A Bridge Too Far

As you’ll read in this month’s news, there is exciting news brewing on Long Island, as a strong movement is afoot to resurrect Bridgehampton Raceway. If you’re not familiar with the tale, it is one that has become all too familiar to race fans from Goodwood, England to Monterey, California. A track is constructed – essentially hacked out – in a remote rural area. Racers flock to the track, bringing notoriety and dollars. This influx of money and attention contributes to the local economy, which in turn makes the area more appealing to developers. Gradually, homes sprout up closer and closer to the track and, over time, the people who purchased those homes start to complain more and more about the noise, traffic, etc. As a result, such onerous restrictions are placed on the track that it becomes financially impossible to survive, at which time, the developers reappear and build homes or a shopping mall or, in Bridgehampton’s case, a golf course which only demi-billionaires can afford to join.

Now what is particularly intriguing in Bridgehampton’s case is that the town has had a change of heart. The golf course initially sounded like a great idea to most locals, what with open green space and lots of peace and quiet. But then the bulldozers and earthmovers came into town – day after day, week after week. Then several studies were concluded indicating that the golf course’s extensive use of fertilizers and pesticides would likely begin to contaminate the natural aquifer that the local community relies on for its drinking water. Hey, wait a minute!