Mayor: Lloyd Harbor to buy 20 acres of Seminary of the Immaculate Conception

Lloyd Harbor plans to purchase 20 acres of a Catholic seminary property in the village after a multiagency proposal to buy part of the land fell apart in the spring.

The village's announcement follows a recent settlement involving the Diocese of Rockville Centre and other parties as part of the diocese’s bankruptcy case involving sex abuse victims.

Mayor Jean Thatcher announced the plan in a recent village newsletter, adding that the property, the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, will retain some of its buildings and land while the state will purchase the wetlands near the seminary.

“This arrangement is the subject of agreement,” Thatcher wrote, referring to the pending purchase. “The transaction will take several steps to be finalized.”

Village officials said Thursday they could not provide details about the plans or its use for the land because the transaction is not complete.

The diocese on Friday did not return requests for comment.

In 2021, Huntington passed a resolution for shared protection of a portion of the property, along with the state, Suffolk County, the town and the Oyster Bay nonprofit North Shore Land Alliance. 

The Suffolk County Legislature in July 2022 approved $20,000 in funding to appraise 160 acres of the seminary, the first step for the possible acquisition of open space.

The town's plan fell through in the spring when the state said it would purchase the property on its own. 

The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation said Wednesday it is in discussions with the diocese to acquire a portion of the property for use as a park, said Dan Keefe, public information officer for the agency.

State Environmental Protection Fund money would be used for the purchase if an agreement is reached, Keefe said.

“At this time," Keefe said, "there is no final agreement for the acquisitions.”

Thatcher said in the newsletter the seminary property, which is adjacent to a village park, would be a suitable addition to the park. 

Suffolk County spokeswoman Marykate Guilfoyle said the previous deal fell through due to differing procurement procedures among the prospective buyers and the diocese’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.

“The County is pleased to hear that the Village is now working with the State to preserve the Seminary,” Guilfoyle wrote in an email.

Huntington Town Supervisor Ed Smyth, also a Lloyd Harbor resident, said if the state is still looking for partners to purchase some of the land, the town would want to be included in any acquisition opportunities. 

"It would ensure the entire seminary parcel is available to all residents of the town,” through more public open space, Smyth said.

In 2012, the seminary stopped training men to become priests at the facility. The diocese uses the property’s buildings for ongoing development and training of laity, deacons and priests, as well as programs and retreats for the public.