HELP SAVE BUTTER LANE FARM

We are asking for your help to safeguard one of Southampton Town’s Agricultural Reserves by signing this petition that will be delivered to the Suffolk County Legislature. The owner of the agricultural parcel attached to 625 Butter Lane in Bridgehampton, NY has applied to designate it an Agricultural Markets District. While normally that would be a welcome development recognizing the need to safeguard our disappearing agricultural resources, we oppose the inclusion of this parcel because there is considerable controversy surrounding its use. It is also undersized (9.1 acres), completely encircled by residential properties, and can never be connected to other agricultural district farmland.

This Reserve is already protected by a Conservation Easement, which the owner has willfully and egregiously violated, repeatedly, since purchasing it 8 years ago. We believe the purpose of the present application is an end-game move to diminish Southampton’s zoning power and undermine enforcement of both Town Code and the Conservation Easement. Until the owner/applicant remedies the existing violations and can show experienced stewardship, sound agricultural practices and a willingness to honor both the Conservation Easement and Town Code, we believe the inclusion of this parcel is inappropriate.

A website, savebutterfarm.org, has been set up to document the violations and misuse. We urge the Committee members and County legislators to review this website prior to making a decision. There is a pending Justice Court action for illegal use and site development (including construction of non-agricultural structures) and a long history of other violations including the removal of soil and buffer vegetation, illegal storage and dumping (including trailers, patio pavers, discarded building materials, a soiled mattress and, most recently, discarded outdoor furniture), failure to plant cover crops to prevent erosion and loss of top soil, illegal animals for personal use (only commercial agriculture is permitted), and storage of manure in willful contravention of the town’s aquifer protection provisions. The owner has also shown poor stewardship by attempting to erect residential structures (along with outdoor kitchens, hardscape and bathrooms) that would have removed considerable amounts of the farmland from production, the conversion of a portion of the Reserve to expand his residential lawn, instances of neglect of the illegal animals for personal use, taking advantage of the County’s lower agricultural property tax assessments even though by his own admission he never met the minimum sales until this last year nor filed the required yearly applications, and a blatant disregard for the Town’s zoning, planning and permit procedures required by both the Conservation Easement and Town Code.

A wealthy money manager and part-time resident, the owner/applicant has no experience or background in farming, and prior applications indicate an intent to develop the Reserve rather than preserve it as open space and viable farmland. The owner also knew at the time of purchase that some agricultural activities on this parcel were limited by Town Code, the Conservation Easement, and its size, and he should not be allowed to use the Agricultural Markets Law and an Agricultural Markets District designation, to override very reasonable restrictions which do not interfere with his ability to conduct viable tree farming (his only commercial agricultural enterprise). There is stronger community interest in seeing Town Code and Conservation Easements enforced. As impacted neighbors and concerned citizens and taxpayers in the Town of Southampton and Suffolk County, we strongly object to the Reserve’s inclusion in the Agricultural Markets District.

We thank the Environment, Parks & Agriculture Committee and the Suffolk County Legislature for its time and consideration of our comments, and urge both to reject this application.

The way the owner treats the Reserve:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healthy vegetation cut down mulched:

 

 

 

 

Illegal storage of trailers, junk and pavers for his residence renovations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Usurption of Reserve for Backyard Lawn Expansion:

 

 

 

 

Non-Ag structures built without Planning Board approval or permits: