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Island’s Land Preservation Board seeks Town property info

The Community Preservation Fund Advisory Board is seeking to identify properties either acquired by the Town or those on which the Town has easements to determine whether there are stewardship plans in place and provisions for their use.

The matter was discussed at Monday morning’s CPF Advisory Board’s meeting with concerns about how acquired properties might be used for Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs) from preserved land blocked from development to other areas where more dense development could be allowed.

Another issue of concern is the possibility of placing a septic treatment system at Klenawicus Airfield to handle liquid wastewater from the Center. CPF Advisory Board Chairman Gordon Gooding has been fighting to prohibit such use.

But the other properties in question at Monday’s meeting were not purchased with CPF money. What the Advisory Board wants to know is:

• The location and acreage of each.

• What limits to their use might be contained in documents at the time of their acquisition.

• Whether there is a role the Advisory Board could or should play in providing stewardship plans for those sites.

Prior to the resignation of Craig Wood as a Town assessor, Mr. Gooding was hoping Mr. Wood might be able to assist in identifying each property and help to create a map of all of them, similar to the map the CPF Advisory Board has for the properties it has acquired either independently or in partnership with Suffolk County.

In response to a question from resident Stephen Jacobs, Town Board liaison to the CPF Advisory Board Councilwoman BJ Ianfolla said she would ask new Town Attorney Stephen Kiely to provide some guidance on use of CPF-acquired properties.

Attorney Cathy Kenny said her research shows transfer of development rights from CPF properties can only be banked at the time of acquisition and there is no look-back to get those credits on previously acquired sites.

Those who agree to sell their properties for preservation will want to know about any future uses of the land before agreeing to provide their land for preservation.

Although Ms. Ianfolla said she thought she could do some work on identifying Town-owned properties not purchased with CPF money, it would likely have to wait until June when the assessors have completed their annual work determining the value of properties.

In the interim, Ram Island resident Pam Demarest said Suffolk County has GIS maps created in 2021 and she also is in possession of information that might help in identifying some of the Town-owned properties. She told the Advisory Board she would assist in the effort.