I left the wild and intense world of Bronx criminal prosecution for the wild and intense world of East Hampton Town land use. I worked for the Town of East Hampton, first as an Assistant Town Attorney, and was later promoted to Deputy Town Attorney. I counseled the Zoning Board and the Town Board on municipal matters. East Hampton Town Zoning work can be very intense. Local zoning work is intense because we live on an island, so land is finite. Because the land is finite, how we use it becomes increasingly important.
Another fact that makes the matters complex is that we live in a wonderful place, where more and more people want to be a part of, and more people choose to live here.
My experiences as an ADA helped me navigate the dicey waters of local municipal law and land use. As an ADA, I always made sure that all parties to any case had an opportunity to be heard. I would then evaluate the information provided by the parties and consider how the outcome may affect each party. These skills, honed over thousands of cases over a nearly decade, were essential when providing counsel to our town government and its various boards, committees, and departments. I applied them frequently. On the Zoning Board alone, I was counsel to over three hundred cases.
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I am proud of the work that I did, and I know that many folks out there appreciate the fact that I always gave each of them an opportunity to be heard. I feel that they respected my efforts because they knew that my mind was always open to their input. There were certainly times when we didn’t agree, but I am certain that the concerned citizens appreciated me because I was being open, polite, and respectful. I run into many of them around Town, especially these days, and I am proud of the compliments they pay me.
We have many challenges that face our community. Inviting people into the process is absolutely essential to tackling them.
