New State Law Could Boost Hither Hills' LI 40
A new bill passed by the New York State Legislature has authorized the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to establish a resident curator program for the rehabilitation of state park buildings. The bill specifically mentions the leasing of vacant buildings in three Long Island-based parks: Hither Hills State Park, Cold Spring Harbor State Park and Heckscher State Park.
In Hither Hills State Park in Montauk, the building referred to as “LI 40” is one of the structures most in need of renovation. This Spanish adobe-style, five-bedroom home that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean had been used in the past to house the park superintendent. The structure, however, has aged greatly and is in need of significant rehabilitation in order to be used again.
Significant capital investments would be required to restore LI 40 and the other Long Island buildings. The recently passed bill establishes a new method by which private funds could be used to rehabilitate and use these residential structures. In exchange, long-term leases would be issued by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The bill must be delivered to the governor for review and consideration before it is signed into law.