Fund to the deal. In this week's podcast, the editors and reporter Cailin Riley discuss questions of whether it is an appropriate use of CPF money, why Sag Harbor needs more public recreational space and what would happen if the Town Board does not agree to allocate the funds. While the district has yet to make a decision regarding whether the athletic fields will be grass or artificial turf, the editors discuss the benefits of artificial turf as well as the concerns some parents have about their children using the playing surface.