County announces plans to preserve 30 acres of farmland

VERA CHINESE PHOTO
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy was joined by town, county
and state officials at a press conference announcing plans to
purchase the development rights of 30 acres of farmland on
Reeves Avenue.

Suffolk County plans to purchase the development rights of 30 acres of farmland on Reeves Avenue, county officials announced during a press conference Thursday.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy said during the press conference the $2.2. million parcel, owned by the Kozak family, was the 75th property to be preserved as open space in the county in the past six years. He added that 38 of those parcels have been in Riverhead Town.
“We’re going to preserve Riverhead as the farming capitol of Suffolk County,” Mr. Levy said.
Preserving the land would make for 189 contiguous acres of open space between Sound Avenue and Reeves Avenue.
The purchase would be paid for by county money slated for open space which is funded through a quarter percent sales tax.
The acquisition must be voted on by the county legislation before the deal is official. The farm, which grows cauliflower, broccoli, squash and potatoes, is owned by the family of former town supervisor Bob Kozakiewicz though some family members go by the name Kozak.
Heddie Kozak, whose family had owned the farm for more than 100 years, said she more than happy to  preserve the farm.
“I never want to see this farm built with houses,” she said. “The island is built up enough.”
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