Farmingville, NY – –Supervisor Ed Romaine and Deputy Supervisor Dan Panico have announced that the Town of Brookhaven has secured 152 acres for open space preservation (see photos). The property was dedicated to the town after the development rights were lifted on a large mixed-use development (The Boulevard), currently under construction at the northwest corner of Long Island Expressway Exit 68 in Yaphank. The transaction is an example of using Transfer-of-Development Rights (TDR) from an environmentally sensitive site to a receiving area that will accommodate development. Because TDR was involved, the Town of Brookhaven expended no funds.
Supervisor Romaine said, “The purchase of this property is a great the opportunity to preserve a large parcel of open space in the Central Pine Barrens without a cost to the Town. Thanks to our environmental team and the Law Department, we have taken a major step in protecting more of our open space for many years to come.”
Deputy Supervisor Dan Panico said, “In the Town of Brookhaven we work to address the needs of our residents in a proactive manner. The need to balance development and preservation is a crucial role in the successful application of the land use authority vested in the Town. Here we were able to preserve these 152 acres, without a capitalized cost to the taxpayers, while allowing for development in areas that are embraced by the community and the Town. Being proactive in land use and other facets of government is one of the reasons Brookhaven leads the way.”
The 152-acre site is in the Central Pine Barrens and is heavily forested. It provides habitat to a variety of forest dependent wildlife species such as White-tailed deer, Red Fox, Wild Turkey, Great Horned and Screech Owls and several woodpecker and songbird species. Being situated in the deep-flow recharge zone, the property recharges approximately 87 million gallons of pure water annually to the underlying drinking water aquifers. The parcel is one of 15 properties the Long Island Pine Barrens Society has included in its recently enacted “Best of the Rest” Campaign.
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