North Fork panel focuses on land preservation after agritourism proposal shelved
From left, former Riverhead Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith, farmer Phil Schmitt and Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard are part of the Jamesport civic group's Blue Ribbon Panel for Preservation. Credit: John Roca
When Riverhead floated an agritourism proposal to allow resorts on Sound Avenue earlier this year, public opposition was swift.
Letters flooded into councilmembers' inboxes and residents lined up at town hall podiums to speak out against the idea. Town leaders ultimately shelved it. But along the way, a key question emerged as officials asked their constituents if they had better ideas to preserve farmland and boost commercial tax revenue.
Under the agritourism bill, developers with at least 100 acres north of Sound Avenue could build hotels if they preserved 70% of the property as an active farm. Riverhead officials said the measure would encourage farmland preservation and grow tourism and tax revenue without burdening local schools and other services.
The proposal was ultimately removed from the master plan the town board approved in September.
Brainstorming solutions to that very question is the mission of a new volunteer Blue Ribbon Panel for Preservation formed by the Greater Jamesport Civic Association. The 12-member panel includes residents, farmers and local lawmakers who meet monthly to discuss land preservation methods. The discussion comes during a period of mounting pressure to develop farmland and vacant tracts of land, and as property values reach record highs.
“Is large-scale resort development the only way to preserve land? It didn’t seem like there was a really healthy conversation going on as to what our other options are,” said Laura Jens-Smith, president of the civic association and a former Riverhead Town supervisor.
She said the panel is taking a “fresh look” at solutions to duplicate what’s been done in other East End towns or enhance existing programs. The group began meeting in October and plans to present formal recommendations to the town board early next year, Jens-Smith said.
One idea is for Riverhead to hire a dedicated town employee to handle land preservation and administer money from the Community Preservation Fund. The fund is generated through a 2% tax on most real estate transactions that is dedicated for land preservation in the five East End towns.
Southold, Southampton and East Hampton each have those departments while in Riverhead, the town attorney’s office oversees the program.
That employee could handle community outreach and forge connections with landowners who may be considering selling or estate planning, Jens-Smith said.
Another idea is to strengthen a partnership with Suffolk County, which this year expanded its farmland preservation budget to $15 million a year, Newsday has reported.
Panelists also include Southold Supervisor Al Krupski, County Legis. Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead) and Janice Scherer, planning director for Southampton Town.
Having a preservation coordinator has helped Southold, Krupski said.
"Some of it does come down to stewardship management plans, but a lot of it is just making sure all the appropriate partners are at the table when the landowner comes in," he said. "Yes, it's a benefit for the community, but it's got to be a benefit to the landowner, because it is a voluntary program.”
Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard said it will take creative thinking to balance the two priorities. Riverhead has about 6,500 acres of unprotected farmland, but he cautioned that preserving it all isn’t feasible.
“If you did all that and took it off the tax rolls, the taxes in the town would be through the roof,” he said. “Some of that is going to have to be developed for tax base."
Riverhead farmer Phil Schmitt wants to enhance a town program that lets landowners preserve property by selling their development rights. Other developers can then purchase credits from those deals to build taller or larger buildings elsewhere.
Schmitt said the goal is to find a “sweet spot” that works for both sides.
“If you make it so ridiculous that they [developers] just walk away from the projects, you’re not going to gain any money in the program,” he said.
Hubbard didn’t rule out a path forward for agritourism hotels and said the proposal could be reshaped based on resident feedback.
“We may have to explore something along those lines,” he said. “But let’s do it with full community input as opposed to just coming up with something and saying to everybody: ‘Here it is … Like it or not.’ ”
When Riverhead floated an agritourism proposal to allow resorts on Sound Avenue earlier this year, public opposition was swift.
Letters flooded into councilmembers' inboxes and residents lined up at town hall podiums to speak out against the idea. Town leaders ultimately shelved it. But along the way, a key question emerged as officials asked their constituents if they had better ideas to preserve farmland and boost commercial tax revenue.
Under the agritourism bill, developers with at least 100 acres north of Sound Avenue could build hotels if they preserved 70% of the property as an active farm. Riverhead officials said the measure would encourage farmland preservation and grow tourism and tax revenue without burdening local schools and other services.
The proposal was ultimately removed from the master plan the town board approved in September.
Brainstorming solutions to that very question is the mission of a new volunteer Blue Ribbon Panel for Preservation formed by the Greater Jamesport Civic Association. The 12-member panel includes residents, farmers and local lawmakers who meet monthly to discuss land preservation methods. The discussion comes during a period of mounting pressure to develop farmland and vacant tracts of land, and as property values reach record highs.
“Is large-scale resort development the only way to preserve land? It didn’t seem like there was a really healthy conversation going on as to what our other options are,” said Laura Jens-Smith, president of the civic association and a former Riverhead Town supervisor.
She said the panel is taking a “fresh look” at solutions to duplicate what’s been done in other East End towns or enhance existing programs. The group began meeting in October and plans to present formal recommendations to the town board early next year, Jens-Smith said.
One idea is for Riverhead to hire a dedicated town employee to handle land preservation and administer money from the Community Preservation Fund. The fund is generated through a 2% tax on most real estate transactions that is dedicated for land preservation in the five East End towns.
Southold, Southampton and East Hampton each have those departments while in Riverhead, the town attorney’s office oversees the program.
That employee could handle community outreach and forge connections with landowners who may be considering selling or estate planning, Jens-Smith said.
Another idea is to strengthen a partnership with Suffolk County, which this year expanded its farmland preservation budget to $15 million a year, Newsday has reported.
Panelists also include Southold Supervisor Al Krupski, County Legis. Catherine Stark (R-Riverhead) and Janice Scherer, planning director for Southampton Town.
Having a preservation coordinator has helped Southold, Krupski said.
"Some of it does come down to stewardship management plans, but a lot of it is just making sure all the appropriate partners are at the table when the landowner comes in," he said. "Yes, it's a benefit for the community, but it's got to be a benefit to the landowner, because it is a voluntary program.”
Riverhead Supervisor Tim Hubbard said it will take creative thinking to balance the two priorities. Riverhead has about 6,500 acres of unprotected farmland, but he cautioned that preserving it all isn’t feasible.
“If you did all that and took it off the tax rolls, the taxes in the town would be through the roof,” he said. “Some of that is going to have to be developed for tax base."
Riverhead farmer Phil Schmitt wants to enhance a town program that lets landowners preserve property by selling their development rights. Other developers can then purchase credits from those deals to build taller or larger buildings elsewhere.
Schmitt said the goal is to find a “sweet spot” that works for both sides.
“If you make it so ridiculous that they [developers] just walk away from the projects, you’re not going to gain any money in the program,” he said.
Hubbard didn’t rule out a path forward for agritourism hotels and said the proposal could be reshaped based on resident feedback.
“We may have to explore something along those lines,” he said. “But let’s do it with full community input as opposed to just coming up with something and saying to everybody: ‘Here it is … Like it or not.’ ”
Back to the drawing board
- The 12-member Blue Ribbon Panel for Preservation includes civic leaders, farmers, lawmakers, and preservation and environmental groups including the Peconic Land Trust, Group for the East End and Long Island Farm Bureau.
- The panel plans to issue recommendations for preserving farmland in Riverhead.
- Riverhead has about 6,500 acres of unprotected farmland, according to Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard.
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