Town Seeks To Acquire 38.3 Acres At Former Sand Mine In Wainscott For Preservation, Municipal Needs

EAST HAMPTON, NY — The Town of East Hampton has proposed the acquisition of 38.3 acres at 104 Wainscott Northwest Road, "creating an opportunity to preserve a former sand mine for open space and recreation while also securing land for future municipal needs," officials said.

Under the proposed acquisition, 33.3 acres would be dedicated to parks, recreation and open space. About five acres on the southern portion of the property would be reserved for municipal purposes, town officials said.

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The municipal portion would give the town the ability to plan for future public needs while the majority of the property remained protected. A specific use for those five acres has not yet been determined, officials said.

The open-space, parks and recreation portion of the proposed acquisition would be funded through the town's Community Preservation Fund. The five-acre municipal portion would be separately financed, officials said.

"This is a very significant opportunity for Wainscott. We have the chance to protect more than 33 acres for open space and recreation, while also securing land that can help us meet future municipal needs. When we make decisions of this size, we have to think not only about today, but about what will best serve the community for many years to come," said East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez.

The property is zoned commercial-industrial, and its potential for substantial future development has been part of the discussion surrounding the former sand mine for years, officials said.

The town's 2019 Wainscott Hamlet Report, which has been adopted in the town's comprehensive plan, noted that commercial-industrial zoning allowed the gravel pit to be subdivided into lots as small as 40,000 square feet and identified concern about the potential for overdevelopment in the hamlet, officials said.

A March 2026 yield map prepared for the property further illustrated that development potential, depicting numerous approximately one-acre commercial-industrial lots across the site, officials said.

The town's interest in a different future for the former sand mine is not new, officials added.

The Wainscott Hamlet Report, officials noted, identified reclamation of the sand pit as an opportunity for open-space preservation and contemplated a future in which more than half of the larger property could be restored to parks and open space. Ideas raised during the planning process included active recreation and green space for passive enjoyment.

The acquisition would also build on a significant period of land preservation by the town. In 2024, East Hampton moved to acquire approximately 30 acres at 66 Wainscott Main Street for $56 million through the Community Preservation Fund, the largest CPF purchase in East Hampton Town history. In 2025, the town preserved another nine properties comprising 36.25 acres at an approximate cost of $45.5 million and continued to monitor and manage more than 5,800 acres of preserved land.

"We have been fortunate to preserve some very important properties in recent years, and each one has been with an eye towards protecting what matter to the people who live here," Deputy Supervisor David Lys, the town board liaison to the CPF said. "This property is unique because of its history and its development potential, but the goal is the same: to make thoughtful, long-term decisions that will benefit East Hampton and the people who call it home for years to come."

The Wainscott Northwest Road property presents a particularly unusual preservation opportunity, officials added. Unlike many town acquisitions involving existing woodland or farmland, the site has a long history of sand mining and industrial activity. A former cement plant and several other commercial buildings have been removed, the land has been fully reclaimed, and seeding is expected to take place this month. By mid-October, the property is expected to become a large grassland meadow, town officials said.

"What I find especially meaningful about this property is the opportunity to take land that was mined and used for industrial purposes for many years and turn it into something that can really serve the community," Burke-Gonzalez said. "Most of it can become open space and recreation land, and the municipal portion gives us an opportunity to think carefully about what the town may need in the future. There is a lot of possibility here, and I'm excited about what this property can become for the community."

A public hearing on the proposed acquisition is scheduled for Thursday, October 15 at 6 p.m.