A Wise Investment

The Southampton Town Board’s decision to spend $15 million in Community Preservation Fund revenue to purchase the 2.5-acre “Bridge House” property in North Haven is more than a land deal — it is a statement about values. At a time when prime parcels across the East End are snapped up for oversized private homes or luxury condominiums, the choice to protect a stretch of Sag Harbor Bay beach for public access is both bold and forward-looking.

North Haven Village Mayor Chris Fiore put it plainly when he said the village wanted to “avoid another big glass cube.” Anyone who has watched the Sag Harbor skyline change in recent years knows exactly what he means.

Waterfront land is finite, and once it is lost to private development, the opportunity to preserve it for community use is gone forever. In this case, the town acted quickly enough to ensure that a small house, a pool and a developable lot instead will become open space and waterfront, accessible not just to the few but to all.

Critics may bristle at the price tag. Fifteen million dollars is not a small sum, even in a real estate market where values have soared beyond reason. But that is precisely the point: In a market this overheated, the cost of preserving open space is high, but the cost of not preserving it is higher still. The CPF was created for moments like this, when community character and access to natural resources hang in the balance.

The parcel’s history only strengthens the case for preservation. From its ties to whaling and watchmaking magnates of the 19th century to its later stewardship by philanthropists like Jeanette Sarkisian Wagner, the Bridge House site has long been interwoven with the cultural and civic life of the region. Its next chapter — as public open space — feels not only appropriate, but necessary.

What comes next deserves careful thought. Fiore has said he envisions little more than a walkway to the beach, and that restraint is wise. This is a chance to create quiet, meaningful access to the water rather than a heavily programmed park. The very simplicity of such a vision — standing on the shoreline with Long Wharf, Windmill Beach and Steinbeck Park in view — would honor the natural beauty that drew people here in the first place.

Preservation, when done thoughtfully, is never just about land. It is about ensuring that future generations inherit a place that still feels like a community, not a gated collection of private estates.

On this front, Southampton Town and North Haven have taken a commendable step.