South Jamesport parcel owner pulls out of Suffolk County preservation deal

Preservation is in the details.

But disagreements between Riverhead Town and Suffolk County officials over how to preserve a nine-acre South Jamesport property may have led the owner to walk away from the deal altogether.

Peconic Farms LLC backed out of negotiations to sell the parcel at 1161 Peconic Bay Blvd. to Suffolk County on May 6 — one day after the Town Board voted to support the county’s preservation effort, so long as the land remained untouched and free from future development.

“While I’m disappointed that this wasn’t able to come to fruition, I totally and wholeheartedly respect the landowner and their decision,” Supervisor Jerry Halpin told the Riverhead News-Review. “What they want to do with their land is always first and foremost.” 

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine also expressed dismay over the outcome.

“This is a missed opportunity to preserve more farmland on the North Fork,” he said in a statement.

The collapse of the deal comes after heated debate over open space acquisition versus farmland preservation at an April 30 Town Board work session, where Suffolk County Legislator Greg Doroski urged Riverhead officials to partner with the county on the acquisition.

Town officials pushed back.

Board members raised concerns about what county ownership could eventually mean for the quiet neighborhood surrounding Peconic Bay Boulevard — including the possibility of expanded beach access, fishing, swimming and other recreational uses that could draw more visitors to the area. 

Part of the proposed agreement called for Riverhead to manage the county-owned land. Officials questioned potential long-term maintenance costs and whether future recreational improvements could change the character of the area. 

Mr. Doroski said Tuesday the increasingly public fight over the deal may ultimately have driven the owner away. 

“It seemed kind of overly combatant from the start,” he told the News-Review. “This really should have been a home run for everyone. It was something that the community really supported.” 

The roughly nine-acre parcel sits adjacent to the East Creek boat launch parking area, though it does not have direct access to the waterfront. A portion of the property is within 300 feet of a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation wetlands buffer. Other sections fall within the New York State Coastal Barrier Resources System Area. 

Last September, the owner received preliminary approval to subdivide the property into four residential building lots. 

Mr. Doroski previously argued the deal offered a strong return on investment and strengthened environmental protection and quality of life — all at a potentially low cost for the town. At the April 30 work session, he suggested passive recreation could look like minimal improvements, such as adding a looped walking trail and possibly up to three dirt parking spots. He estimated the management costs for these recreational additions would be less than $10,000.

Even with the deal dead for now, Mr. Doroski said he hopes preservation discussions continue.

“As much as this is a real bummer, we will be able to turn it into an opportunity to further educate the public and keep pushing forward on this land preservation,” Mr. Doroski said. “There’s still over 6,000 acres that need to be preserved in Riverhead, and we all need to do everything we can to make sure they’re preserved, whether it’s farmland or open space.”