Will Montauk Airport Be Subdivided?

When he was a powerful New York State Assemblyman in the 1970s, Perry B. Duryea Jr. was called a man in a hurry. So much so, that he used to pilot his own plan to Albany, from Montauk Airport, just about every week.

Duryea, who served as Speaker of the Assembly and was the Republican nominee for governor in 1978, was one of a number of public figures and entertainment stars to use the small privately owned airport that sits on East Lake Drive between Lake Montauk and Block Island Sound. Duryea died in 2004 in a vehicle crash.

Sara Ferguson, Nicole Kidman, Robert De Niro and Jimmy Buffett have been spotted at the airport, which was built in 1957.

But the airport’s days may be waning, prompting concerns among residents that the closing would lead to more traffic at East Hampton Town Airport.

At an early fall meeting, an entity called Montauk Airport Inc. came before the East Hampton Town Board for a preliminary review of its proposal to shut down the airport and convert it into four large residential lots.

“An application has been submitted to the East Hampton Planning Board for a preliminary subdivision,” town spokesman Patrick Derenze told Dan’s Papers.

Derenze said that town supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez “has not taken a formal public position on the proposal,” and that the proposed project is under review by the town Planning Board.

“The supervisor typically refrains from commenting on active land-use applications,” Derenze said.

The airport was sold in 2022 to an undisclosed buyer, according to Perry (Chip) Duryea, a son of the assemblyman and an owner of the strip. Duryea did not disclose the name of the buyer. The airport manager, Neil Blaney, said he had been hired by a law firm, but did not know the name of the airport’s owner.

East Hampton town had expressed an interest in buying the airport but talks to do so never progressed. East Hampton town owns the larger East Hampton Airport, about 15 miles west of the Montauk field.

About 75% of the take-offs and landings at Montauk take place during the East End’s busy summer season. Blaney said that prior approval is required for jet traffic. The airport’s 3,000-foot runway is short for jet aircraft and noise is also an issue.

Derenze noted that the airport provides only “limited general-aviation access and serves as a transportation link for residents and visitors.” He noted also that the airport is “located in a sensitive environmental area near Lake Montauk and East Lake Drive.”

“The town has long sought to balance access with environmental protection and community character, and that balance will likely inform any future decisions about the site,” Derenze said.

At the town board meeting earlier this fall, town planner Christopher Stoecker said there is “a potential for substantial displacement of air traffic to other regional airports.” Stoecker said a proposal to close Montauk would necessitate a long environmental review as required by the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act. Such a review, he said, would take into account the impact of development on the area.

According to plans submitted to the town, the four proposed lots would range from 3.2 to 4.8 acres, placed beside the current runway. That would mean approximately 16 acres of developed property. There would be 21 more acres of preserved land.

But there may be environmental concerns, giving years of re-fueling operations at the airport.

Town board member Reed Jones said at the meeting that, “I would say that on my Christmas lost, I would like to see the town buy this parcel.” He noted that “for some reason” a deal to do just that never came to fruition.

The airport covers about 40 acres. As far back as 1961, Suffolk County considered buying the airport for use as a county airport but plans ultimately failed. The airport has received upgrades over the years.  The Federal Aviation Administration installed an Automated Weather Observing System to provide pilots with updated weather conditions.