Proposed $5.8 M Purchase In Water Mill Could Create Scenic Gateway To The Hamlet

Water Mill Citizens Advisory Committee member Steve Abramson’s vision of “a gorgeous gateway” to the eastern end of Southampton Town is moving closer to fruition.

The Southampton Town Board recently held a public hearing on the $5.8 million purchase, through the Community Preservation Fund, of almost 6 acres of land located just west of Water Mill’s main drag. Last year, online real estate sites valued the property, nestled on the north side of Montauk Highway and bordered by Old Country Road, at between $6.5 million and $6.9 million.

At a hearing held during the board’s December 14 meeting, CPF Manager Lisa Kombrink explained that the acquisition would comprise two parcels just east of the Settlers Field triangle at the entrance to Water Mill’s downtown. They’re across Montauk Highway at the curve between Cobb Road and the Little Cobb Road merge.

“These pieces are very familiar to everyone who is headed east on Montauk Highway,” she pointed out. She acknowledged, however, that a dilapidated stockade fence along Montauk Highway, and the vegetation growing along and through it, obscures the view.

The fence, along with all structures on the property, will be demolished. There are three buildings on the two parcels.

Once the acquisition is completed, she said, town officials will begin the process of planning the creation of “a very lovely park.” It will provide access to Mill Creek for kayaks and similar passive activities.

A concept map crafted for the Water Mill Citizens Advisory Committee depicts a canoe/kayak launch, walking trails and a recreation lawn.

During the hearing, Supervisor Jay Schneiderman noted the abundance of vegetation alongside the dilapidated fence, which is a little over a quarter mile long, and asked whether it would be removed. Kombrink noted that some would require regulatory approvals. Her department will work with a landscape architect to see what can be removed to open up the views to passersby.

“It’s going to be a magnificent gateway,” Abramson said, predicting the Southampton Town scene will be just as gorgeous as East Hampton’s Town Pond at the entrance to its village.

The essence of the acquisition goes beyond the CPF imperative to retain open space, the Water Mill Citizens Advisory Committee member reasoned. “The purchase of this 7-acre property adjacent to the 1.5 acres of open space (Settlers Field) will create both … an extraordinary scenic gateway to the east end of the town … and a large recreational park with 944 feet of waterfront on Mill Creek that joins Mill Pond and Mecox Bay,” he said.

Both Abramson and Schneiderman made mention of removing the road that separates the proposed purchase from the Settlers Field triangle. Kombrink affirmed the concept is under consideration. It would make sense to combine the three properties, she reasoned.

In 2006, the 1.5-acre triangular piece on Old Country Road was dedicated and named Settlers Field. Before the Settlers Field partnership, the community purchased and maintained many of its own historic resources such as the Water Mill Community House. The Settlers Field triangle was cleared and landscaped with private funds from local families.

Offering comments on behalf of the CAC, Abramson suggested that, including a reclaimed road, the joined 9 acres could be known as Mill Creek Park and have a one-third-mile walking track and canoe passage into Mecox Bay. Within walking distance of the Parrish Art Museum, Mill Creek Park could provide an additional way for families to spend a full recreational day on the East End, he said.

“It is a rare thing for CPF to be used to create a public park, let alone a unique public waterfront park with over a one-quarter-mile vista along [Route] 27,” he said. “Drivers in both directions through Water Mill will enjoy a panorama of the natural beauty embodied in our bountiful waters and landscapes.”

The purchase would also protect sensitive waters from pollution that would have been unavoidable were the property to have been developed instead, the CAC member reasoned.

“On behalf of Water Mill Citizens Advisory Committee, we would like to commend the CPF and Town Board for their foresight in seizing the opportunity to create Mill Creek Park. We would also like to thank ex-Water Mill resident Tim Maran, now a resident of Southampton Village, for bringing this concept to our attention and for his advocacy in support of the park within the community at large,” Abramson concluded.

As the public hearing drew to a close, Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni noted that the triangular Settlers Field was once a baseball field for the children of Water Mill. He predicted that if the new plan comes to fruition, it will be “one of the nicest parks on the East End of Long Island.”

According to the history detailed on the its website, “The Water Mill Community Club first began in 1952, when Little League baseball came to Water Mill. Volunteers sponsored a team and built a baseball field on Foster land adjacent to Old County Road. Sons of the community started with hats as uniforms and, eventually, with the help of the community, upgraded to real uniforms. Mothers baked cakes and cookies for bake sales to raise money for the Little League.”

At the hearing, the supervisor speculated that baseball Hall of Famer and local son Carl Yastrzemski likely played on that field.