4-H camp in Riverhead must be preserved

An incredible opportunity to preserve a unique 145.5-acre parcel overlooking Long Island Sound in Riverhead is approaching the finish line. Officials, though, can’t relax. Suffolk County recently approved a third extension, to June 17, for the deal, to finalize a complex land transaction that’s been in the works since 2018.

At stake is a bucolic piece of land with bluffs overlooking the Sound that’s home to the Dorothy P. Flint 4-H Camp. It lies right near the Sound Avenue Nature Preserve and Cornell University’s Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center.

The quixotic nature of the land — from being owned by Nassau County after camp founder Flint sought a place for Nassau kids, to its history as the oldest 4-H camp in the state, to its scenic landscape home to endangered species — makes this the epitome of land preservation on the Island.

Riverhead Town would acquire 36 acres along the Sound, while Suffolk would buy development rights to 40 acres on Sound Avenue so the property can still be farmed. The remaining 69 acres would be acquired with private money and possible state grants.

Suddenly, legislatively speaking, a deal is in sight. Nassau wants to sell and Suffolk is approving steps, while Riverhead Town is moving forward with an appraisal of the 36-acre portion. And the Peconic Land Trust is leading the effort, providing a steady hand for such a complex initiative.

The project has been one of the more involved in the group’s 42-year history. “We often get projects like this when, you know, everyone’s at their wit’s end and don’t know what to do,” said Julie Wesnofske, senior project manager of the Peconic Land Trust. “Then they’re like, well, let’s call the land trust.”

The property is currently zoned for 2-acre residential lots, Wesnofske said. If the deal falls through, a truly remarkable piece of Suffolk County could be lost to development.

The key, Wesnofske said, is to get the deal done and then hammer out the specifics such as the future of the camp and access to the Sound. Those benefits won’t happen unless the property is first preserved.

The cost isn’t being disclosed since negotiations and appraisals are underway. The Community Preservation Fund — whose revenue comes from a 2% real estate transfer tax — would provide funding, and other local, state and federal grants could be applied for, in addition to the Peconic Land Trust’s private fundraising.

Suffolk County was the first municipality in America to create a Farmland Development Rights purchase program in 1974, and the county and East End towns have preserved more than 30,000 acres. This would be the latest exemplar of the county’s land preservation efforts.

With the finish line so close, stakeholders could be forgiven for taking a breath. That would be a mistake. Until contracts are signed, everyone involved must keep a sense of urgency to see the deal to completion.