In an ambitious move to increase public access to their pristine beaches, officials in a Hamptons town are considering the purchase of a luxurious $26 million oceanfront mansion, only to raze it to the ground. The plan is to transform the prime real estate into a public beachfront oasis.

The property in question, located at 1950 Meadow Lane, resides in one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in the area. Local officials are eyeing this three-story marvel as part of a broader initiative to provide more public access to the beaches in this exclusive region.

Revealed plans detail the intent to buy the mansion for a hefty $25.8 million, only to demolish it entirely. This move is part of a concerted effort to not only enhance public access but also to safeguard the waterfront from potential environmental hazards.

As reported by Newsday, the initiative underscores the town’s dedication to preserving its natural resources. Valued at $11.7 million per acre, the land acquisition would mark the town’s second-largest purchase funded through the Community Preservation Fund, sustained by a two percent real estate tax.

An agreement with the current property owner is already in place, but the proposal still requires the town board’s approval to proceed. Jacqueline Fenlon, the director of Southampton’s Community Preservation Fund, confirmed this detail, highlighting the project’s potential impact on the community’s access to these treasured coastal areas.

Southampton has an agreement with the seller already, but for the plans to go ahead the town board needs to approve the sale, Jacqueline Fenlon, director of the town’s CPF, told the outlet. 

A hearing is set for Tuesday.  

‘We have been trying to, throughout the town, prioritize coastal properties for coastal resiliency practices, habitat restoration and habitat preservation,’ Fenlon added. 

She said the sale marks a ‘rare opportunity to be ale to preserve such pristine ocean frontage.’

The stunning three-story home at 1950 Meadow Lane, one of the area’s most expensive neighborhoods, has caught the eye of local officials looking to create public beach access

Ritzy town of Southampton on Long Island, New York

Plans to purchase the home, with 172 linear feet of ocean frontage, for $25.8 million and then demolish it completely have been revealed as part of an overall effort to expand beach access 

Southampton has an agreement with the seller already, but for the plans to go ahead the town board needs to approve the sale

The home is one of the most expensive in the area. Meadow Lane itself was branded ‘Billionaire Lane,’ boasting high-profile residents and beachfront properties that can cost up to $75 million.  

Featuring eleven bedrooms and eleven bathrooms, the home boasts 172 linear feet of ocean frontage, according to Fenlon. 

It sits on the same beachfront as Cooper’s Beach – which was named the second best beach in America. 

According to Suffolk County property records, the property is currently owned by Frances Katz.

The home was last listed for sale in 2021 at $24.495 million before it went back on the market in August of last year for $27 million, according to Zillow. 

It isn’t the town’s first effort to preserve ocean front properties across the Hamptons, as Fenlon cited preservations in Hampton Bays, Westhampton Beach and Quogue along Dune Road.

The home’s demolition would also come from the town’s Community Preservation Fund, but the costs of the work remains unclear, Fenlon added. 

‘I think when you can get an oceanfront piece of property, you’re offsetting a long-term public cost. You’re offsetting the human risk of people residing in areas like this,’ Bob DeLuca, president of the nonprofit environmental advocacy organization Group for the East End, told the outlet. 

‘It definitely has a habitat value. It definitely has a public safety value and it has a public access value,’ he added, noting that the sale will allow for ‘public access in an area that’s increasingly devoid of access.’ 

The Daily Mail has reached out to CPF Director Jacqueline Fenlon for comment.