September 19, 2011
LEGACY VILLAGE PARCEL PRESERVED
Legislator Browning Adds 23 Acres of Controversial County Land
to Southaven Park
(Pictured Left to Right: John and Johan McConnell, South Yaphank
Civic Assoc., Martin Van Lith, Post Morrow Foundation,
Robert and Audrey Kessler, Yaphank Historical Society, Tom
Williams, Post Morrow Foundation, Sharon Wiesmann,
resident, Chard Trusnovec, Yaphank Taxpayers & Civic Assoc., and
Legislator Kate Browning.)
Yaphank, NY – In
2010 County Executive Steve Levy proposed the development of 253
acres of county land in Yaphank, also known as “Legacy Village”.
The land is located in the Carmans River watershed and surrounds
the historic community of Yaphank. A piece of the county
holdings, known as Parcel A, was originally proposed to have two
5,000 seat arenas constructed on it. Legislator Kate Browning (WF-Shirley)
whose district includes Yaphank, led the fight to stop Legacy
Village, and last Thursday she secured the unanimous support of
her colleagues at Suffolk County’s legislative meeting to
transfer 23 acres to the Department of Parks and Recreation.
This portion of the county owned land is now forever preserved.
What was once slated to be two massive arenas along the shore of
the Carmans River is now an extension of Southaven Park.
The Legacy Village
proposal was immediately met with opposition from residents and
environmentalists when County Executive Levy finally unveiled
the plan after years of meeting with developers behind closed
doors. Soon after Legacy Village was released the Town of
Brookhaven began work on the Carmans River Protection Plan. The
town plan made it clear that areas surrounding the river should
not be developed and any waste water credits should be directed
away from the river. The economy also continued to weaken and
support for Legacy Village quickly dwindled. The Suffolk County
Legislature eventually approved legislation that prevented the
county from moving forward with “Legacy Village”.
“Legacy Village was
an unsustainable plan from the start, and was in direct conflict
with the Town of Brookhaven’s efforts to preserve the Carmans
River,” stated Legislator Browning. “Killing the County
Executive’s project was only the first piece of the puzzle.”
However, the legislature still voted to surplus some of the
property in Yaphank to the highest bidder, which Legislator
Browning opposed, so she immediately introduced I.R. 1267-11 to
preserve the most sensitive land in order to prevent any sale of
this important buffer. The 23 acres is all wooded and falls
within the 0-5 years contributing area of the Carmans River.,
and also contains the old Almshouse cemetery. The county is
still trying to sell other county land in the area.
“This land should
never have been proposed for development,” stated Legislator
Browning. “It is directly adjacent to the Carmans River and
would have had a negative impact on the environment. I am
grateful that my colleagues saw the importance of preserving
this parcel.”
“The Yaphank
Historical Society wishes to thank Kate Browning for preserving
another small piece of our beautiful town,” stated Historical
Society President Robert Kessler.
“A special thanks to
Legislator Kate Browning for all her dedication to the
environment,” stated South Yaphank Civic Association President
Johan McConnell. “The protection of this parcel is another
example of her listening to the residents and responding to the
issues that matter.”
“The Yaphank
Community is extremely grateful for Legislator Browning's
efforts,” stated Chad Trusnovec, President of the Yaphank and
Taxpayers Civic Association. “Because of this, another piece of
environmentally sensitive land will forever remain protected.”
“This preservation
broadens the protection efforts underway to safeguard the
Carmans River Watershed and our ground water,” stated Sharon
Wiesmann, a Yaphank resident who owns property adjacent to the
Carmans Rivers’ Upper Lake. “The preservation of this property
is a remarkable illustration of the ability of all involved to
protect this precious environment in our area. We applaud and
thank Legislator Browning for recognizing the importance and for
making this land preservation come to fruition.”
The bill is still
awaiting the signature of County Executive Levy.
