Lawmakers considering Head of the Harbor preservation

Head of the Harbor Mayor Douglas Dahlgard expressed interest in preserving 15 acres of undeveloped land in the village. What the village will get out of the land is less certain.

Legislators in Suffolk County could vote on whether or not to appraise the land near Harbor Road as soon as next Thursday. The two waterfront parcels are unsuitable for building due to marsh grass and wetlands, according to Newsday.

Back in June, village trustees agreed that the land would be used for trails if the purchase goes forward. It’s not clear how much it would cost, but R&CN Menez purchased the property for $2.1 million in 2017.

Funds to purchase the land would come through the county’s Drinking Water Protection Program for Environmental Protection, but there may not be enough funds to go around. There are 32 acquisitions awaiting appraisal and 20 in the midst of the acquisition process. There is $7.7 million available in the fund, with legislators debating adding another $10.5 million.

Finding enough funds for such purchases is less of a problem in the Hamptons. Five East End towns — East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold — impose a 2 percent transfer tax on real estate sales. That has raised $1.6 billion for a community preservation fund, which has preserved 10,000 acres of land.

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[Newsday] — Holden Walter-Warner