Town buys more than 100 Mastic Beach waterfront properties

More than 100 Mastic Beach properties purchased by Brookhaven Town offer waterfront access, sublime views of Narrow Bay and Smith Point County Park, and native wildlife in their natural habitat.

But no one is expected to go there. Which is why the town bought them.

The postage stamp-size parcels — 106 of them totaling 22 acres in a community that was devastated in 2012 by superstorm Sandy — will be preserved as marshes to help stem flooding, town officials said. Even hiking, biking and other passive forms of recreation will not be allowed, they said.

“Our interest in these properties were most of those properties were wetlands. Most of them were wetlands that were probably not buildable,” Supervisor Edward P. Romaine said. “These wetlands are like sponges. They absorb water and they help us in that regard.”

Brookhaven paid $1.35 million in April to buy the properties from developer Robert Toussie, believed to be one of the largest landowners in Suffolk County. The Nature Conservancy contributed $250,000 toward the purchase.

Toussie never submitted plans to build on the lands, which are zoned for residential uses, town officials said. Romaine said the town never would have approved development on the properties, anyway.

The parcels — most of them not adjacent to one another — are spread over a mile-wide area, from Waverly Road on Johns Neck east to Park Drive. A handful are occupied by vacant summer shacks, which will be demolished, Romaine said.

The south shore of Mastic Beach has been flooded at least nine times in the past six months, even on sunny days with no rain, Brookhaven officials said. They believe the wetlands will act as buffers against future flooding by absorbing stormwater and dispersing it through undeveloped areas.

"This land purchase will go a long way in better protecting Mastic Beach residents," Alison Branco, the Nature Conservancy's New York director of coastal programs, said in a statement released by the town. "One of the best ways to prepare for a future with more water is to protect and restore our natural areas."

Frank Fugarino, president of the Pattersquash Creek Civic Association, agreed that the wetlands purchase would be effective, but said the town should consider other flood-prevention measures, such as gates and reservoirs.

“My goal here is to think about science, to think about how to use the wetlands,” Fugarino said.  “Beyond that, what do the scientists say?”

Town officials have said installing pumps and gates to lessen flooding would cost too much money without substantial state and federal aid, which appears to be unlikely.

Brookhaven officials plan to continue buying waterfront properties in Mastic Beach, using money collected from developers' fees and set aside for open space purchases.

Councilman Dan Panico, who grew up in the hamlet, said some Mastic Beach streets are dirt roads dating back decades to when it was a summer bungalow community. Many residents must regularly pump out their basements.

“There are some properties in Mastic Beach that are impossible to maintain,” Panico said. “At least those open spaces will be preserved for future generations.”

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.