It was a hot afternoon on July 3 when guests gathered at Southampton Arts Center to dedicate the Paulson Family Gardens. The ribbon was cut by John Paulson and Alina de Almeida, with Mayor Bill Manger and SAC Chair Simone Levinson beside them. Palmer PB reported that guests stood by the new fountain and under the restored tree canopy to get out of the heat.
Four months on, the village has more usable outdoor space than it has had in years. The gardens on Jobs Lane are open, Moses Park has a new playground and trails, and a new dog park is planned for Windmill Lane. Each one was funded differently, and the Village's general budget paid for very little of it. A family foundation paid for the gardens and their upkeep. Moses Park's improvements came from a park fee charged on a Hill Street development. The Town's Community Preservation Fund bought the land for both Moses Park and the future dog park. The Village Board's own big outdoor expense this fall is a demolition contract.
| Space | Location | How it was paid for | Status this fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paulson Family Gardens | Southampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Lane | $3.4 million Paulson Family Foundation gift plus a five-year maintenance endowment | Open; dedicated July 3, 2026 |
| Moses Park | Moses Lane, north of Hill Street | Land bought by the Town with CPF money; upgrades paid by the Village Latch park fee | Work essentially complete per the Fall 2026 Village newsletter |
| New dog park | 135 Windmill Lane, next to Rogers Memorial Library | Land acquired with Town CPF money; Village pays for demolition | Demolition bid accepted; no opening date announced |
| Holiday lights and Agawam Park tree | Main Street, Jobs Lane, Agawam Park | Christmas Decorations Committee's annual appeal | Tree lighting Saturday, November 28 |
The Gardens on Jobs Lane Came With Their Own Upkeep
The gardens sit on village-owned land, and the Mayor's Fall 2026 letter thanks Alina and John Paulson for transforming it "for all to enjoy." According to Southampton Arts Center's May 5 announcement, the $3.4 million gift from The Paulson Family Foundation came with an endowment that covers maintenance of the grounds for five years. Gifts for capital projects often leave the operating costs to the town. This one pays for the planting and also for its first five years of upkeep.
Landscape architect Chris LaGuardia of LaGuardia Design laid out the 2.7-acre site. The 1898 property was originally designed by Grosvenor Atterbury. The plan added a fountain on the East Lawn, more flowers and greenery, and paths built for strollers and wheelchairs. It also added a landscaped perimeter that makes the grounds safer for children's programs and an open-air performance space, and it kept the existing historic trees. 27east described the plan as adding more than 50 trees, among them oak, cherry and dogwood. Palmer PB reported that the work was finished in nine months. Speaking at the dedication, Paulson described what he had hoped for:
"I had a dream that when you walk into the park and go through the gates, you enter into an oasis."
In his fall letter, Mayor Manger called the gardens "a tremendous hit" after what he believes was the village's busiest summer.
The off-season schedule is simple. SAC lists its grounds as open to the public, and from September through June the galleries are open Friday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. East End Collected 9, the center's show of East End artists, runs through December 27. SAC's calendar lists a Halloween Silent Disco on Friday, October 30, from 7 to 10 p.m. It also lists a Paint + Sip on Thursday, November 5, and an event on Sunday, November 8, where veterans share their stories.
Moses Park Was Bought Once and Built Twice
The money for the Jobs Lane gardens came from one donor. Moses Park was paid for in two separate stages. Village officials have described the park of more than 12 acres on Moses Lane, north of Hill Street near Corrigan Street, as land the Town bought with Community Preservation Fund money. 27east called it a long-underused piece of village green space.
The improvements came from a different source. According to the Mayor's Fall 2026 Village News letter, the new playground and added walking trails were "financed by the park fee that was generated by the development of the Village Latch on Hill Street." That means a development a few blocks away paid for the play equipment.
The Winter 2026 newsletter described the playground as having impact-absorbing artificial turf and a "Dr. Seuss-like" jungle gym. It also said the two bocce courts looked finished. The fall letter says the work "should be essentially completed." The Mayor wrote that families with small children are using the playground and older residents are using the new trails.
The Dog Park Move Is the One the Village Is Paying to Clear
The third new space has the most moving parts. Moses Park's land and play equipment came from two outside sources. The Windmill Lane dog park splits its costs in a similar way, but this time the Village pays for one part.
27east reported in February that Community Preservation Fund money would be used to buy 135 Windmill Lane, the former Express News Group building. According to Mayor Manger, the village would pay for the demolition. The purchase went through in May. 27east reported this month that the Village Board unanimously accepted a $175,000 bid from Noyack Trucking to take the building down.
The dog park is moving because of the sewer plan. Under a land swap, the current Lola Prentice Memorial Dog Park at 205 Windmill Lane will become underground leaching fields for the village's planned wastewater treatment system. The new dog park will be built on the former Press lot, right next to Rogers Memorial Library. The village has not announced an opening date for the new park or a closing date for the old one. Until it does, Lola Prentice is still the place to take a dog.
Where the Village's Own Effort Shows This Season
Aside from the demolition, the village's own fall work is mostly planting. Many trees came down in the severe storm on the night of July 4, and the fall letter says the Village will plant 200 new trees this fall and next spring. According to the Mayor, that will bring the number planted since he took office to 800.
The holiday decorations follow the same pattern as the parks, because the Village does not pay for them. The Southampton Christmas Decorations Committee dates to the mid-1950s and still raises money through an annual appeal. Over the years those donations have paid for underground wiring along Main Street and Jobs Lane and for LED lights. They also paid to refurbish the antique Saks Fifth Avenue angels on the Jobs Lane fence, the nativity scene, Santa and his reindeer, and the bell that hangs over Main Street. In 2020 the committee bought a new spruce for Agawam Park.
Saturday, November 28, in Agawam Park
That spruce is the center of the year's last big outdoor gathering in the village. The schedule, from the committee's website and the Village's fall newsletter:
- Before the parade. The Village holds a ceremony marking 25 years of the "new" police building on Windmill Lane, which also houses the Village Court.
- 4:30 p.m., at dusk. The Parade of Lights, with decorated vehicles from the volunteer Fire and EMS departments. The Southampton Chamber of Commerce and Millie Fellingham brought the parade to the holiday event about 25 years ago.
- 5:30 p.m. The tree lighting in Agawam Park, with holiday songs by Southampton High School's Voices of Southampton.
- After the lighting. Fireworks, then a walk through the village to see the decorated holiday windows.
The Carriage Thrift Shop is open for holiday shopping that whole weekend, November 27 through 29.
James Giugliano grew up in Southampton and follows changes like these closely, from new gardens on Jobs Lane to a dog park moving down Windmill Lane, because they affect how each part of the village works day to day. If you have questions about the village, or want to talk about what is changing near your own street, James Giugliano is glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
