Historic Waterfront, Southampton
Pier at New Suffolk Waterfront. Photo by Reggie Hall/The Conservation Fund
Over the past 25 years, the community of New Suffolk in Southampton, New York, has rallied to protect the coastal hamlet’s historic waterfront from encroaching residential and commercial development. Today, the property that has been described as the village’s “living heart” is finally in the hands of the community, thanks to a team effort that included a critical loan from the Fund’s Land Trust Loan Program.
Our Land Trust Loan Program provides bridge financing and real estate expertise that make it possible for land trusts to protect historic farms, natural areas, favorite parks and more. In 2010, we assisted the New Suffolk Waterfront Fund (NSWF) and the Peconic Land Trust with bridge financing so they could raise money to design and create a sustainable public space at the New Suffolk waterfront. Their goal is to preserves the area’s historic heritage and scenic beauty while providing educational, recreational and commercial opportunities.
As this stretch of Long Island becomes ever more exclusive, protecting the waterfront ensures that everyone can enjoy its sweeping views of Cutchogue Harbor and Robins Island. As Barbara Schnitzler, the chair of the New Suffolk Waterfront Fund, simply said, “I wanted a place to sit, eat a hot dog and look out over the Bay.”
