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Politics & Government

Northville Residents Voice Concern Over County Park Planned for North Fork Presserve

School District worried about lost tax revenues that would result.

For years, public acquisition of the North Fork Preserve, the 302-acre private hunting compound between Sound Avenue and Sound Shore Road in the hamlet of Northville, has been high on the wish list of environmentalists and community advocates alike.

But now that a $17.8 million purchase of the parcel, representing a partnership between Suffolk County and the Town of Riverhead, seems headed for fruition, some nearby residents are voicing second thoughts.

Their concerns, as expressed at a public hearing Tuesday evening, stem from the county’s recent announcement that it intends to turn 172 acres of the southern portion of the preserve into a public park, with 240 camp sites, horseback riding and other forms of active recreation.

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And while 126 acres to the north running along Sound Shore Road would remain untouched because of their ecologically-sensitive areas, they fear that turning the northern part into a county park could adversely affect their way of life. 

John Cullen, president of the Northville Beach Civic Association, said that while his members recognize the importance of the acquisition, “we also are concerned about the many issues coming with the purchase based on the desire to open the land for public access.”

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One of those concerns, he said, was increased traffic, telling the Town Board that his civic association “cannot support any parkland that allows entrance access from Sound Shore Road.”

He also asked whether the town would have the resources available to maintain the property, including picking up trash left by campers, but Supervisor Sean Walter reassured him that it wouldn’t be the town’s responsibility.

“My understanding is that we’re limited to the cost of the purchase and that all maintenance would fall to the county,” Walter said.

"It would be similar to Indian Island County Park," Councilman John Dunleavy said.

In addition to neighborhood fears, school board member Amelia Lantz spoke to the amount of tax revenues the Riverhead Central School District would lose following the acquisition.

According to Councilman George Gabrielsen, owners of the North Fork Preserve currently pay $83,000 in total taxes, with approximately $56,000 going to the school district. He also said he heard that the Jamesport Fire District would lose about $5,000 in yearly tax revenues.

With the losses in mind, Walter said he plans to pursue the possibility of a PILOT payment from the county – a payment in lieu of taxes – to cover the annual shortfalls for the town and the school district.

“Any time you preserve property, it becomes a balancing act between preserving and building the tax base,” Walter said.

Under the proposal heard Tuesday evening, the town would contribute $492,492 to the $17.8 million total purchase price.

The town’s share, according to Town Attorney Bob Kozakiewicz, would represent a 95-5 split with the county for 172 acres in the southern portion of the property and a 90-10 split for 2.6 acres in the northern portion.

Though public acquisition of the land could come by the end of the year, which would immediately take the parcel off the town’s tax rolls, developing the southern portion into a county park could take years, according to Dunleavy.

Dunleavy said he had spoken with County Legislator Ed Romaine, the North Fork lawmaker who sponsored the acquisition, who told him the county doesn’t have the money to build the park, and it could take as many as 10 years before any work would begin. 

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