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Town of East Hampton, NY
Suffolk County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Added by the Town Board of the Town of East Hampton 10-19-2004 by L.L. No. 30-2004]
A. 
The Montauk Association was established in 1881 by Arthur Benson and a group of his friends as a private summer sporting retreat. Frederick Law Olmsted drew a site plan for the Association grounds of more than one hundred acres which were at that time open pastureland. Olmsted laid out roadways following the natural topography and precisely located house sites in the rolling terrain where each house could take full advantage of ocean views and ocean breezes and be surrounded by ample open space.
B. 
Seven of the original owners built houses between 1882 and 1884, all of which were designed by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White. These seven houses and a clubhouse, by the same architects, were built on the sites specified by Olmsted along the ridge just north of DeForest Road.
C. 
The Montauk Association houses are notable works by McKim, Mead & White during that important period in the early 1880s when their inventive and original work contributed to what we now know as the Shingle Style, a distinctive American architecture. These houses represent the application of McKim, Mead & White's ideas in a simplified and restrained way to vacation houses of a modest scale. McKim, Mead & White's greatest achievement at Montauk was the design of a cohesive group of seven houses where each was distinct but where none stood out as being more important than its neighbor.
D. 
The modest scale and informal design of the houses complement Olmsted's rambling layout, the remote pastureland setting on the Atlantic bluff, and the owners' intent to enjoy a simple, sporting life at Montauk.
E. 
Shingle-style houses showed an appreciation of New England colonial architecture and this is especially true in the gable-roof forms and shingled walls of the Montauk Association houses. The houses not only related to the landscape but also to Montauk's First House, Second House and Third House.
F. 
The Montauk Association is a model historic district where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The houses and landscape are bound together as one creative work. Only the whole ensemble can convey the full meaning and significance of McKim, Mead & White's architecture, Olmsted's landscape plan and the owners' intentions. Today the houses retain a high level of architectural integrity and the setting is largely intact. Maintaining the integrity of the setting is equally as important as maintaining the integrity of each of the seven original houses.
G. 
The Orr House was destroyed by fire in 1997 and was reconstructed in 2000. The reconstruction, substantiated by documentary and physical evidence, successfully re-created the appearance of the Orr House in materials, design, color and texture. Because it is an accurate reconstruction of an important component of the whole ensemble, the Orr House is considered an historic building within the context of the Montauk Association Historic District.
H. 
The Montauk Association Historic District Designation Report further describes the individual properties and the character of the historic district.
I. 
These guidelines recognize the very high level of historic and architectural significance of the Montauk Association and accordingly set high standards for preserving the historic houses and their setting.
A. 
Maintain the architectural integrity of the seven original houses; retain original features and materials.
B. 
Encourage the accurate restoration of missing features.
C. 
Allow modest additions and other changes to north walls to allow the seven historic houses to be adapted to changing needs and lifestyles, provided that important original features are not affected.
D. 
Protect the setting of the historic houses and their relationships to one another and to the environment by controlling new construction and alterations to nonhistoric houses.
E. 
The siting of any new house should conform to the character of open space, the relationship to the natural topography and the rhythm of houses and open space evident in the 1881 Olmsted plan and in the siting of the historic houses.
F. 
The siting of any new house should not detract from the spacious setting of an historic house or interrupt vistas from the historic houses and the Clubhouse Site to the Atlantic Ocean or vistas from one historic property to another.
G. 
Any new house should have a restrained design and should defer to the seven original houses as the focal buildings of the district.
A. 
Fences and walls. The open, flowing landscape retains the historic relationships of the houses to one another and to the environment. This open setting is maintained in part by the lack of obtrusive fencing.
(1) 
Fences around gardens and swimming pools are appropriate. Generally, swimming pool fencing should enclose the area of the pool itself rather than incorporate a large area of the property. Appropriate fencing for gardens and swimming pools includes post-and-rail fences, wood picket fences and wire fences with wood posts, all not greater than four feet in height.
(2) 
Boundary fences and yard fences would detract from the setting of the historic district by interrupting the flow of the land.
(3) 
Low masonry walls may be appropriate for enclosing small gardens or terraces.
(4) 
The following fences and walls would detract from the setting of the historic district and would be inappropriate: a solid board fence; a chain link fence; or a masonry wall that exceeds three feet in height.
