Suffolk County and the Town of Brookhaven are set to purchase a 70-acre tract of undeveloped pine barrens in Manorville for $1.2 million, according to Newsday.
The sale would cap the end of a year-plus back-and-forth between the land’s owner and the Pine Barrens Commission over potential development of the property.
Joseph Gazza had bought the property in 2019 for $450,000 and pursued approval to build a home and horse corral on the about five acres of it. The commission denied him because it was part of the pine barrens “core” area, according to Brookhaven Supervisor Edward Romaine.
Although Gazza will nearly triple his investment, he isn’t happy with the outcome, calling the saga a “sore topic” and saying the commission “beat [him] up” over his plans. [Newsday] — Dennis Lynch