Southampton, NY Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Designating body
- Town Board, after Landmarks Board advisory report
- Public hearing deadline
- Within 45 days of advisory report
- Owner notice
- Certified mail plus 10 days' published notice
- Alteration requires
- Certificate of appropriateness, § 330-322
- Permit freeze
- No demolition permits once designation is published
- First-offense penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Appeals
- Article 78 proceeding in NY Supreme Court
Summary
In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, the Town Board designates local landmarks, cultural resources and historic districts under Town Code § 330-321. Designation follows a Landmarks and Historic Districts Board review, a public hearing within 45 days of that advisory report, and certified-mail notice plus 10 days' published notice to the owner beforehand.
§ 330-321. Procedure and criteria for designation of landmarks or historic districts. ... The Town Board may designate an individual property, a portion of a property, a cultural resource or a structure as a landmark if it meets one or more of the following criteria: (a) Possesses special character or historic or aesthetic interest of value as part of the cultural, political, economic or social history of the locality, region, state or nation; ... The Town Board shall hold such a public hearing within 45 days of receipt of an advisory report from the Landmarks Board regarding the proposed designation. Notice shall be published in the official newspaper at least 10 days prior to the date of the public hearing. ... Once the Town Board has authorized the publication of a proposed designation, no building permits for demolition may be issued for a proposed landmark or a structure which constitutes a contributing element of a proposed historic district.
Full Breakdown
The Town Board may designate an individual property, a portion of a property, a cultural resource or a structure as a landmark, or a group of properties as an historic district, if it meets one or more criteria under § 330-321B: special historic, aesthetic, cultural or social significance; association with an historic person or event; distinguishing architectural characteristics; the work of a notable designer; or a unique, familiar visual feature of the neighborhood. An application first goes to the Department of Land Management and the Landmarks and Historic Districts Board for an advisory report, then to the Town Board, which must hold a public hearing within 45 days of receiving that report and rule within 45 days of the close of the hearing.
Once the Town Board authorizes publication of a proposed designation, § 330-321E(2) bars building permits for demolition or substantial alteration of the proposed landmark or a contributing structure while the process is pending, though an owner may still apply for a certificate of appropriateness under § 330-321E(3). Once designated, § 330-322 requires a certificate of appropriateness from the Landmarks and Historic Districts Board before any exterior alteration, demolition, new construction or moving of a landmark, reviewed against the compatibility factors in § 330-323. Owners must also keep designated properties from falling into disrepair under § 330-327.
The Building Inspector administers and enforces the article under § 330-328, and appeals of Landmarks Board decisions go to the New York Supreme Court under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
Violations & Fines
Section 330-329 subjects violations of the landmarks article to the penalties in § 330-186: a fine up to $1,000 or six months' imprisonment for a first offense, $500 to $1,500 or up to six months for a second offense within five years, and $1,500 to $2,500 or up to six months for a third or subsequent offense within five years. Each week a violation continues counts as a separate additional offense, and the Building Inspector may also seek injunctive relief to restrain unpermitted demolition or alteration of a designated landmark or historic district structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a property eligible for landmark designation in Southampton?
Can I demolish or alter a designated landmark in the Town of Southampton?
What happens to building permits while a landmark designation is pending?
What is the penalty for violating Southampton's landmarks law?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Southampton
New York rules heatmap·Compare Southampton to another location·View the New York historic preservation overview
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Historic-Cultural Monuments in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Suffolk County handle historic-cultural monuments.