JULY 10, 2007, FARMINGVILLE, NY — Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley announced at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting that Governor Eliot Spitzer had signed state enabling legislation that clears the path for a vote this November on Brookhaven Town’s unique Community Preservation Fund proposal, which, if approved, would fund the preservation of thousands of acres of precious open space.
Additionally, the Brookhaven Town Board was expected to vote at its meeting tonight to accept the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement for the CPF. The board was also expected to set a date for a public hearing on the DEIS.
“This is an historic proposal that will provide the next generation of funding for open space purchases, purchases that will insure that we maintain the quality of life we enjoy and expect in the Town of Brookhaven,” said Supervisor Foley. “I thank Governor Spitzer for his swift action to put this legislation in place, and I thank all our state representatives who worked so hard to get this legislation approved in short order.
“Brookhaven's CPF will be an important tool that will preserve thousands of acres of land and precious resources, redevelop blighted areas of the Town and promote affordable housing, including a first time home buyer's exemption. Passage of the CPF come November will guarantee that our children and grandchildren will continue to enjoy the quality of life we treasure.”
“The Community Preservation Fund is the best means to preserve and protect the most important reason for living on Long Island--our quality of life,” said Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld, liaison to the Department of Environmental Protection and Land Management. “Our drinking water; our open spaces; our woodlands, bays, and harbors; our farmlands; our collective natural heritage are all threatened by ‘market pressures.’ Instead, they can be preserved with this critically needed instrument.”
"With the passage of CPF, the Town will have the resources to purchase the sensitive areas of open space which remains within our town which needs and deserves protection,” said Councilwoman Connie Kepert. “The Community Preservation Plan not only allows us to preserve open space but to funnel development into centers. This enables the Town of Brookhaven to address both our need to preserve our pristine areas of open space, and to address the problems of affordable housing and the need to end the negative effects of sprawl. It is a win, win situation.”
“The presentation of this evening’s proposed Community Preservation Fund and the accompanying DGEIS begins the process for outlining the future of land preservation in Brookhaven Town,” said Councilwoman Carol Bissonette. “This is both a fiscally prudent as will as visionary positive step forward in achieving the goals of preserving at between 5,000 to 10,000 more acres in the years ahead.
“In the weeks to come I look forward to working with my colleagues and representatives from our various groups in the Town to address those issues that will ultimately be the successful framework for implementing CPF program that will ensure that our sense of place and continuity of rural hamlets is maintained in perpetuity without the increased burdened of additional taxes and/or tax years to residents.”
The CPF is a major preservation initiative that will provide the Town with much needed funding to protect the last remaining open spaces and farmland. The funding comes from a 2% transfer fee paid by the buyer each time a property is conveyed in the Town, beginning in 2008. Developed properties priced up to $250,000 are not charged a fee; vacant land valued up to $150,000 is not charged a fee either.
The CPF includes a provision to exempt qualified first-time homebuyers from the tax. The plan incorporates a modest transfer of development rights program. The transfer of development rights program would allow for 25% of the development rights purchased with CPF funds to be placed in a clearinghouse d be available for purchase by developers. The intent is to distribute those credits broadly across the town by allowing for a wide variety of uses in many different zoning classifications.
Proceeds from the sale of the credits would be returned to the Community Preservation Fund to purchase more open and space and farmland.
Since 1999, the Town has spent $130,000,000 to preserve open space and farmland but the last of the 2004 $100 million Open Space Bond Act has been spent, leaving no money for future open space purchases. The passage of the CPF would provide a ready source of open space funding for the next 18 years.
The Town has more than 20,000 acres of vacant land remaining, much of which is likely to be developed unless acquired. With the CPF, the goal is to preserve 5,000 to 10,000 acres of those 20,000 acres. The CPF would provide about $30 million per year over 18 years, and won’t affect property taxes, or qualified first-time homebuyers.
To build strong support for the proposed CPF, the Town established a steering committee that included environmental groups, civic groups, builders and Town staff to develop a CPF plan and program that addresses the needs of all stakeholders. Land will be purchased to preserve and protect farmland, drinking water, rivers, bays, and wetlands, woodlands and wildlife habitat, community parks and hamlet greens, hiking trails and outdoor recreation.
Included in the approved CPF is a transfer of development rights program known as the Community Preservation Fund Development Rights Program. This program expands on and is generally consistent with the Town’s existing transfer of development rights programs (e.g., Pine Barrens Credit program) that have been in place for many years.
Twenty-five percent of the development rights from parcels acquired with CPF funds will be placed in the CPF Development Rights Clearinghouse. The clearinghouse can sell credits to developers to be used for redevelopment projects. The CPF Development Rights Program is estimated to generate about 1,250 development credits over the life of the program.
The money collected from the sale of development credits will be put back into the Community Preservation Fund to buy more open space.
Office of the Supervisor
One Independence Hill • Farmingville • NY 11738 • Phone (631) 451-6955 • Fax (631) 451-6677
www.Brookhaven.org