(Hauppauge, NY- February 6, 2013) – Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk), County Executive Steve Bellone and Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Thorne-Holst applauded legislation passed Tuesday authorizing the acquisition of land under the Suffolk County Drinking Water Protection Program. This legislation authorizes the purchase of nearly 30 acres of land adjacent to the crucial surface waters of the Beaverdam Creek watershed. Both the County and the town have committed to each fund 50% of the purchase cost of the property.
“This property, which is comprised of pristine meadow lands, woodlands, and wetlands, will provide important wildlife habitat and protection of the surface waters of Beaverdam Creek,” said Legislator Schneiderman. “This Town and County partnership is another example of working together with the common goal of strengthening our efforts to protect open space and water quality.”
“Beaverdam Creek is an important tributary into the Great South Bay. The County –Town partnership that came together to effect this acquisition not only preserves native woodlands and tidal wetland habitat, but the underlying water quality of the creek and the bay,” said County Executive Bellone. Bellone noted that the acquisition builds on a previous open space acquisition in the Beaverdam Creek Watershed in Southampton, which was a factor in determining the overall environmental importance of the acquisition.
“The preservation of this environmentally significant property is an example of the important community goals that are met when Southampton Town and Suffolk County work together,” said Supervisor Throne-Holst. “Legislator Schneiderman has been instrumental in making this acquisition happen, and I thank him and all the County representatives for their support. This parcel has been at the top of the Town’s priority acquisition list for several years, and now it will be protected in perpetuity.”
The site, formerly known as the Bailey Motel property, consists of two lots on either side of Montauk Highway, 28 acres and 1.2 acres respectively for a total 29.2 acres. There are two cut-outs; the larger 3-acre cut-out is to be sold by the current owner for a future cemetery site. The smaller 0.9 acre cut-out will be acquired by Southampton Town for highway purposes.
###