An Unexpected Open Space Purchase
Dec 28, 2008 Filed in: General
Announcements | Planning &
Land Use
During the summer of 2005, two board members of the
Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization made a
presentation to the Town of Brookhaven's Open Space
Committee. The civic organization wanted to ensure
that the communities that we represented would
benefit from the $100 Million Open Space Bond Act
that was strongly supported by local residents.
Although we do not have large tracts of open space to
be preserved, we wanted to highlight important
parcels that would benefit the community if they were
to remain "green".
Tricia Scola-Feleppa and Thalia Bouklas presented
details of three open space parcels in Lake
Ronkonkoma that the civic organization wanted the
town to purchase with part of the $100 Million Open
Space Bond Act funds from 2004. One of the parcels is
now the site of the new Commerce/TD Bank on Portion
Road. Another of the parcels was the Link property on
Hawkins Avenue. This is a four and a half acre
parcel, just north of Friendly's Restaurant.
The Open Space Committee voted that both of these parcels merited purchase by the town. Unfortunately, the owner of the Commerce/TD Bank property would not sell to the town. The owners of the Link property were not interested at the time in selling to the town either; they proceeded to get approval in 2006 from the Town Planning Board for a 7-lot subdivision on that site. This site was especially desirable as it is across the street from the 10-acre nature preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy, but the owner (a developer) told the town that he would not sell it to the town for any price that they could pay - he preferred to subdivide and develop it. The civic resigned itself to losing this green space to new homes.
Fast forward to 2008: the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization recently learned that the owner of the Link property reconsidered and was interested in selling to the town. We aren't sure if the downturn in the housing market caused this change of events, but regardless, we are thrilled with outcome: at the December 23, 2008 meeting of Brookhaven's Town Board, the board voted to purchase this parcel for $1,275,000 using funds from the Open Space Bond Act. We can rest assured that this parcel will remain undeveloped forever as one of the Town's nature preserves.
The Open Space Committee voted that both of these parcels merited purchase by the town. Unfortunately, the owner of the Commerce/TD Bank property would not sell to the town. The owners of the Link property were not interested at the time in selling to the town either; they proceeded to get approval in 2006 from the Town Planning Board for a 7-lot subdivision on that site. This site was especially desirable as it is across the street from the 10-acre nature preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy, but the owner (a developer) told the town that he would not sell it to the town for any price that they could pay - he preferred to subdivide and develop it. The civic resigned itself to losing this green space to new homes.
Fast forward to 2008: the Lake Ronkonkoma Civic Organization recently learned that the owner of the Link property reconsidered and was interested in selling to the town. We aren't sure if the downturn in the housing market caused this change of events, but regardless, we are thrilled with outcome: at the December 23, 2008 meeting of Brookhaven's Town Board, the board voted to purchase this parcel for $1,275,000 using funds from the Open Space Bond Act. We can rest assured that this parcel will remain undeveloped forever as one of the Town's nature preserves.