The town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County plans to buy land at a 38-acre former sand mine for $3 million and preserve it as an open space.
The current owners of the land had tried to build a multifamily housing development. But Long Island officials and residents opposed the plan because of its potential impact on groundwater.
Brookhaven had pumped thousands of gallons of water into the old mine as part of a dredging project.
The town board says their purchase will protect the site as it’s reclaimed by nature.
