Beyond The Dunes
A MESSAGE
FROM US
Long
“ “
before the hum of summer motors and the quiet gleam of painted shingle cottages, Dune Road unfolded as a ribbon of land kissed by salt and sky, where the Montauk tribes first wandered and Quogue’s earliest settlers staked their claims in 1659. The quiet farmland and humble whaling homes gave way to the golden haze of the “boarding house era” after the Long Island Rail Road arrived in 1870, bringing families who sought the gentle rhythm of the tides, the hush of dunes, and afternoons where light danced across the marshes like liquid gold In 1912, a stoic Life-Saving Station rose to guard the Atlantic’s temper, a sentinel watching over waves that would one day carry the footprints of generations seeking refuge from the city’s heat. Then came the fury of the 1938 hurricane, a tempest that washed away cottages, reshaped the dunes, and demanded the iron embrace of the Post Lane drawbridge in 1940, stitching barrier beach to mainland with quiet authority. The decades that followed saw the sand’s endless negotiation with man: Army Corps of Engineers projects in the 1960s, nor’easters in 1992, and the rebirth of West Hampton Dunes in 1993, a testament to both resilience and reverence Through every tide, storm, and sunlit morning, Dune Road remained a slow, luminous rhythm of horizon and water, of lives lived in quiet grace, where the light lingers long enough to make history feel like a whispered memory, and every dune tells a story older than time itself
Written By First Dunes
Full Bleed TeamPhoto orHome
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When Lon Dolber andhis wife wereinthemarketfor abeachhouse,theyknewtheywantedtolookonDune Road
“We’velivedinEastMorichesforover30years,sowe wereveryfamiliarwithDuneRoadandIalways thoughtthatif wewantedtobuyasecondhome,it wouldbethere Weputabidonanotherhouseonthe blockthatwasbuiltinthe1980’sbutwenttolookata homeonDuneRoad,whichwasaFirstDunesproject,” said Lon “Assoonasweopenedthedoor,IknewIwas goingtobuyit ”
Lon immediatelynoticedthedifferencebetween someof theolderhomesandaFirstDuneshome; intheolderhouses,allthebedroomsareonthe street-sideof thehouse
“Chad tookadifferentapproach,”Lon explained. “Hethoughtaboutwhatyou’dwanttoseewhen youwalkin,andassoonasyouopenthedooryou seethewater It’smorethanjustanopendesign plan.It’sstrategicallyconnectedtowhatyouwant inabeachhouse.”
Lon andhis wife purchasedtheirhomeonDune Roadinthefallof 2022 Asanaddedbonus,the coupleboughtitfullyfurnishedbecausetheywere soimpressedwith Kyla’s interiordesign.
“Thehousewasso complete,”said Lon “Withanyotherhome,youwouldhaveneededto renovate,butwith FirstDunesyoudon’thavetodo anything ”
Although Lon had gone through a realtor to purchase the home, he developed a relationship with Chad, Harvey, and Kyla after moving in–not as builders, but as neighbors
“The First Dunes team aren’t just builders, they’re residents,”said Lon. “Chad serves on the Coastal Committee and is really engaged in the community He is committed to making Dune Road better for everyone that lives there”
So when Lon discovered a crack in one of the doors about a year later, he called his neighbor Chad to ask him what he should do to repair it Chad insisted on replacing the door
“The integrity of the work is so meaningful to him,”said Lon. “It’s clear to me that Chad is a real expert in his field–he dives deep beneath the surface of things, he knows the mechanics of every house he builds He knows every nut and bolt and beam and takes great pride in his work.”
Overtheyears, Lon hascometoseethatheboughtsomuchmorethan ahouse;heinvestedinthefutureforhisfamily.
“It’snotjustaboutbeingherewithourfamilyandenjoyingeverything beachlifehastooffer,”said Lon “It’salsoaboutthefactthatmost thingsaren’tbuilttolastanymore,butthat’snotwhatyougetwith FirstDunes. Chad thinksabouthowtobuildthingsthatreallylast despiteharshenvironments–hishousesallhavearealpermanenceto them ”
Lon creditsthisto Chad’s knowledgeandpassionforhiswork From choosingtobuildbeachhouseswithsteeli-beamsthroughoutthe frametoseekingoutsustainablematerials,everyFirstDuneshomeis createdwithcreativityandcare
“Whenwewereyounger,mywifeandIwouldalwaysdrivetoDune Roadanddreamaboutlivingthereoneday,”Lon said.“Inever thoughtitwouldactuallyhappen,andbeinginthishousemakesitall somuchmoresurreal We are living a dream ”
THEARTOF COLLABORATION
Ben Pell and Tate Overton werefirstintroducedto Chad whentheywerehiredtowork onaprojectforhisdaughter’sschool.Thethreemenquicklyrecognizedeachother’s talentsandbecamefastfriends “Chad’s experiencewaskeyfortheprojectandwesaw immediatelyhowdifferenthewasasacontractor,”said Tate “Hebecameagreat liaisonandagreatasset,servingasanothersetof eyesandearsforuswithoutanyego attachedtotheoutcome.”“Chad hasatremendousdepthof knowledgeand experience,”added Ben.“Asanarchitect,rolesaresodefinedandpeopleusuallystayin theirlane Butwith Chad,it’ssocollaborativeandhe’stheretosharetheproblem solvingwithus Heappliesan‘allhandsondeck’mentalitytothinkthroughissues together.”
Withsuchagoodcreativesynergybetweenthem,thecollaborationbetween PellOvertonandFirstDunesdidn’tendoncetheschoolprojectwascomplete;the architectswentontopartnerwith Chad ontwonewhomeprojects:809and725Dune Road 809DuneRoadwasafull-gutrenovation,whichrequiredkeepingmuchof the existingstructure–nosmalltask Althoughitwaschallenging,PellOvertonworked alongside Chad tomaintainthestructurewhilealsobalancingdesignintentandclient expectations.“Workingwith Chad isexceptionalbecausehereallywantstomakeit betterforeveryone,”said Tate.“Havingacontractorthatcanworkalongsidethe designteam realtimeisahugeasset,andnotsomethingthatnormallyhappensinthe field ”
“It’shonestlyhardtodefine Chad’s role,he’ssointegraltothework”added Ben. “Andhe’sdeterminedtogetbuy-infromeveryone.”
BenPell
Tate Overton