(5) 
Entrance gates can obstruct the open setting. Any necessary entrance gate should intrude as little as possible on the open, informal and natural setting. Appropriate gate posts include plain, unpainted wood timbers or wood poles. Unpainted horizontal-board gates are appropriate.
B. 
Grade changes, berms and retaining walls. An appreciation of the natural topography underlies Olmsted's plan for the house sites, roads and paths of the Montauk Association. Changing the grade and installing berms or retaining walls can affect the setting of the houses, their relationship with one another, their relationship to the environment and the sense of the natural topography.
(1) 
Changing the grade so as to alter the natural topography of a property is not appropriate in the historic district.
(2) 
Berms and retaining walls are not appropriate in the historic district.
C. 
Roads, driveways and parking areas. DeForest Road, the principal road laid out by Olmsted, follows the natural contours under the ridge of the owners' houses. The unpaved DeForest Road and other original roadways, including the loop drive to the Clubhouse site, remain in their original condition and make an important contribution to the natural and informal setting of the historic district. The narrow, unpaved driveways also maintain this informal character.
(1) 
A plan to install a new road or driveway or a plan to widen or resurface an existing road or driveway will be reviewed for its impact on the setting of the historic district.
(2) 
Original roads and paths laid out by Olmsted should be maintained in their existing or original state.
(3) 
Any necessary new driveways should continue the precedent of the existing narrow, unpaved driveways which follow the natural contours of the land.
(4) 
Asphalt and masonry-block surfaces for roads, driveways and parking areas would detract from the setting of the historic district and are inappropriate unless they are necessary for a stable surface due to a sloping grade.
(5) 
Parking areas should be sited at least a short distance from the house, be located by a secondary facade and require little or no adjustment of the natural topography.
(6) 
Normal maintenance of an existing unpaved road or driveway is exempt from review.
D. 
Swimming pools .
(1) 
The historic district contains swimming pools set away from the houses and integrated into the landscape. New swimming pools which follow this model can be compatible with the setting of the historic district.
(2) 
A swimming pool should be located where it will not detract from the historic setting. The pool should be located away from the house at a site where it can be set into the natural landscape. The proposed location should require only minimal grading and screening.
E. 
Tennis courts.
(1) 
There are no tennis courts in the Montauk Association Historic District. It would be difficult to integrate a tennis court or other playing court that requires a large, hard, level surface into the natural landscape of the historic district. A tennis court would be a structure with a larger footprint than any of the historic houses in the district. Such a large feature, with the grading and fencing that would be associated with it, would detract from the open, natural setting of the district.
(2) 
Tennis courts and other similar playing courts are not appropriate in the historic district.
F. 
Decks and terraces. The seven historic cottages retain their original setting with lawn flowing up to the house. The outdoor living spaces are porches or lawn. Most of the nonhistoric houses have a similar setting. The few decks and terraces that exist in the historic district are minor features.
(1) 
Decks and terraces will be reviewed for their impact on the setting of the historic houses and on the natural setting of the historic district.
(2) 
A deck or terrace is not appropriate adjacent to a principal facade of an historic house.
(3) 
A minor deck or terrace may be appropriate adjacent to a secondary facade of an historic house or adjacent to a nonhistoric house.
(4) 
A small terrace at a swimming pool may be appropriate providing only minimal grading is necessary.
G. 
Exterior lighting. The restrained use of outdoor lighting helps to maintain the historic relationship between the houses and the natural environment. Existing lighting is primarily confined to incandescent fixtures within porches.
(1) 
Porches and doorways are appropriate locations for light fixtures. Fixtures should use incandescent bulbs (60 watts maximum).
(2) 
Site lighting should be confined to not more than three lanterns to illuminate driveways or parking areas. Fixtures should use incandescent bulbs (60 watts maximum).
These guidelines apply to the seven original Montauk Association houses: Agnew House, 101 DeForest Road; Benson House, 115 DeForest Road; Sanger House, 123 DeForest Road; Hoyt House, 129 DeForest Road; Andrews House, 153 DeForest Road; de Forest House, 167 DeForest Road; and Orr House, 181 DeForest Road.
A. 
Preserving original materials. Because these houses possess an extremely high level of historic and architectural significance, a principal goal of the historic district is to retain original materials.
(1) 
Intact original materials should not be removed.
(2) 
Deteriorated original materials should be repaired rather than replaced.
