Mill Creek Park on the Horizon as Southampton Town Finalizes Purchase of Water Mill Land

Almost a year after the public hearing on the purchase of property at the gateway to Water Mill, the Town of Southampton has closed on the buy.

Last month, the long-awaited $5.8 million purchase using Community Preservation Fund revenues went through, and the broken-down fence that encased the acreage along Montauk Highway came down. So, too, did structures on the land fronting Mill Creek.

At the time of the December 2021 public hearing on the plan, online real estate sites valued the almost 6 acres of land just west of Water Mill’s main drag, nestled on the north side of Montauk Highway and bordered by Old Country Road, at between $6.5 million and $6.9 million.

The acquisition comprises two parcels just east of the Settlers Field triangle at the entrance to Water Mill’s business district. They’re across Montauk Highway at the curve between Cobb Road and the Little Cobb Road merge. It was known as the Burden property, after its former owners.

The town has plans to create a public park. An early concept map crafted for the Water Mill Citizens Advisory Committee depicts a canoe/kayak launch, walking trails and a recreation lawn, dubbing the site “Settlers Field.” Another suggested name is Mill Creek Park.

During the hearing, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman noted the abundance of vegetation alongside the dilapidated fence, which was a little over a quarter mile long, and expressed a desire for its removal. Doing so would open up the view to the pond.

Water Mill Citizens Advisory Committee member Steve Abramson predicted that the park, replete with a stunning water view, could rival East Hampton Village’s scenic entrance.

“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 during the hearing.

“The town’s strategic purchase of this property completes the preservation of the entire quarter-mile south shore of Mill Creek for what will become Mill Creek Park, presenting a grand scenic gateway to the East End. The adjacent waterfront land, preserved earlier this year, borders on Route 27 and will afford beautiful wide-open vistas traveling east and west,” Abramson added this week.

Councilman Rick Martel said he was thrilled for both the Water Mill community and the town at large.

“The preservation of the Burden property as a park will be a gem for all,” he said. “Opening up the beautiful vista as you travel in and through Water Mill is an added bonus. I love that we are preserving it for future generations.”

“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 quarter-mile vista along [Route] 27,” Abramson said during last year’s hearing. “Drivers in both directions through Water Mill will enjoy a panorama of the natural beauty embodied in our bountiful waters and landscapes.”

Created through public referendum in 1998, the CPF is a dedicated fund to be used for the preservation of open space, farmland and historic properties, and for public parks. It garners revenue through a 2 percent tax on most real estate transfers.

In 2016, voters in all five East End towns overwhelmingly approved propositions to extend the Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund and allow as much as 20 percent of its future proceeds to be used to improve water quality. The purchase would serve that need as well, protecting sensitive waters from pollution that would have been unavoidable were the property to have been developed.

Schneiderman also celebrated the finishing touches on the acquisition this week.

“The new park will be a wonderful addition to downtown Water Mill,” he said. “For the first time, the public will have access to the waterfront. It will also create a stunning view of Mill Creek from Montauk Highway. I’m looking forward to working with landscape architect Chris LaGuardia on the park design.” LaGuardia is the owner of LaGuardia Design Group based in Water Mill.

In 2006, the adjacent 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. Now, removal of the road that separates the triangle from the new buy is under consideration. Should that happen, motorists heading east will be greeted by a sweeping slice of nature.

According to the history detailed on 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.