Huntington, NY -- Yesterday, the Suffolk County Legislature unanimously approved a planning steps resolution introduced by Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) that expands the funding sources available for preservation of the Fuchs property in Northport.
This pristine parcel is approximately 19.3 acres and contains a freshwater pond, wetlands, an upland slope forest and a high plateau area. It borders the Crab Meadow watershed and the Town of Huntington's Jerome Ambro Memorial Wetlands Preserve.
"I am delighted that this resolution was approved by the full Legislature," Cooper said today.
"There is now an agreement between Suffolk County, the Town of Huntington, and the Fuchs family to move forward with the acquisition. This county funding represents the last piece of the puzzle."
Originally, acquisition of the Fuchs property was included in the omnibus bill for the County's Greenways Open Space Program, but developmental pressures have increased the purchase price of the land. Under Cooper's bill, County funding would be available from the Land Preservation Partnership Program. This program allows the County and a local municipality, in this case the Town of Huntington, to form a partnership and share equally in acquisition costs. If the purchase is completed, the County and the Town would jointly own title to the newly acquired parkland.
Joy Squires, Chairperson of the Town's Environmental Open Space and Park Fund Review Advisory Committee, explains that the Town has been interested in acquisition of the Fuchs property for the past thirty years. "This is an excellent example of the Town and County working together to acquire one of the most environmentally significant pieces of property in the Town of Huntington," Ms. Squires said today.
