“..some day residents and visitors will survey the significant open land and clean waters remaining in East Hampton and say that Debra Poster was the most effective public servant of her time” - Star Editorial 1/6/94

“As a Planning Board member then as Chair, Debra Poster stood her ground, withstanding nasty personal attacks and other intimidation tactics… with awe we view Debra's tenure…determination and resiliency for 15 years.” - Independent Editorial 12/15/93

“the right person at the right time”

“we want our town back.” – Montauk Resident, 7/22/03
 

Dear Montauk Neighbor,

Living in Springs (and teaching there for 35 years), I know how frustrations and disappointments build up when a community feels their hamlet is neglected or its concerns dismissed by their town board. Montaukers I meet am telling me they're losing what they love best about their hamlet.

“We want our town back “ said one Montauk resident just last week.

Over the last four years we've become derailed. I've heard that all over Montauk, too, (all over town for hat matter.) I've heard the outcry when Montaukers learned this administration plans urban development centers downtown and in the inlet.

“Just leave us alone, we love our Montauk way of life, we'll take care of it, don't  spend our money on out-of-town hired consultants that don't know a thing about how we live,” wrote another Montauk resident.

All of us know how over development and its unrealistic overcrowding, place an enormous burden on our hamlets — more schools, roads, police, firemen, ambulances, garbage issues, sewer districts — all leading to strangulating taxes that working people and senior citizens just cannot afford.

Now, once again (yes, I've seen it before folks), these policies plague Montauk and the rest of East Hampton — policies that increase density, drain pocketbooks, decimate resources, diminish our tourist based economy. No one wants to go to Brookhaven for their vacations, a local man recently warned this administration.

What's more, ignorance and neglect of our codes and refusal to enforce them, permit the disruption of our lives in what once was our quiet safe haven, our neighborhoods and our homes.

Along with others, I was hoping the long awaited (four years now) update of the Comprehensive Plan would plan for what we want for our Town's future and face the issues. Instead (after all the meetings in Montauk and study after study) a plan unveiled in July, four months before a local election, tells us these so called smart growth hamlet development centers are inevitable and we should surrender to it. (click here to see Star Editorial)

Inevitable? Don't believe that for a second. But I know you're too smart to be force fed a development plan by out-of-town consultants who take our money hank to where they live and leave their wrongheaded ideas where we live.

During my 15 years on the town planning board and updating the 1984 Town Comprehensive Plan we faced problems just like the ones we see now. I know first hand that development we do not want is not inevitable. Back then, working together with the people in our hamlets, we reduced density buildout (by 90,000!) using sound planning policies and we still provided housing opportunities for our local people.

I know we can do it again. If I didn't believe that I wouldn't be running for town board. And once we do it, then local government should just get out of our way.

In November, 1 am running on the Bonac Preservation line as well as the Democratic Party line so that people can speak their voice, people who feel deeply about their homes and neighborhoods, people who are not ready to give up to wrongheaded inevitable growth and development because some document authored by out-of-towners says they have to throw in the towel.

Folks, these issues really go beyond party politics. They are about our homes, our town, the way we live. I agree with people who say our town has been derailed. I'm asking you to give me a chance to help, a chance to work with you, to get our town and its hamlets back on the right track.
 
 

Sincerely,

Deb Foster
Running for Town Board on the Democratic and
Bonac Preservation lines