Letters

I just read with great enthusiasm that our town supervisor, Jay Schneiderman, has proposed a land swap to save our beautiful Tuckahoe Woods Preserve [“Board Floats Land Swap,” News, Eastern Edition, June 13].

Back in the 1980s to 1990s, I played a key part in the creation of Tuckahoe Woods Preserve and have helped to maintain the preserve ever since. Working side by side with Kurt Billing, and with the help of Southampton Town and several conservation organizations, we managed to save 200-plus acres from development and created what is one of the most beautiful preserves on Eastern Long Island.

What we did not realize at the time was that a 14-acre parcel near the middle of the preserve was actually designated for future affordable housing instead of preservation. Now, with such a critical need for affordable housing, the town is considering developing this sensitive parcel.

I took Jay Schneiderman out for a hike in the preserve recently, and he promised to see what he could do to help. It turns out that the town owns a parcel on nearby Magee Street, which was originally purchased for open space. The Magee Street parcel is already disturbed and actually has a large building on it. Jay has proposed swapping the affordable housing designation from Tuckahoe Woods to the Magee Street parcel, which is a very suitable location for affordable housing.

This is a great idea and is a win-win situation. Keep up the good work, Jay.

Tim CorwinNorth Sea