Town Postpones Ruling on Matt Lauer's Plan For Water Mill Farm

UPDATE:

Southampton Town has delayed making the decision on whether or not ”Today” show host Matt Lauer should be allowed to plant 42 trees on his Water Mill farm, according to a report in Newsday.

The decision was supposed to be made by the Town Planning Board on Dec. 10, but was postponed in order to wait for the Agricultural Advisory Committee, which gives the board recommendations on proposals involving farms, to meet again, according to the report.

The committee will be holding their next meeting in late January.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Jack Wasserman, who lives next to Bright Side Farms in Water Mill owned by “Today” show host Matt Lauer, was angered after Lauer submitted an application to the town planning board to plant 42 trees on the property.

Wasserman said that planting trees on the northern property line is “in conflict with restrictions placed on the property,” according to Newsday.

Also, he said a majority of the proposed trees, which would measure from 6 feet to 18 feet, plus the 194 shrubs, would “obliterate the Wassermans’ views of the Farm,” and would violate Southampton Planning Board restrictions, according to Page Six.

However, an anonymous source close to the Lauers said that the trees were told the trees should be planted for the safety of the horses and people and that the plans were made with the State Department of Agriculture and Markets, according to Page Six

“Planting trees creates safety for horses because they can get easily spooked by the road or activity in people’s pools,” a source told Page Six. “The state and the town all agreed. The agency felt like the trees should be planted for safety. Everything is completely by the books.”

Wasserman said that the property’s Declaration of Covenants and Restrictions states there should be “no landscaping of the property which obscures the view of the subject parcels,” according to Newsday.

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