Southold Town weighs $6.1M CPF deals to preserve nearly 50 acres
Southold Town is weighing whether to use $6.1 million from its Community Preservation Fund on two deals to protect nearly 50 acres of land, officials said.
The properties, a 35.92-acre vineyard on Main Road in Cutchogue and a 13.65-acre undeveloped tract on North Bayview Road in Southold, would be the subject of public hearings, Town Board members said at their March 26 meeting.
The larger parcel, Pellegrini Vineyards, sits alongside roughly 187 acres of farmland already preserved by the town or Suffolk County. About 30 acres of development rights could be purchased for approximately $2.5 million, or $84,500 per buildable acre.
Town plans would require that at least 80,000 square feet of the nearly 6-acre reserve area remain tied to the preserved land and not be subdivided. The property is listed in the town’s Community Preservation Project Plan for its agricultural value.
A representative for Pellegrini Vineyards declined to comment ahead of the pubic hearing.
The second parcel, a 13.65-acre stretch of vacant land near Reydon Shores, extends to Southold Bay and is zoned residential.
The town and Suffolk County are proposing a 50-50 partnership to acquire the $3.6 million property, owned by the Jamal Manassah 2022 Revocable Trust and the Estate of Raymond J. Kerester, at a rate of about $265,000 per acre.
Under the proposal, the conservation easement purchase would be tied to the transfer of the property’s title to the Peconic Land Trust, according to the public hearing notice.
The land trust has agreed to allow public access through passive recreational trails. The property is also listed in the town’s preservation plan for open space, wetlands protection and shoreline conservation, particularly in areas vulnerable to flooding and sea level rise.
Board members said the site could become a nature preserve with trails and limited parking, subject to a future management plan.
Residents can review details on the proposed purchases at the Southold Town Hall Annex ahead of the next hearing on April 7.
The CPF, funded by a 2% real estate transfer tax since 1998, is used across East End towns to preserve land and community character. In Southold, it generated $11.1 million and helped preserve 76 acres in 2024.
The proposals follow a similar town-county partnership approved on March 10 to preserve a 54-acre parcel in Greenport using $6.5 million in CPF funds. The land borders 324.59 acres of open space already owned by Suffolk County and Southold Town.
That purchase still requires the county to execute a contract before pre-closing work, including a survey, environmental assessment and title report, can begin.
Town land preservation coordinator Lillian McCullough said at the March 10 hearing that such acquisitions help protect drinking water, reduce pollution and preserve open space.
