The possibility of preserving the Peconic Farms property on Peconic Bay Boulevard in South Jamesport is off the table, a spokesperson for County Executive Ed Romaine told RiverheadLOCAL today.
The owner of the 9.6-acre parcel, who had been negotiating with Suffolk County to sell the land for preservation as open space, notified the county real estate division late Wednesday that they were no longer interested in selling the land to the county, according to the county executive.
“This is a missed opportunity to preserve more farmland on the North Fork,” Romaine said in a statement.
A portion of the site had been farmed, though the property was slated to be preserved as open space.
The owner has decided not to sell the property to Suffolk “as is their right,” Romaine said, adding, “We remain open to any further discussions in the future.”
The property owner could not be reached for comment by press time.
The potential sale became a subject of local controversy last week, when County Legislator Greg Doroski asked the Riverhead Town Board to partner with the county in the acquisition by managing the property after its transfer to the county. It would be preserved as open space for passive recreation uses, he told Town Board members at last week’s work session.
Council Member Jo Ann Waski said she was surprised by that because the town understood the property would be preserved for farming, not recreation. Waski said she had worked with former County Legislator Catherine Stark on moving forward with the purchase of development rights.
Doroski said that was not how the application had proceeded.
Riverhead officials balked at the idea of recreational uses on the site, expressing concerns that it would be opened up to people from all over Suffolk seeking beach access. The parcel borders town-owned land along East Creek, but does not have any direct access to the waterfront.
Source: RiverheadLOCAL
