Lloyd Harbor Seminary Grounds Saved

By Niall Fitzgerald

The Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, located on 215 acres of pristine fields and woodlands in Lloyd Harbor, has been saved - after developers threatened to buy-up and pave over its parklands with housing tracts.

Lloyd Harbor Mayor Jean Thatcher announced that a three-way deal has been reached between the Village of Lloyd Harbor, New York State and the Seminary to preserve the grounds and historic building, and protect the environment and parklands for future generations.

Under the agreement, the Seminary will keep the Seminary building and 16 acres surrounding the building, The Village will purchase over 20 acres west of the building, including the historic amphitheatre, and New York State will purchase 180 acres of woods and marshlands to the east and north of the Seminary building, to be encumbered and preserved as open parkland and wetlands.

"This excellent outcome is the result of a careful and deliberate strategic approach by the Board of Trustees," stated Mayor Thatcher. "We are confident that residents will also find it a great relief."

The original negotiations had included the Town of Huntington and Suffolk County - which were supposed to also purchase a portion of the Seminary property. But those negotiations collapsed, and the Town and County governments were dropped from the negotiations.

"Our focus is always to preserve the character and quality of life in our unique Village," added Mayor Thatcher. "And retain such beautiful expanses of open land..."