Huntington OKs purchase of two farms

The Huntington Town board recently approved the purchase of two farms it plans to turn into parks.

The board unanimously approved a resolution to purchase the 12.4-acre Carpenter Farm on Old Field Road in Huntington. It will be used as a passive park with a small parking area to access trails. The purchase price is expected to be $2.7 million, split between the town and Suffolk County. Town officials said at a public hearing last June the proposal garnered considerable public support.

“It’s a pristine piece of property in a location where we haven’t been able to acquire much open space,” said Mark Cuthbertson, sponsor of the resolution, which was approved at a town board meeting earlier this month. “So it’s a good acquisition for those reasons.”

He said completing the project is just a matter of securing the funding and working with the county to “get to the finish line.”

The other resolution was approved, 4-1, and authorizes the purchase of the 8.1-acre former Meyers Farm in Melville for a price not to exceed $1.325 million. The town’s Environmental Open Space and Parks Fund Review Advisory Committee recommended to the board that three acres be developed for active recreational use and five acres kept as a passive park. The park will be known Sweet Hollow Park.

Town board member Gene Cook voted against the Meyers Farm measure.