The property, consisting of one two-acre building lot and an adjoining 19.9-acre parcel, had a five-lot subdivision application called "Tall Pines" pending on the larger parcel. In last fall's election campaign, then-candidate Mr. Orlando drew fire from opponents who labeled him a developer and criticized his family's subdivision proposal for the property. At the time, Mr. Orlando said he would gladly sell the land to the town for preservation.

The land will be set aside as a nature preserve with the possibility of passive recreational uses, such as walking trails. The acquisition also frees up 12 sanitary flow credits, which can be banked by the town for its sanitary flow credit TDR program. The credits can be used for future affordable housing units, said Supervisor Scott Russell, once the town closes on the purchase and the Town Board subsequently votes to transfer the credits.

"As significant as the town-, county- and state-preserved lands are in Southold, none is like this -- that's how unique it is," said John Sepenoski, chairman of the town's land preservation committee.

"I believe we got a pretty good deal," Mr. Russell said after the vote, thanking the Miller and Orlando families for agreeing to the sale.

n Bond hearing set

An $850,000 solid waste management district bond proposal will be the subject of a public hearing at Southold Town Hall on June 3 at 7 p.m.

Up to $180,500 is proposed for the addition of an overhead garage door at the town transfer station, and an additional $669,500 is proposed for the purchase of various equipment for the transfer station. The bond amount represents a maximum to be spent, and the amount actually borrowed and spent might well be less than that, depending on bids, Mr. Russell noted.

n Dark skies over Strawberry Fest?

The Strawberry Festival may not have fireworks this year. The Town Board is not inclined to grant permission to the festival to use adjacent preserved land to shoot off the fireworks this year, according to the discussion by board members at Tuesday's work session. The town's land preservation committee recommended against allowing the fireworks display on preserved land.

"I'm going to stand by the land preservation committee," said Councilman Albert Krupski. "We made it clear last year, when we overrode the land preservation committee and allowed it, but told them 'you have to identify another space next year,'ââ" Mr. Krupski said.

Councilman Tom Wickham said he is willing to support an outright ban on all fireworks displays other than Fourth of July displays. But the total ban had no support on the board.

"I'm not sure an all-out ban on fireworks is the way to go," said Mr. Russell. "But some reasonable restrictions are necessary."

The board asked the town attorney to draft legal guidelines for fireworks displays, which, under state law, must be public displays to be eligible for a municipal permit, Mr. Russell said.

Meanwhile, unless the Mattituck Lions Club can come up with an alternative location to set off its pyrotechnic display, there will be no fireworks at the annual festival this year. The festival takes place June 13-15 in Mattituck.

n Commission chairman to be paid

Transportation Commission chairman Neb Brashich of New Suffolk will be paid a salary of $2,000 per year for his service in the position. Breaking with tradition, the board agreed to pay Mr. Brashich for the post, which, like other positions on the commission, as well as those on other town committees, had been a volunteer slot. Mr. Krupski cast the lone dissenting vote on the stipend, arguing that it sets a bad precedent to single out one committee volunteer among many who "devote hundreds of hours" to serving the town.

At the board's April 8 work session, Mr. Brashich told board members he would be willing to continue as the town's liaison to the North Shore Heritage Area planning commission if the town would compensate him for his travel to meetings in Nassau County several times a year. Mr. Krupski has voiced consistent opposition to the town's participating in the North Shore Heritage Area program, maintaining that "the North Fork has nothing in common with the North Shore" of western Suffolk and Nassau. Mr. Russell says the program allows the town to tap into historic preservation grant money that would otherwise be unavailable to it without ceding jurisdiction or home rule to any other entity. He and other board members feel participation in the commission is important enough to merit paying Mr. Brashich a stipend to cover his expenses.

n Tower moratorium updates

Walter Cooper, an independent consultant, released a preliminary report regarding cellular telephone towers at last Wednesday's special board meeting.

Last November, Mr. Cooper was hired to compile recommendations for cell towers in Southold Town. Since then he has developed an inventory of existing wireless facilities, which total 11. He also is identifying suitable and unsuitable locations for wireless communications towers and is proposing a series of site planning tools for pending and future applications. Because Mr. Cooper released a draft, specific recommendations were not available for publication.

The cell tower moratorium is in effect until August.

Christina Rizzo contributed to this story.