b. 10-acre parcel

Another bullet under the LIRPB’s above-mentioned recommendations on page 5 states:

North of Montauk Highway, the headwaters of the Beaver Dam Creek flow through a vacant, privately owned 9.5 acre parcel (SCTM 200-932-02-87). This land should be preserved through TDR, or through acquisition if necessary, to protect freshwater wetlands and stream water quality.

Again, we agree with the recommendation of the LIRPB report and will include it in the recommendations of this study. In addition, we recommend that the town rezone this lot to A10 to protect the headwaters of the Beaver Dam Creek. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is currently no money available in State, County or Town coffers for land acquisition, so it seems that TDR might be the best means available to preserve this land. Perhaps with the help of the LIRPB, a meeting could be arranged between the owners, Town DEP and the Post Morrow Foundation to discuss the future of this parcel.

c. DOT property

The BVA has been advocating, to no avail, the transfer of an 8.4-acre parcel owned by the NYS Department of Transportation, SCTM 200-902-02-01, to the Post Morrow Foundation, with the stipulation that it be kept forever wild. In 1991, then Assemblyman Bill Bianchi sent letters on our behalf to the New York State DEC and the NYS Department of Parks to see if this land could be transferred from the DOT to either one of these agencies. Neither the Parks Department nor the DEC was interested. Original DOT plans were to use this site for drainage purposes, but, currently, the DOT has no plans for construction here.

3. Southaven Properties

Since 1990, the BVA and the South Haven Civic Association have been working with the Open Space Council to have the federal government acquire the last remaining unprotected property in the scenic portion of the southern Carmans River watershed, an acquisition that would complete the northern boundary of the Wertheim Refuge. This 128-acre, ecologically diverse parcel known as Southaven [SIC] Properties is located next to the South Haven School and straddles the headwaters of the Yaphank Creek. Current development plans propose 64 houses, but the landowner is willing to sell to an interested party, such as the Federal government.

Our preservation efforts are endorsed and fully supported by local, state and federal legislators. We also have the support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nature Conservancy. Because this land is included in the scenic designation of the Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers Act, because it straddles the 10-acre headwaters of the Yaphank Creek, because it is so environmentally unique and because we feel this land must be insulated from development, we recommend that it be rezoned from A2 to A5: This will be our top recommendation in the Summary and Recommendations section of this study.