Town of Brookhaven Purchases Sixteen Parcels of Land in Terryville Greenbelt

In December, the Town of Brookhaven closed on 16 parcels of land in the Terryville Greenbelt that wraps around to the east between Bicycle Path and Route 112. This is the third such purchase by the Town in a series of acquisitions to save open space in the community from further development.

The parcels cost $648,000 plus closing costs using funds from a 2009 Capital Bond for Open Space. Brookhaven Town has set a goal to purchase all of the parcels of land in the Greenbelt to assemble a "wholly protected and interconnected" woodland preserve.

Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld, D-Setauket had been advocating for the purchase of these lots to preserve quality of life, saying that overdevelopment has been a "detriment to the Terryville-Port Jefferson Station area."

Stressing the importance of the purchase, he cited the fact that it prevents woodland that provides the source of drinking water for families in the area from being developed by builders. It is also a place for residents to enjoy the outdoors in a community that has been crowded out by housing, leaving little open space left.

"This oak and pine woodland provides a good location for hiking and bird watching," said Fiore-Rosenfeld in a statement.

He also hopes that the students at Comsewogue High School will be able to use the preserve for outdoor environmental education activities.

Lou Antoniello, Steering Chair of the Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Hamlet Study came to Fiore-Rosenfeld seeking his support in the purchase of the land in the Terryville Greenbelt back in 2006. One focus of the study was to protect the hamlets from becoming even more developed than they already had been, preserving the environment for all residents to enjoy.

"The vision, as stated in our Hamlet Study, includes the preservation of our open space as well as our history," said Antoniello.

Preserving the open land will also help wildlife too.

"Saving such remaining larger areas of woodland in relatively developed communities is critical to migratory birds and other wildlife species that are dependent on them since they provide a habitat in which these species can feed and rest," said John Turner, Director of Brookhaven Town's Environmental Protection Division.

While the purchase is another step in the vision plan for Port Jefferson Station, Antoniello says that there is still more to do.

"I will continue to work in order to help assemble and acquire the remaining properties until we have completed our mission to purchase the entire Terryville Greenbelt," he said.