Two important parcels of land located off Main Road in the hamlet of Jamesport recently came closer to being protected from development when the landowner accepted an offer from Suffolk County to preserve the properties in perpetuity. Over the years, numerous plans to develop both parcels have been before Riverhead Town.
The roughly ten acre front parcel, which is steeped in history and is known by many locally as Sharper’s Hill, will be preserved for use as a hamlet park. The 32 acre adjacent parcel to the north contains prime agricultural soils and will be preserved through the County’s farmland purchase of development rights program.
Legislator Al Krupski sponsored the legislation which began the preservation process last year. “There are many people to thank for getting us to this point including my colleagues in the Suffolk County Legislature for approving the appraisal, Riverhead Town for agreeing to maintain the hamlet park, the landowner for participating in the process and the community for having the foresight in recognizing the importance of these lands and working towards their preservation.” Although the Suffolk County Legislature must approve the final purchase, Legislator Krupski said he has “a strong degree of confidence he will have the support of his colleagues.”
“This action by the County precludes massive commercial development which would have literally overwhelmed the hamlet of Jamesport. It preserves the character of the Rural Corridor, the backbone of our agriculture & tourism-based economy. And, it delivers much needed, centrally located public space, with access to a regionally important historic site,” stated Larry Sims, a representative of Save Main Road. “These benefits will be enjoyed not only by residents & business owners in Jamesport & neighboring hamlets, but by everyone using Main Road. We’re all indebted to Legislator Krupski & his staff, as well as to the Town Board, which partnered in the maintenance of the new park.”
In addition to Save Main Road, the preservation efforts are supported by the Jamesport/South Jamesport Civic Association, the Long Island Indigenous People Museum & Research Institute, the Setalcott Nation, Group for the East End and North Fork Environmental Council.
########