The Town of Southold has acquired another significant parcel in the Pipes Cove Area. On May 18, 2006, the Town purchased 11 acres from Carla Carroll. The Carroll property is located on the west side of Pipes Neck Road in Greenport and includes over 1000 feet of road frontage south of the Long Island Rail Road to Pipes Creek and over 1500 feet of frontage on Pipes Creek. The purchase price for the Carroll property was $637,500 and was funded by the Town’s Community Preservation Fund.
The acquisition was facilitated by Randy Parsons of The Nature Conservancy pursuant to a Conservation Services Contract the Town has with The Nature Conservancy to assist with preservation of the Pipes Cove Area. In July 2005 The Nature Conservancy facilitated the preservation of the 47 acre Reese property, another parcel within the Pipes Cove Area, in addition to contributing $500,000 for preservation in the Pipes Cove Area.
The Town has identified the Pipes Cove Area as a priority area for preservation, as this area is one of the few remaining undeveloped areas of critical wetlands in the Peconic Bay Estuary. The Pipes Cove area is part of a long term project to acquire critical lands within the Peconic Estuary watershed to preserve the ecological viability of the estuary. The Nature Conservancy will be working in partnership with the Town to prepare a Pipe’s Cove/Arshamomaque Park Plan as a blueprint for a natural park area for preserved properties within the Pipes Cove Area. Use of the Carroll property will be limited to passive recreation in a manner consistent with the environmentally sensitive nature of the property.
The Carroll acquisition adds 11 acres to other land previously preserved by the Town and County on the west side of Pipes Neck Road, resulting in preservation of most of the west side of Pipes Neck Road and preservation of the beach area at the end of the road. There are approximately 575 acres in the Pipe’s Cove Area that were targeted for preservation, approximately 417 acres of this have been preserved by the Town, County, US Fish and Wildlife Service, TNC and the Village of Greenport, with approximately 158 acres remaining to be preserved.
Can you spot the swallow?
Saltmarsh and woodland habitat
Wetlands
Woodland and marsh
Creek front