Town officials announced on Thursday that they are planning to remove the “stilt house” that collapsed into the icy waters off Mulford Lane on Napeague over the weekend.
The one-story structure has been encased in ice, though it does appear to be moving closer to shore, and the Town Building Department declared it unsafe — “an imminent risk to public safety, navigation, and nearby coastal resources,” according to a statement from the town, which is what allows the town to take emergency action.
“Protecting public safety and our coastal environment is a responsibility we take seriously,” Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez says in the statement. “I am grateful to Governor Hochul and her team for their support and quick coordination as we work with the [New York State Department of Environmental Conservation] to address this hazard. This structure had reached a point where inaction would have put people, property, and natural resources at risk, and acting quickly and responsibly is the right course.”
According to the town, the Building Department placarded the site as unsafe under the New York State Property Maintenance Code on Feb. 3. “Town officials determined that the deteriorating structure posed a serious risk of further breakup and debris dispersal into Gardiner’s Bay and surrounding wetlands,” the statement says.
“To prevent debris from becoming a broader hazard to marine traffic, nearby properties, and sensitive natural areas, the Town submitted an Emergency Authorization request to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation,” the town statement explains.
“The proposed removal plan calls for barge-based access only, with no shoreline disturbance, and includes containment measures such as a debris boom to minimize environmental impacts. All debris would be removed by barge and disposed of at an approved upland facility.”
State officials confirmed that the Town may proceed under emergency authority while DEC completes its review of the Emergency Authorization.
Patrick Derenze, the public information officer for the town, says the contracted price for the work is $30,000. “We will try to recover our costs from the homeowner,” he says, noting the town has an obligation to act due to the emergency.
The abandoned house had stood on pilings for approximately two decades, but it became partially submerged in the water when the piling apparently snapped during the cold spell when Gardiner’s Bay iced over. It has been uninhabitable and disconnected from utilities for many years.
Jim Grimes, the deputy clerk for the East Hampton Town Trustees, a separate body from the Town of East Hampton, says he went down to Mulford Lane on Thursday to have a look again. “The ice has broken up around it. Looks like some debris is moving away from it,” he says.
On Monday, town officials told Behind The Hedges the owner — despite the structure being surrounded by water for decades — had been informed.
“This was a rapidly evolving situation that required close coordination across Town departments and with our state partners,” says Councilmember Tom Flight. “Our focus has been to address the hazard quickly and responsibly, with a plan that protects public safety, reduces risks to navigation, and limits impacts to nearby wetlands and coastal waters. Using a barge-based approach with containment measures allows the work to be done in a controlled manner and helps prevent debris from spreading into the bay and along the shoreline.”
The actual work will likely take place on Tuesday or Thursday, according to Derenze. They would move sooner, he says, but weather conditions over the next few days will not allow it.
The town is working with Chesterfield Associates, Inc. on the barge-based containment and removal work “once conditions allow safe mobilization.” It is expected to take approximately two days to complete.
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