Preservation still an option for Vassilaros property
Losquadro says county could make an offer sometime soon
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Legis. Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham) said the county is hard at work on preserving the 68-acre Vassilaros property in Miller Place. The property, in the heart of the historic district, has been targeted for a 59-lot subdivision.
The county is in the process of putting together an offer to the Vassilaros family, he said in an interview this week.
The county is in the midst of doing two appraisals of the property, and Mr. Losquadro said he could see an offer being made on the property "hopefully within the next 60 days."
The 65-acre parcel sits across the pond on North Country Road and is adjacent to Laddie A. Decker Sound Beach School. It is a historic farming property, with an old farmhouse and remnants of a vineyard and orchard still somewhat intact.
A 58-lot subdivision has been proposed for the property and plans are currently before the town Planning Board.
The parcel has been a major concern for Miller Place residents since 2004, which is when the county first looked into the possibility of preservation. The town later included the parcel on its preservation wish list in 2007, but those talks cooled down after the Community Preservation Fund referendum was rejected by Brookhaven residents, leaving the town without an obvious funding mechanism to preserve the property at that time.
The county has a fund dedicated to purchasing properties for preservation, Mr. Losquadro said, gleaned from a quarter-percent sales tax approved by voters to last until 2030. Though sales tax as a whole has declined in the current economy, Mr. Losquadro said the county has the ability to borrow against anticipated revenue.
"We actually have a substantial pool of money we can draw from that we want to be able to tap into while the land is available," he said.
And what makes a difference in acquisition efforts this time around, Mr. Losquadro said, is that the Vassilaros family is now a willing seller.
In November, the family's attorneys sent the county a letter saying the family is willing to entertain an offer from the county, he said.
"I'm grateful that first of all they're willing, and number two, they not only seem willing but very interested," he said.
At a March hearing with the Town of Brookhaven's Planning Board, Steve Latham, the lawyer representing the Vassilaros family, said the family would be interested in selling the property for preservation, but added that he doesn't know how realistic it is at this point.
"Ultimately, it will be a function of price," he said.
The hearing was held to discuss the possible development of the property into a 58-lot subdivision. Miller Place residents turned out in force, expressing concerns over a development's possible impact on the community. Dozens of residents expressed concerns about impacts on wildlife and the environment, traffic and safety issues, drainage issues and impact on the Miller Place School District.
Mr. Losquadro said the development proposal and the conservation effort are on parallel tracks.
"Nothing is mutually exclusive," he said. However, he added, it was no coincidence that the family didn't tell the county it was willing to entertain an offer until after they had received their yield map.
After the town's appraisals of the property are completed, they will be reviewed internally by the county's Environmental Trust Review Board. After that, the county will make an offer, he said.
Woody Brown, a Miller Place Civic Association director, said he is pleased to hear the county is moving forward in its preservation efforts and he appreciates the family's being willing to pursue acquisition and preservation. Mr. Brown is also a 10th-generation family owner of the nearby home of Andrew Miller, for whom the hamlet is named.
"If this can happen, this will be a great thing for our community and particularly our historic district," he said.
asnyder@northshoresun.com
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