The Pine Barrens has just a little more space. Two-and-a-half acres to be exact. Last week, Brookhaven Town demolished a home in Yaphank that it had acquired specifically to preserve the land for open space.

 

The property is located on Mill Road, near the Carmans River and Upper Yaphank Lake, near the Pine Barrens region that New York State has deemed to be important for its natural resources, especially its groundwater, forests and ecology. It is surrounded by more than 200 acres of Brookhaven Town and Suffolk County owned open space.

 

The house was previously used as a “rest home,” but has remained vacant for more than seven years, according to a statement.

 

“The Town has purchased hundreds of acres of open space in the Central Pine Barrens that help to maintain water quality in this environmentally sensitive area,” said Brookhaven Town Councilman Michael Loguercio in the statement. “By purchasing this property, we clean up the neighborhood and reinforce our commitment to preserve the environment for generations to come.”