East Hampton Town votes to acquire land parcels

At its first meeting of the year, the East Hampton Town board voted, 4-0, on Thursday to spend $3.1 million in community preservation funds to acquire two parcels of land, 11 acres in Springs and 4 acres in Wainscott.

The fund, supported by a special tax on real estate transfers, can be used only for land acquisition or maintenance, and has no impact on the town tax rate.

The 4-acre parcel in Wainscott, owned by Barnett Brown, is subdivided for the construction of four houses and backs onto Montauk Highway just east of Town Line Road. As such, it is a gateway to the town. While resident David Buda said the property likely would remain green since no houses could have a driveway onto the main road, town officials said securing an attractive entrance to the town was worth the $2 million price.

The other parcel, comprising several subdivided lots on Neck Path in Springs, is owned by Julie L. Cochran. The property is in a sensitive groundwater recharge area and is near other properties that have already been purchased for open space preservation.