Southold approves $3.8M CPF deal to preserve 35 acres on Middle Road

The Southold Town Board approved a $3.8 million Community Preservation Fund deal last Tuesday to preserve roughly 35 acres of vacant agricultural and residential land on Middle Road. 

The purchase will be structured as a 50/50 partnership with Suffolk County, with the town paying $1.9 million, subject to appraisal. The land is owned by Moffat Farm LLCs.

Town Supervisor Al Krupski said the purchase deal was “many years in the making.”

Two of the properties were already listed on the town’s Community Preservation Project Plan Eligible Parcel List. The third — a 0.47-acre parcel — was added at the April 21 meeting for potential use as a park, nature preserve or recreational space.

Town land preservation coordinator Lillian McCullough said the parcels are significant for habitat, wetlands and shoreline protection and could also offer opportunities for passive recreation, given their proximity to roughly 100 acres of already preserved land.

“This entire piece of property is adjacent to sensitive surface waters, Long Creek [and] Hashamomuck Pond. It’s also mostly buildable,” Ms. McCullough said, “so its development could have significant negative impact on water quality and habitat health in the area.”

The approval is the latest preservation deal in the past two months. On April 7, the Town Board voted to preserve nearly 50 acres of farmland and open space across two parcels. On March 10, the board also approved a $6.5 million town-county partnership to preserve a 54-acre parcel in Greenport using CPF funds.

Peconic resident and conservation biologist Louise Harrison was in favor of the acquisition and called it “marvelous.” 

“To think that it’s going to be preserved forever is wonderful,” Ms. Harrison said.