As the Riverhead Town Board prepares to meet with the potential buyers of EPCAL this week, EPCALWatch would like the town board and the planning board to be acutely aware that taxpayers know who voted to include over 1,000 vulnerable acres of our backyard within this contract.
While there is some talk that part of this land will not be allowed to be developed — talk is all it has been. By including this land in the contract without conservation protections, there is no definitive assurance that this land will forever be safe from development.
Please recall that the current buyers said they “would walk” from the deal if these 1,000 acres were not included. Over a dozen local, preeminent environmental organizations and civics have signed on to the petition below.
In addition to the thousands of members that belong to these groups, over 800 people have taken the time to sign on to the electronic version which can be found here http://chng.it/ycJ4vQnh.
We welcome anyone who would like to see this land forever off-limits from development to sign on and hope that this time, we are heard.
The bottom line is, as divided as we may be over the ultimate use of this property, we do not believe that we are nearly as divided over the inclusion of the additional 1,000 acres.
Christy Hawkins is a member of EPCALWatch. She is a resident of Calverton.
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