Peconic Land Trust Granted TRO Over Clearing Of Trees In Amagansett

The Peconic Land Trust was granted a temporary restraining order last week to stop any further clearing at a wooded Amagansett property that is protected by a conservation easement.

According to a complaint filed in State Supreme Court, the almost 6-acre vacant property on Stony Hill Lane was cleared only days after its purchase at the end of July by 341 Town Lane LLC, whose principal is Randy Lerner.

“Within days of acquiring title to the property, the new owners engaged and caused a tree removal company to cut down and stack throughout the easement property approximately 75 to 125 trees, many of them mature, without notice to the Peconic Land Trust, which is required by the conservation easement document,” the Trust said in a press release on Friday. It said the native trees included American beech, sassafras, American holly and white oak, and that the Trust was seeking restoration of the trees as well as a stop to any further clearing.

“This is one of the most egregious violations of a conservation easement in the Trust’s 36-year history,” the release said.

The voluntary easement has been in effect since 1995, through two previous owners, Madeleine Potter and Robert Rosen. Neighbors notified the Peconic Land Trust when they saw the clearing, the Trust said, and the temporary restraining order was issued by Acting Justice Joseph Farneti in State Supreme Court on Thursday, August 8.

Tiffany Scarlato and Denise Schoen, the attorneys for the property owner, did not return phone messages this week.