(3) 
When severe deterioration makes replacement necessary, the new material should be an exact match of the original.
B. 
Restoring original features.
(1) 
Recent owners have undertaken a program to restore their houses by replacing missing original features. Encouraging accurate restoration is a goal of the historic district.
(2) 
Replacement of missing features or materials should be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.
C. 
Wall material. The wall material is an important character-defining feature of these Shingle Style houses. The Benson House is entirely shingled while the other six houses have a clapboard first story with shingled walls above. The shingle cover has great variety and includes diamond, fish scale, chisel, saw tooth and staggered shingle patterns. Today only the Agnew House retains original shingles. These are eighteen-inch Atlantic white cedar shingles which have a smooth surface. Other houses have replacement shingles which for the most part match the original shingle coursing and patterns. Historic photographs along with salvaged original shingles provide a good record of the original shingle treatments. Some of the houses retain original clapboards. Others have replacement clapboards which match the exposure and dimensions of the originals.
(1) 
Original shingles should be retained. If replacement is necessary, new shingles should match the existing in material, surface texture, dimensions and pattern.
(2) 
If nonhistoric shingles need to be replaced, new shingles should match the original shingles as closely as possible in material, surface texture, dimensions and pattern as substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.
(3) 
Original clapboards should be retained. A clapboard wall should be repaired by piecing in Dutchmen or new clapboards rather than wholesale replacement.
(4) 
If clapboards are deteriorated and need to be replaced, new clapboards should match the existing in material, surface texture, dimensions and exposure.
D. 
Roof material. The roofs are an important design element of the Montauk Association houses with their defining gables and secondary dormers, towers, cross gables and eaves at varying levels. Although none of the houses retains the original roof shingles, six of the seven houses have cedar shingle roofs which match the coursing of the original roofs.
(1) 
Roofs should be clad with eighteen-inch cedar shingles.
(2) 
In reviewing a proposal for a composition shingle roof the Board will consider the importance of the roof to the design of the house and the relationship of the roofing to other proposed work. Composition shingle roofs should have shingles of a rectangular design, a small scale, and a uniform gray tone no lighter than the color of weathered wood shingles.
E. 
Chimneys. Chimneys are an important design element of the cottages, each of which has its own distinctive chimney. The different treatments include pilastered stacks, different corbelled caps, dovecote hoods and the shingles wrapping around the exterior stack of the Hoyt House. This variety contributes to the informal character of this group of houses.
(1) 
Any proposal to remove or take down and rebuild a chimney requires review.
(2) 
Original chimneys should be retained. If rebuilding is necessary, the existing brick and mortar joints should be matched.
F. 
Gutters and leaders .
(1) 
The Montauk Association houses originally had wood gutters or half-round metal gutters and round metal leaders that directed rainwater from the roofs into cisterns where it could be used as part of the domestic water supply. Most of the houses today have half-round copper gutters and round copper leaders.
(2) 
Wood gutters or half-round metal gutters and round metal leaders are appropriate. Copper, lead-coated copper or galvanized steel are appropriate for metal gutters and leaders.
G. 
Doorways. The wide Dutch entry doors of most of the houses are a hallmark of McKim, Mead & White's Shingle Style houses and convey the open relationship between the interior, the porch and the environment.
(1) 
Review is required for any proposal to replace a door or components of a door enframement.
(2) 
All significant elements of an original doorway, including the door, should be retained and repaired instead of replaced.
(3) 
If replacement of any component is necessary, the new material should match that being replaced.
(4) 
Installing a storm/screen door at any doorway is exempt from review.
H. 
Windows The variety of window sashes which include different configurations of multipane sash and "Queen Anne sash" (a large single pane surrounded by a border of small panes) contributes to the informal nature of the houses. The house designs are also enlivened with distinctive window types such as the large stair hall windows, the triple-hung windows opening to porches, wheel windows, eyebrow windows and stained glass windows.
(1) 
Original window casings and any decorative trim should be retained. If replacement is necessary, the new material should be an exact match of the existing material.
(2) 
Original window sash should be retained. For any request to replace original window sash with new sash the Board will consider the following:
(a) 
The contribution the window sash make to the historic character of the house and the condition of the sash.
(b) 
Replacement sash should match the material, configuration and dimensions of all components of the original sash.
