Poxabogue problems continue as restaurant owner pulls plans for new eatery

You can still play golf at the Poxabogue Golf Center -- for now.  Just don't arrive at the Hamptons-area course on an empty stomach.

The latest twist in the municipal dramatics that have put the "saga" in this Sagaponack nine-holer was announced last week in the East Hampton Press.  Citing town restrictions and a recent mold problem, Michael Avella, owner of Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck, has abandoned his plans to open a branch of his North Fork eatery at Poxabogue.  Avella announced his withdrawal last Friday.

Poxabogue will likely finish the 2010 season without a new restaurant on site, according to Will James of the Press.

The Town of East Hampton is still seeking an appraisal of its half of the golf facility, said Jennifer Landes of the East Hampton Star, leaving the ownership status and eventual fate of the course itself up in the air.

Golf On Long Island first addressed the ongoing issues at Poxabogue in February 2009 when safety upgrades at the driving range and eventual expansion of the facilities were delayed due to economic concerns and disagreements between the Towns of East Hampton and Southampton and local villages.  The situation was updated in July 2010 when the mold problem was discovered at the facility.