Suffolk County recently closed on two land acquisitions, preserving almost 140 acres of open space and farmland along the historic Sound Avenue corridor in the Town of Riverhead.
Sitting on the south side of Sound Avenue and east of Roanoke Avenue, among hundreds of acres of previously preserved farmland, the first parcel was preserved via the purchase of developments rights (PDR) program and consists of 46 acres of active, prime farmland.
According to Legislator Al Krupski, “preserving farmland through the PDR program benefits the community and the economy in so many ways. It keeps the land on the tax rolls, prevents the potential development that can lead to higher property taxes, protects water quality and quantity, and adds to our ability for Suffolk County to produce food and other agricultural products well into the future.”
The second parcel stretches from Sound Avenue to the Long Island Sound, and consists of 20 acres of farmland, and roughly 73 acres of open space and habitat, a significant acquisition according to Legislator Krupski. Suffolk County acquired both the farmland and the open space by purchasing the property directly.
“I was proud to sponsor the legislation that led to the acquisition of this property, and gratified to see a project that my staff and I worked so hard on come to fruition. I want to thank the County Executive and my colleagues in the Suffolk County Legislature for supporting this important purchase.”
“I am grateful to both families for participating in the preservation of these significant properties,” said Legislator Krupski. “Two things need to be in place to preserve land: a willing landowner, and available funds. This is not always the case, and Suffolk County was fortunate that these two requirements aligned.”
Legislator Krupski concluded, “Moving forward, Suffolk County must continue its historic and very successful land preservation programs, one which is emulated across the nation and benefits all residents of Suffolk County. When parcels of this importance become available, and when landowners are willing to consider preservation, we must be in a position to acquire them for the benefit of all of us and future generations.”
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