(3) 
Storm windows and window screens are exempt from review.
I. 
Window shutters. All the houses originally had louvered window shutters which were an essential functioning component of the summer cottage. During the day the shutters blocked rays from the sun while allowing the ocean breezes to cool the rooms. Today only the Benson House has shutters.
(1) 
Plans to remove, replace, or install window shutters require review.
(2) 
Plans to replace missing shutters should be based on documentary and physical evidence.
J. 
Porches. The many porches are one of the principal character-defining features of these Shingle Style houses. The porches convey the relationship of the houses to the environment and to the Atlantic Ocean. All the houses have broad porches across the front facade, many of which wrap around the side walls or have projecting bays. The Andrews House and the Benson House have second-story sleeping porches. The porches feature a variety of turned posts and boxed posts, spindle screens, brackets, open balustrades and shingled balustrades.
(1) 
Original porches and their posts, balustrades and brackets should be retained. If replacement is necessary, the new material should be an exact match of the existing material.
(2) 
Replacement of missing porch components should be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.
K. 
Paint and stain. Queen Anne and early Shingle Style houses were painted or stained, often with complex schemes involving several colors. Evidence of the original paint schemes of the Montauk Association houses is provided by: traces of paint and stain on original shingles, clapboards and woodwork; historic photographs; and by early watercolors of the houses by W.L. Andrews and Eloise Payne Luquer (see Designation Report). Colors used to paint wood trim and clapboards included dark green, dark red and reddish-brown. Some of the houses also had stained shingles giving them a completely colored exterior. On the Agnew House, for example, the clapboards and window sash were red and the shingles and window trim were green. The Andrews House had clapboards stained a reddish-brown and green painted trim. Today all shingles are natural. On some houses the woodwork is painted white and on others it is painted a color. Because of the variety of colors employed in early Shingle Style houses and the variety of colors on the Montauk Association houses today, there is a considerable range of appropriate colors.
(1) 
Painting wood trim and clapboards a color associated with the early Shingle Style is appropriate. Because of its prevalence today, white is also an appropriate color for wood trim.
(2) 
Staining wood shingles a color associated with the early Shingle Style is appropriate. Leaving shingles natural is also appropriate.
(3) 
Any proposal to remove exterior paint requires review. The method causing the least harm to the wood should be used.
L. 
Additions and alterations. A principal goal of the historic district is to preserve the integrity of the original design of these highly significant houses. Because of their orientation to the Atlantic Ocean, to the Clubhouse and to each other, these houses do not have primary "front" and secondary "side" facades. The south, east and west walls of these houses are all important character-defining facades that were carefully designed by McKim, Mead & White. Additions to and alterations of these walls would diminish the architectural integrity of these houses. The Agnew House, the Sanger House, the Hoyt House and the Orr House had original small service wings extending from the north wall. These service wings are clearly secondary to the main house in their size and scale and in their plain design.
(1) 
There should be no additions to the south, east or west walls of these houses. There should be no alterations to these walls except for the restoration of missing features.
(2) 
The original service wings designed by McKim, Mead & White serve as precedents for proposed additions to the north wall. An addition to the north wall should be: stepped back from the side walls; modest in size and scale; secondary in character; and compatible in massing, proportion, arrangement of windows and other openings, roof form, texture and materials. It is appropriate for an addition to be subtly differentiated from the original house. An addition should not alter an important historic feature of the north wall, such as a stair hall window.
(3) 
Any proposed alteration should not destroy a historic feature that characterizes the house, diminish the architectural integrity of the house or diminish the setting of the historic district.
(4) 
If a building program requires floor area greater than what can be accommodated by the historic house and a modest north addition, the option of placing some requirements in a separate building must be considered.
A. 
These guidelines apply to the site of the original Montauk Association Clubhouse, 139 DeForest Road. The 1882 Clubhouse was the center of activity and was where the Association residents most often dined. The Clubhouse occupied a central position along the ridge, with four houses to the west and three to the east. The entrance of each house was oriented toward the Clubhouse, and a path led from each house directly to the Clubhouse.
(1) 
The Clubhouse was positioned at the north edge of a hillock. An expansive lawn flowed out from the porch toward the Atlantic and a large rear wing extended down the back slope.
(2) 
The Clubhouse burned in 1933. The present house at 139 DeForest Road was built in 1962 about 10 feet south of the Clubhouse foundation. The 1962 house retains the exact orientation of the Clubhouse.
