Suffolk County has long eyed preservation of the 140-acre Dorothy P. Flint 4-H camp and now it may finally have a willing seller.
Nassau County, which has owned the camp for over 90 years, is ready to negotiate a sale, County Legislator Al Krupski said today. The Suffolk County executive’s staff has been discussing the acquisition with Nassau officials, he said.
Krupski laid a resolution on the table this week to authorize an appraisal for the 32-acre agricultural portion of the site. The measure will be on the agenda of the Environment, Planning and Agriculture Committee at its next meeting and, if approved, will be brought to the full legislature at its next regular meeting. If the legislature authorizes an appraisal, it will take six to eight months for it to be completed.
The camp’s remaining acreage, which is not in active agricultural use, would be purchased as open space, Krupski said.
“We’re working with Peconic Land Trust to try to preserve the rest of the piece,” the legislator said. “Ideally, Cornell Cooperative Extension would manage it,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity to take 140 acres between historic Sound Avenue and the Long Island Sound and keep it from being over-developed,” Krupski said.
“A side benefit is that farming will continue and programming to have children understand the things 4-H teaches,” Krupski said. The camp will continued to be operated by 4-H, a national Cooperative Extension program.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
