[Amended 10-17-2003 by L.L. No. 12-2003]
East Hampton Village contains many residential and commercial structures of historic value. It is famed as one of America’s most beautiful and uniquely situated villages. Distinct commercial areas still retain desirable features which make them compatible with the Village’s character and scale. East Hampton residents derive considerable peace of mind from their congenial physical surroundings. As old ways of farming and fishing have waned, it is that character and charm that now provide the basis for its resort economy. It is that resort economy that now poses the greatest threat to the Village’s physical appearance. Much requires preservation and stabilization while inevitable growth and development require compatibility and tasteful “fit” into an existing fabric. Commercial and industrial properties interface with residential and historical areas. It is essential that that rural-residential aspect be maintained: green open spaces, screening, rear yard parking, limited vehicular access, etc. The Village Board finds that new development can otherwise have a substantial adverse impact on the character, health and safety of the area in which it is located. Inappropriate exterior design of buildings or structures and development of grounds adversely affect the desirability of immediate and neighboring areas for residential and commercial purposes and, by so doing, impair the benefits of occupancy of existing property in such cases, impair the stability of values of both improved and unimproved real property in such areas and preclude the most appropriate development of such areas. The Village Board finds that the aggravation and intrusion of further restrictions on the use and enjoyment of private property is more than offset by the common advantage in the maintenance of overall values and avoidance of assaults on the senses which in this Village’s case are especially dependent on the aesthetic quality and physical attributes of the community. Some harmful effects of one land use upon another can be prevented through zoning, subdivision controls and building codes. Other aspects of construction or development are more subtle and less amenable to rules promulgated without regard to specific construction or development proposals. Among these are the general form of the land before and after development, the spatial relationships of the structures and open spaces to proximate land uses and the appearance of buildings and open spaces as they contribute to an area as it is being developed. Such mailers require the timely exercise of judgment in the public interest by people qualified to evaluate the design of new construction and development.