| Issue #33, November 10, 2006 |
The Trade
Swapping Montauk Oceanfront Allows Trump at Jones Beach
By Debbie Tuma
Amsterdam Beach State Park, a 122-acre pristine oceanfront beach in Montauk that was recently acquired jointly by the state, county and Town of East Hampton, is now being divided as part of a swap involving something that’s going on at Jones Beach State Park.
New York State is looking to swap six acres of this Montauk beach area in exchange for being allowed to expand the parking area for a new restaurant located at Jones Beach State Park. As a result, the state looked at Montauk and has asked East Hampton Town to look at putting six acres of this oceanfront park under federal jurisdiction.
George Gorman, Regional Director of New York State Parks on Long Island, explained that under the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Program, if any parkland is taken from one park, it needs to be replaced in another park. He said at Jones Beach State Park, plans have been underway to replace the deteriorated restaurant that was demolished in 2004. Proposals for a new restaurant were considered, and the one which was selected was a proposal by Steven Carl, owner of Carlisle on the Green at Bethpage State Park, who got financing from Donald Trump to build a new restaurant and catering facility called, “Trump on the Ocean.” Construction for this new facility, which will be a partnership between the two developers, should begin in about six months, and it is expected to open by 2009.
Gorman said, “We’re expanding the parking field at Jones Beach to accommodate this new restaurant, and also an 18-hole golf course, and we needed to find other parkland to make up for the use of this land.” He said, “All of our parks are under this “Land and Water Conservation” agreement. We picked Amsterdam Park because it is our latest acquisition, and so far, no development is being considered for it, and we expect it to remain as it is, except for possibly some parking access in the future.”
He said the Town, County and State are still developing a management plan for Amsterdam Beach State Park, but that it “should remain a passive parkland.”
This park at Amsterdam Beach, which totals 122 acres, is located along the ocean, nestled between Shadmoor State Park and Rheinstein Estate Park to the west, and Camp Hero State Park to the east. It is also close to the Nature Conservancy’s Andy Warhol Visual Arts Preserve.
Gorman, who has seen this property first-hand, said, “It’s a beautiful woodland area with bluffs, rocks and beachfront property, but right now there is no public access or parking. There may be in the future. Now it is used primarily by fisherman, hikers, and naturalists. Down the road we might need more access.”
Bob DeLuca, President of the Group For the South Fork, an environmental protection organization located in Bridgehampton, said he hoped Amsterdam Beach State Park would be preserved. “It is clearly a significant parcel and an important acquisition to be protected for its wetlands, ocean beaches and endangered species. Its recent acquisition was a success story, and we just want to make sure this swap doesn’t endanger its future,” he explained.
DeLuca said, “It’s a partnership acquisition, between the state, county and town, so we want to make sure everyone is on the same page about its future. My greatest concern would be if anything would open up its potential for development, but I’ve only recently learned of this “swap idea,” so I need to learn more.”
So far, the monetary division of the Amsterdam Beach acquisition has resulted in $4 million being contributed by New York State, $5.5 million by Suffolk County, and $7 million by the Town of East Hampton, which included over $6 million from the Community Preservation Fund, and about $1 million from a Federal grant.
This oceanfront land was jointly acquired by these government entities after its owners planned to subdivide it into house lots. Several auctions were cancelled as negotiations proceeded. It is surrounded by over 2,400 protected acres to the east, west and north. On October 19, The East Hampton Town Board also approved a $9 million acquisition for a 26-acre piece of land west of Amsterdam Beach, called “Amsterdam Beach II.”
Meanwhile, as Donald Trump and Steven Carl build their proposed restaurant and catering facility in Jones Beach State Park, some controversy has resulted over a fear about it being too big. But Gorman said this week that, “This restaurant meets the regulations and they plan to also keep its historic character intact. It is being designed like the restaurants that we previously had there.”
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