New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. and East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell today asked the New York State Department of Transportation to proceed with the originally scheduled night paving of the Amagansett shopping district.

With the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) set to start repaving a 15 mile stretch of Montauk Highway in East Hampton in just a few short weeks, DOT just recently announced a possible change that would call for a 1500 foot section of Montauk Highway in the downtown Amagansett shopping area to be repaved during off-peak day hours instead of night hours, as originally planned.

The elected officials firmly believe that Amagansett business owners and patrons should be given the same opportunity that was afforded to the business owners and patrons in the downtown Watermill and Bridgehampton shopping areas during the repaving of Montauk Highway in Southampton earlier this year. Those sections were completed at night.

Small downtown villages are the livelihood of the East End economy, especially in the off-season. The daytime paving would eliminate on-street parking during business hours, greatly affecting our small businesses.

Assemblyman Thiele and Supervisor Cantwell urge business owners in Amagansett to voice any concerns to the Department of Transportation by calling 631.204.5720.