A bid by Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) to preserve the 82-acre Northport property formerly owned by the U.S. Veterans Administration Hospital took a major leap forward last week when the Legislature's Parks, Land Acquisitions and Cultural Affairs Committee unanimously approved the three resolutions pertaining to the purchase. All three of Cooper's resolutions will now be before the full County Legislature to be voted on at their next meeting on Tuesday, June 6.
"This is a wonderful opportunity we must seize upon to preserve one of the few remaining major open space parcels in the Huntington area," Cooper said. "It's rare that we have the chance to preserve open space and create a much-needed recreational area at the same time."
Under Cooper's plan, a small portion of the property, now owned by Alvin Benjamin of Benjamin Development Company and known as "The Knolls," would be used for active recreation and the rest would be preserved as passive parkland/open space. The legislation would set aside 20 acres of land to be used for soccer fields, baseball fields and a bicycle path, which will be set apart from surrounding homes by a large buffer area. This portion of the property would be purchased under the county's Community Greenways Program. The development of the active park and its continual maintenance will be funded by the Town of Huntington.
The vast majority of the property will be preserved under two other county programs, the Land Preservation Partnership Program and the Water Quality Protection component of the ¼% Drinking Water Protection Program. Suffolk County and the Town of Huntington will share the cost of the purchase under the Land Preservation Partnership Program.
Cooper, who took office in January, met early in his term with residents of the community surrounding the parcel to hear their ideas about what should be done with the property. Cooper's plan will prevent the proposed construction of a housing development on the site of over 40 homes, which was vociferously opposed by virtually all of the community.
