Southampton Town Makes Bid To Purchase Two Waterfront Properties in North Sea

Southampton Town plans to purchase two waterfront properties in North Sea — on West Shore Drive and on Shore Road — that could be used for public water and beach access.

The town has agreed to purchase the lots at 11 West Shore Drive and 87 Shore Road; both have small homes on them that would be razed, and the land allowed to revert to a mostly natural state — though town officials said last week that they are considering accommodating public access to the shoreline via both parcels.

The agreement with the owner of 11 West Shore Drive is for the town to pay $2.2 million from the Community Preservation Fund for the half-acre parcel. The property is owned by a limited liability corporation that does not indicate who the owner of the land actually is.

The property has 100 feet of shoreline on Little Peconic Bay. West Shore Drive is a private road, but town Community Preservation Fund Director Jacqueline Fenlon told the Town Board last week that once the town purchases the property, all town residents would have the right to access the lot.

“There is a really nice shoreline beach that you can walk along in this area,” Fenlon said.

“That will be really great access for the public,” Councilman Bill Pell said. “This is what CPF money should be used for: access for the people.”

The property is in a wetlands preservation target area as West Shore Drive cuts through a freshwater wetland area, now separated from the bayfront by the roadway and homes. Fenlon said that once the house at 11 West Shore Drive is removed and the property left alone, native wetlands vegetation should repopulate much of the parcel.

The town will also pay $1,325,000 for the shy half-acre at 87 Shore Road, which is currently owned by James Loesch. The property sits on the shore of the creek at the head of North Sea Harbor.

An existing ranch house on the property will be removed before the town takes ownership of the property, but Fenlon said a small dock will remain for possible future use.

Fenlon said the purchase is being tagged on the CPF rolls as intended for parks and open space preservation so that public access across the property will be allowed.

“This is not just for preservation — we’re going to, hopefully, use it at some point,” Councilman Rick Martel said.

“Yes, this allows us to use it for public access — possibly a small park area. We have talked about installing some rain gardens there to alleviate some of the stormwater impacts,” Fenlon added, referring to chronic flooding that takes place on the road near the property. “There is an existing floating dock, so we’re looking at that as a potential kayak launch area.”

The town also plans to purchase another half-acre lot in Noyac. Preserving the property at 51 Beach Plum Road would create a public right-of-way from Locust Lane through a parcel of freshwater wetlands already owned by the town and connecting to a Suffolk County nature preserve, the bayfront shoreline of Noyac Bay and Clam Island at the foot of Jessup Neck.

The town has proposed paying $775,000 for the land. Fenlon called the freshwater wetlands on it an “indispensable and fragile resource in the town.”

“I know the residents are very happy to hear that this is going to be preserved and that there’ll be an access through there,” Councilman Michael Iasilli said.

The town heard no objections to any of the proposed purchases at its November 25 meeting and could approve the deals as soon as its meeting on December 9.