(3) 
The most significant historic feature of this site today is the large lawn terrace where Association members gathered. This central clearing is now the best reminder of the once-open pastureland setting of the Montauk Association. Because of this lawn terrace, and despite the loss of the Clubhouse, this is considered an historic property. These historic district guidelines take into account protecting the setting of the lawn terrace and vistas from the terrace to the Atlantic and to the historic houses as well as vistas from the historic houses to the lawn terrace.
(4) 
Also remaining on the property is the brick wall of a Clubhouse service yard. A 1962 survey shows the outline of the Clubhouse foundation which was apparently extant at that time; it is not known how much of this foundation remains below grade.
(5) 
This is a key property and its redevelopment could have a major impact on the setting of the historic district.
B. 
The following guidelines supplement the other pertinent guidelines in this manual:
(1) 
In order to preserve the lawn terrace, one of the most important landscape features in the district, a new house or an expansion of the existing house should not be sited much further south on the lawn terrace than the location of the existing house.
(2) 
This site has a special circumstance for new construction because of the large size of the original Clubhouse. A proposal to reconstruct the Clubhouse or to construct a new house that fits into the district in the same way the Clubhouse did may be entertained by the Architectural Review Board. Consideration of such a proposal must begin with an understanding of how the Clubhouse contributed to the ensemble of the Montauk Association. The Clubhouse consisted of a prominent, modest-sized front block which stood at the very north edge of the expansive lawn terrace and contributed to the setting of the Association in the same manner as the smaller of the Association houses. A large rear wing with a much lower roof and a plain exterior extended from the rear wall of the front block down a slope. The rear wing was clearly secondary in character and designed to be unobtrusive. It is not possible to know the exact size of the original Clubhouse without further research and analysis. It appears the front block had a footprint of approximately 2,000 square feet and a floor area on two floors of approximately 3,000 square feet The original rear wing may have had a footprint of approximately 3,000 square feet and a floor area on two floors of approximately 6,000 square feet.
(a) 
The "Guidelines for New Construction" in this manual indicate that a new residence or an expanded nonhistoric residence should have a maximum size of 5,000 square feet. For a proposal for new construction or for expansion of the existing residence that does not exceed this guideline for maximum size the "Guidelines for New Construction" in this manual apply.
(b) 
For a proposal to construct a new residence on this site that exceeds the guideline for maximum size (5,000 square feet) the following special guidelines take precedence:
[1] 
A thorough consideration of the available documentary and physical evidence of the original Clubhouse must be undertaken with the assistance of the Architectural Review Board before any building is designed.
[2] 
The new building must occur entirely within the exact footprint of the original Clubhouse.
[3] 
The new building must have a front block that occupies the exact site of the front block of the Clubhouse and that is not larger than or higher than the front block of the Clubhouse and matches the massing, roof form, materials and the proportion and arrangement of windows and other openings of the front block of the Clubhouse.
[4] 
Any additional area must occur in a rear wing that descends the north slope of the terrace that is not larger than or higher than the rear wing of the Clubhouse and matches the massing, roof form, materials, plain character and the proportion and arrangement of windows of the rear wing of the Clubhouse.
(3) 
These guidelines are not intended to require that a new house or an expansion of the existing house be an historic restoration of the original Clubhouse.
(4) 
A proposal for new construction within the footprint of the Clubhouse should include a provision to allow the Town of East Hampton to investigate and record the original Clubhouse foundation at the Town's own expense. This investigation is to be completed within a reasonable period of time, not to exceed nine months, so as not to cause unreasonable delay or to otherwise hinder the development and approval of a proposal for new construction within the footprint of the Clubhouse.
(5) 
A pool may be sited on the lawn terrace.
A. 
These guidelines apply to the c. 1930 Ditch Plain Coast Guard Station which now stands at 136 Benson Drive. The Ditch Plain Station was decommissioned in 1954 and the Colonial Revival style barracks and administration building was moved to this location in 1956. The building has significance for its associations with the Ditch Plain Coast Guard Station while its scale, gable-roofed form, shingled exterior and siting make it compatible with the setting of the Montauk Association Historic District.
B. 
The architectural integrity of the Ditch Plain Coast Guard Station should be maintained. Important original features include the gable-roofed form and massing, the dormers on the front roof slope and the front porch which retains the original posts, lintel, cornice and roof.
