Government Briefs 05.02.13

East Hampton Town

Barn at Duck Creek Farm

    The condition of the barn at the East Hampton Town-owned historic Duck Creek Farm, which is the former studio of the painter John Little, will be evaluated to see if it can be used for a temporary art installation proposed by the Parrish Art Museum for the month of August.

    Soft sculpture works by Sydney Albertini, a Springs artist, would be displayed, Loring Bolger, the chair of the Springs Citizens Advisory Committee, said at a town board meeting on Tuesday. The committee has endorsed the idea. A number of people are interested in the use of a viable structure for exhibits, she said, suggesting that the town could perhaps seek donations for needed repair work. Several groups have inquired about using the Duck Creek site, Councilwoman Sylvia Overby said.

Peconic Bay Preservation Fund

    First-quarter revenue for the Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund, at $20.2 million, was more than 92 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2012, according to a release from State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. Total revenue for March in the five towns that participate in the program — a 2 percent real estate transfer tax that raises money for land preservation — was $4.1 million, compared to $3.7 million in the same month last year.

    Real estate transactions in 2013’s first quarter totaled 2,164, compared with 1,459 last year. In East Hampton, $5.7 million flowed into the preservation fund, a 106-percent increase over 2012.