County Executive Vetos Spinney Hills Property Purchase

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy has vetoed a measure authorizing the county to move forward on a 430-acre parcel in East Quogue.

In his veto message, Levy said, "While I share the goal of preserving the areas of this parcel existing within the Pine Barrens, there is a way to do so with no cost to the county."

Leg. Jay Schneiderman, I-Sag Harbor, who sponsored the measure, said he was disappointed by the county executive’s actions, especially after he said Levy held a press conference just days before in Lake Grove touting the county's preservation efforts.

“There is hypocrisy there,” said Schneiderman. “I am taking this one a little personally.  Is he not interested in preserving land on the South Fork?”

Despite Levy’s decision, Schneiderman said he believes he can garner enough votes to override Levy’s veto at the next legislature meeting on Tuesday.

The proposal, Schneiderman pointed out passed earlier in June with 17 votes. 

“I don’t think the full seventeen will the override the veto, but I will have the twelve needed,” said Schneiderman.

Scheniderman said he believes his fellow legislators understand the importance of preserving the parcel, which sits just off Spinney Hills Road.

Aside from the property containing Pine Barrens and a fragile multi-layered aquifer, the land is threatened by development.

Currently, developers are looking to build 82 homes on the property.

Levy said, however, that by clustering the development, the 70 percent of the property that sits in a groundwater protection zone, can be protected without the county releasing a dime from it's coffers. 

"This is an opportunity preserve approximately 300 acres of Pine Barrens at no cost to the taxpayers as opposed to having to spend anywhere from $15 to $30 million on this one closing,” said Levy.  “Think of all the properties we could purchase with the money that would be freed up.”

Scheniderman, however, argued that the county would not have to purchase the entire property, which is estimated to be valued at $15 million, with only it’s funds. The Town of Southampton, he said, has offered to enter a 50/50 match using it’s Community Preservation Funds.

“We are in an economic crisis,” said Schneiderman, “But the one place we do have money available for is to purchase land.”

Schneiderman said the property could be acquired using two preservation funds, one of which is know as the ¼ percent sales tax fund and another that, called the legacy fund that requires 50/50 partnerships with towns.

“This is a big one,” said Schneiderman, “if the county does not preserve this property, than the land preservation program as we know it is dead.”

For up-to-the-minute news in East Quogue, follow Patch on Twitter @WHampBaysPatch or on Facebook.