The following Letter to the Editor was published in the October 14-20 edition of Long Island Business News.
The State Supreme Court’s ruling accurately captures the original intent of the PDR law, which sought to preserve not only farmland for public benefit, but the scenic vistas of these fields as well. It is unfortunate that Suffolk County actively sought to allow development on protected land.
Often it seems that in the quest to build Long Island’s way out of the Great Recession, we’ve lost the innovative policymaking that helped our region protect not only our farmland during a time of unprecedented suburbanization, but our drinking water and open space as well.
There are limits to the region’s growth, and it’s critical that Suffolk County balance their thirst for economic development with environmental restraint.
