The Southampton Village Board Renames A Road To Honor Jim Aery

Jim Aery, a strong figure in Southampton, died of a heart attack in July at the young age of 58.

But Southampton Village is going to remember him however, and they are going to do it by renaming a road after the man who spent a great deal of his life working to protect and preserve the beaches in Southampton Village. A road will be renamed after him in his honor, and of course, the road set to be renamed is a beach access road along the magical setting of Meadow Lane between Road F and G.

Growing up in East Hampton, I never met Jim, but anybody that has spent his life working this hard to ensure that the beaches of the Hamptons remain as beautiful as they have always been since the British settled this great area hundreds of years ago, at the very least, deserves a street named after him in my book.

Jim was the guy who fought tooth and nail with nearby homeowners at Road G in Southampton to restrict access of vehicles to the area. Jim created the Southampton Association for Beach Access, also known as SABA, which started a rally cry to allow vehicles at “the picnic area” at Road G, where Jim and his family frequented, as well as many other Southampton Residents.

It can be argued strongly that if it wasn’t for Jim, that area would only be accessible to the rich. A guy with this kind of energy and conviction is what we need more of.

Looking forward to heading down to Jim Aery street with my car, sitting down on the beach and listening to the sounds of the waves crash ashore.