Suffolk County Adds 0.21-acre Parcel in Mastic Beach for Flood Protection

Suffolk County has added a 0.21-acre parcel on Lafayette Drive in Mastic Beach to the county’s Mastic-Shirley Conservation Area, a move county officials say expands a continuous shoreline buffer intended to absorb storm surge and heavy rainfall. The county announced the acquisition on Feb. 9, 2026, describing it as a small but strategic addition that sits alongside existing county parkland.

County Executive Ed Romaine framed the action as part of a proactive strategy to defend coastal communities. "Preserving open space is a proactive approach to protecting coastal communities as storms grow stronger and rainfall totals rise. By expanding undeveloped areas along the shoreline, the County aims to reduce flood damage while allowing natural systems to function as intended," Romaine said.

Suffolk County Legislator Jim Mazzarella positioned the purchase within a broader resiliency plan that links habitat restoration to public safety. "The acquisition is part of a broader coastal resiliency strategy that prioritizes flood mitigation while restoring habitat and ecosystems in the southern portion of the community. Open space preservation, he said, provides both environmental and public safety benefits."

Officials noted the Lafayette Drive parcel "sits alongside existing county parkland," helping to extend a continuous buffer along one of Long Island’s more flood-prone coastal stretches. County statements also indicate that, combined with previous purchases by Suffolk County and the Town of Brookhaven, more than 226 acres have now been preserved in and around the conservation area.

The acquisition dovetails with longer-running restoration planning led by the Town of Brookhaven. The town secured a National Coastal Resilience grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in 2018 to develop 30 percent design plans for coastal saltmarsh and scrub-shrub restoration in southern Mastic Beach. Those 30 percent plans were drafted in 2019, and a second NCR award in 2020 was intended to finalize designs to 100 percent and obtain the permits necessary for restoration. The Southern Mastic Beach Ecological Restoration project aims to protect and enhance marsh habitat while offering mechanisms for climate resilience and flood protection for inland residential neighborhoods.

Mastic Beach faces a history of acute storm damage and ongoing flood risk. Residents suffered significant impacts from Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when the storm devastated infrastructure, public health, the local economy, and native ecosystems. The community continues to confront threats from sea level rise, storm surges, high water tables, and heavy rainfall. The Town of Brookhaven has used house-raising and buy-out programs in high-risk areas while pursuing broader restoration and resiliency work.

The county did not provide details in its announcement on purchase price, the seller, or long-term management plans for the 0.21-acre parcel. For residents, the acquisition strengthens the patchwork of preserved lands intended to slow and absorb flood waters, but it is one piece of a larger planning effort that depends on finalized restoration designs, permitting, and continued coordination between Suffolk County and the Town of Brookhaven. Future steps will include tracking the Southern Mastic Beach restoration schedule, permit outcomes, and how newly preserved parcels will be managed to deliver both habitat gains and neighborhood protections.