In the Montauk Association Historic District there are five nonhistoric houses. This classification is made on the individual property sheets in the historic district designation report. These properties are: 109 DeForest Road; 139 DeForest Road; 152 DeForest Road; 156 DeForest Road; and 1692 Montauk Highway. The intent of review of these nonhistoric houses is to see that any changes do not detract from the setting of an historic house and the natural setting of the historic district as a whole. Therefore, any proposed changes to a nonhistoric house should be judged for their compatibility with the historic houses and with their setting.
A. 
A proposed change to a nonhistoric house will be judged by the principles of compatibility found in the following "Guidelines for New Construction."
B. 
The degree to which a proposed change will be visible from an historic house, the Clubhouse Site, DeForest Road, the bluff at the Atlantic Ocean, Montauk Point State Boulevard, and other roads will be taken into account.
Most existing garages and outbuildings are located away from the houses and are at a lower elevation where they can be set into the landscape.
A. 
Accessory buildings should be located where they will not detract from the historic setting.
B. 
Accessory buildings should not be placed within the immediate lawn setting of the historic houses.
C. 
Accessory buildings such as garages, sheds and pool houses should be small in scale and compatible with the house, its setting and with the setting of the historic district.
There are five vacant lots within the Montauk Association Historic District and there is the potential for additional lots with the subdivision of two large parcels. In addition, there is the potential for the five properties with nonhistoric houses to be redeveloped. As these guidelines and the Montauk Association Historic District Designation Report make clear, the relationship of the historic houses to the environment and to each other is the critical value of the district, Even with preservation of the seven Montauk Association houses, the character of the historic district can be lost if new construction intrudes on that setting and breaks up those relationships.
A. 
The site for a new house.
(1) 
The siting of a proposed new residence is the most important ingredient in achieving a compatible fit into the historic district.
(a) 
The 1881 Montauk Association site plan drawn by Frederick Law Olmsted specifies the exact location of about two dozen houses.
(b) 
A group of 10 house sites and the Clubhouse site are arranged along a ridge north of DeForest Road. These are the sites with the highest elevations and were chosen for the seven original houses. Today these houses retain the relationships to one another and to the environment that Olmsted intended.
(c) 
On the plain south of DeForest Road, within the present historic district, Olmsted drew only two house sites set far apart so as not to interfere with the direct relationship between the houses on Deforest Road and the ocean. On this plain there is one hillock, but instead of placing a house on top of this rise, Olmsted placed it on the forward slope, so that only the roof of the house would be within the vista from the houses on DeForest Road. This is an example of the attention Olmsted gave to the impact of each house on the setting of the others. The second house site is also at a relatively low elevation. Today there are two houses on this plain. In their relationship to the topography and in their alignment these two houses fit into the setting of the historic district in a different way from that envisioned by Olmsted. There remain three vacant lots on this plain and the potential for three new houses to intrude upon the setting of the historic district and to diminish the vivid connection between the historic houses and the Atlantic Ocean.
(d) 
Another group of 10 house sites is spread out along an arc a considerable distance to the north of the original DeForest Road houses. Olmsted envisioned this as a second informal range of houses similar to those on DeForest Road. Today there are three houses positioned more or less along this arc of Olmsted house sites. Because these houses are set a good distance to the north and the historic houses are oriented toward the west, east and south, they do not interfere with any of the primary vistas from the historic houses.
(2) 
In evaluating a potential site for a new residence the following guidelines apply:
(a) 
The potential for siting a new house according to the 1881 Olmsted plan should be evaluated first.
(b) 
The site of a new house should conform to the rhythm of houses and open space established by the seven original houses.
(c) 
The site of a new house should not intrude upon the vistas from the historic houses and the Clubhouse site to the Atlantic Ocean or vistas from one historic property to another.
(d) 
The site of a new house should conform to the character of open space, the relationship to the natural topography and the rhythm evident on the 1881 Olmsted plan for the Montauk Association.
B. 
The design of a new house. If a proposed new residence is properly sited, a design that is compatible with the setting of the historic district can be achieved. The seven historic houses are quite consistent in size, massing and materials. These consistent features mean that no one house stands out from the group. A new house should also adhere to these consistent characteristics as detailed in the following guidelines. Some of the nonhistoric houses in the district were designed with these principles in mind and fit well into the setting, such as the 1985 house at 152 DeForest Road.
