Again, we agree with the recommendation of the
LIRPB report and will include it in the recommendations of this
study. In addition, we recommend that the town rezone this lot to
A10 to protect the headwaters of the Beaver Dam Creek. However, to
the best of our knowledge, there is currently no money available in
State, County or Town coffers for land acquisition, so it seems that TDR might be the best means available to preserve this land. Perhaps
with the help of the LIRPB, a meeting could be arranged between the
owners, Town DEP and the Post Morrow Foundation to discuss the
future of this parcel.
c. DOT property
The BVA has been advocating, to no avail, the
transfer of an 8.4-acre parcel owned by the NYS Department of
Transportation, SCTM 200-902-02-01, to the Post Morrow Foundation,
with the stipulation that it be kept forever wild. In 1991, then
Assemblyman Bill Bianchi sent letters on our behalf to the New York
State DEC and the NYS Department of Parks to see if this land could
be transferred from the DOT to either one of these agencies. Neither
the Parks Department nor the DEC was interested. Original DOT plans
were to use this site for drainage purposes, but, currently, the DOT
has no plans for construction here.
3. Southaven Properties
Since 1990, the BVA and the South Haven Civic
Association have been working with the Open Space Council to have
the federal government acquire the last remaining unprotected
property in the scenic portion of the southern Carmans River
watershed, an acquisition that would complete the northern boundary
of the Wertheim Refuge. This 128-acre, ecologically diverse parcel
known as Southaven [SIC] Properties is located next to the South
Haven School and straddles the headwaters of the Yaphank Creek.
Current development plans propose 64 houses, but the landowner is
willing to sell to an interested party, such as the Federal
government.
Our preservation efforts are endorsed and fully
supported by local, state and federal legislators. We also have the
support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nature
Conservancy. Because this land is included in the scenic designation
of the Wild, Scenic and Recreational Rivers Act, because it
straddles the 10-acre headwaters of the Yaphank Creek, because it is
so environmentally unique and because we feel this land must be
insulated from development, we recommend that it be rezoned from
A2
to A5: This will be our top recommendation in the Summary and
Recommendations section of this study.