(1) 
General.
(a) 
The Architectural Review Board shall take into account the visibility of the proposed new residence from: the site, porches and interiors of the historic houses; the Clubhouse site; DeForest Road; the bluff at the Atlantic Ocean; Montauk Point State Boulevard; and other roads. Priority will be given to the compatibility of the most visible features of the proposed new house.
(b) 
In order for the Board to judge the visible features and the impact of a proposed house on the setting of the historic district, a mock-up of the proposed house on the site shall be required. At a minimum, the mock-up shall consist of poles indicating the height at each end of the main roof ridge and poles indicating the height of the walls at the four principal corners.
(2) 
Restrained design.
(a) 
All elements of a new house should contribute to an harmonious relationship with the historic houses and their setting.
(b) 
Creating a new design that embodies the best principles of form, scale, proportions, materials, massing and rhythm of the historic houses is encouraged.
(c) 
The conservative use of decorative detail would enhance compatibility with the setting of the historic district.
(3) 
Size and massing.
(a) 
A new house that has the size and important dimensions of the seven historic houses would fit best into the setting of the historic district. The dimensions of a new house should be within the range of the following corresponding dimensions of the historic houses and should not exceed these dimensions:
[1] 
Range in size (first floor and second floor): 2,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet.
[2] 
Range of width of south facade: 32 feet to 54 feet.
[3] 
Range of width of south facade including projecting porches: 47 feet to 67 feet.
(b) 
The massing of the Agnew House and Hoyt House with a main block and secondary wing to the north provides a model for an appropriate way to break up the mass of a house.
(4) 
Roof form.
(a) 
The historic houses have a predominant gable-roof form. Cross gables, dormers, porches and eaves at different levels are used in a restrained manner to give a somewhat complex roofline.
(b) 
The roof of a new house nay be the most prominent feature within the vistas from the historic houses. A wood-shingled gable roof is a form compatible with the setting of the historic district. First-floor eaves may increase the harmonious fit of a new house into the setting of the district.
(c) 
Dormer windows, cross gables and other features should be used with great restraint, especially on the roof slope facing the historic houses.
(5) 
Height. Height is an important element of the design. A lower building will be a less prominent feature of the landscape and will interrupt vistas and relationships to a lesser degree than a taller building. The height of a new house should contribute to a harmonious fit into the setting of the district.
(6) 
Materials. The materials of a new house should be in harmony with the materials of the historic houses, which have cedar shingle roofs, a combination of shingle and clapboard siding, and painted wood doors, windows and trim.
(7) 
Proportion and arrangement of windows and other openings.
(a) 
The windows of a new house should generally be rectangular with a vertical proportion.
(b) 
The arrangement of windows and doorways should produce a balanced facade.
(c) 
New houses should have a ratio of door and window area to wall area similar to that of the historic houses.
In considering a proposal to demolish a building or structure or component of a building or structure the following guidelines apply:
A. 
No historic building or structure or significant component thereof should be demolished.
B. 
The Architectural Review Board shall consider the historic and architectural significance of the building or component, the contribution the building or component makes to the historic district, and the impact of its removal on the character of the district.
C. 
If an application for demolition is based on structural instability or deterioration, a technical report prepared by an architect or engineer is required. The report will detail the problems and provide cost estimates for their correction.
D. 
Before approval can be granted to demolish a building, the Architectural Review Board shall determine that all alternatives to demolition have been considered.
E. 
The Architectural Review Board may require adequate documentation of a building or component through photographs and measured drawings as a condition of approval when there is no alternative but demolition.
F. 
Before approval can be granted to demolish a building, the Architectural Review Board shall require that plans for proposed new construction or other use of the site be submitted and approved.
The siting of the seven original houses according to the Olmsted plan is a critical component of their historic and architectural significance. The seven historic Montauk Association houses should remain on their original sites. In considering a proposal to relocate a building or structure the following guidelines apply:
A. 
The Architectural Review Board shall consider the historic and architectural significance of the building, the contribution the building makes to the historic district on its existing site, and the impact of its relocation on the character of the district.
B. 
Before approval can be granted to relocate an historic building, the Architectural Review Board shall determine that all alternatives to relocation have been considered.