🐝 372 Acres

Preservation with Development, Southold 2026 Budget, Thanksgiving to Go

Thomas Loncar
November 07, 2025

Together With

Good Morning, North Fork! The light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the sunrise, it’s Friday.

In today’s North Fork Buzz:

Preservation with Development
Southold 2026 Budget
Thanksgiving to Go

Ready, Set, Go!

The Lowdown

Big Plans, Bigger Debate 🏠

The Soloviev Group, led by billionaire Stefan Soloviev, wants to transform 372 acres of farmland stretching from County Road 48 to the Long Island Sound into a 47-lot luxury home development called the Colusa Conservation Subdivision. The plan promises to preserve 267 acres as farmland while building 18 Sound-front estates (each around 3 acres) and 29 inland homes on smaller lots.

On paper, it’s a conservation subdivision, a design meant to balance preservation with development. But locals aren’t exactly raising a glass in celebration.

The project still faces a long approval process, a new sketch plan, environmental review, and public hearings, before a single shovel hits the soil. ($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times

Farmers Market New Home 🥬

The Greenport Farmers Market is moving indoors for winter, setting up shop at the brand-new Hold Fast Fund Studio at 216 Main Street.

It’s the first official event inside the Hold Fast Studio, a freshly renovated space dreamed up by Ian Wile and the Little Creek Oysters crew to give local makers, small businesses, and dreamers a place to test, create, and connect.

Down the road, Ian hopes the space becomes a pop-up hub for local creators. A spot for small startups to try new ideas, show off what they make, and chat with the community.

Get the full story 👉 East End Beacon

Oysters Got a Boost 🦪

If you’ve ever slurped down a Hampton Oyster on a summer afternoon, you’ve tasted the work of Joe Finora, a guy who’s been working the East End waters since he was old enough to steer a skiff. Joe runs Hampton Oyster Co. out of New Suffolk, and thanks to a brand-new state aquaculture grant, his oysters are about to get an upgrade.

Joe’s one of 17 local oyster farmers who just scored a slice of New York’s $1.2 million Aquaculture Infrastructure Grant Program, money meant to help small seafood businesses modernize their gear and scale up production.

Across Long Island, about 50 oyster farms are working hard to keep up with growing demand, according to Eric Koeppel of the Long Island Oyster Growers Association. It’s not cheap, roughly $500K to set up a 10-acre farm, and inflation isn’t helping. But the payoff? Clean bays, local jobs, and world-class seafood.

Get the full story 👉 Dan’s Papers

Southold’s 2026 Budget 💰

If your wallet’s been bracing for bad news, take a breath. Southold’s new $64.14 million budget is official, and while taxes are going up, it’s more of a tick than a jump.

The property tax rate is climbing 2.17%, and the tax levy will rise 2.94%, pulling in $44.9 million in total revenue. For the average homeowner with a $7,000 assessment, that means about $57 more a year.

Here’s where your money’s going:

Highway Department
Stormwater Projects
Public Safety
Programs for Seniors
Solid Waste Management

Even elected officials get a little bump, a 2% raise after skipping one last year. ($)

Get the full story 👉 Suffolk Times

Photo of the Week

📸 submitted by Jodi Posner

Tag @NorthForkBuzz or email us at [email protected] to get your photos in The Buzz!

Poll Results

Sweet Tooth Showdown 🍫

Last Friday, we asked the ultimate spooky-season question: What’s your all-time favorite Halloween candy?

🥇 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups stole the crown with a commanding 36% (no surprise there).
🥈 Peanut M&Ms rolled into second at 23%,
🥉 Kit Kats snapped their way into third with 12%.

We also got some classic write-ins: Milky Way, Almond Joy, Mounds, Snickers, PayDay, Baby Ruth, and yes, a few brave souls stood up for Candy Corn.

^{_{Nothing in this section is sponsored. They’re just fun things you need to know. I’ll always let you know when something is sponsored}}

Foodie Friday 🍽

Let’s be honest, not everyone’s built for a 6-hour turkey marathon. If your idea of Thanksgiving prep is finding the corkscrew, you’re in luck. The North Fork’s best kitchens are saving the day and your oven mitts.

This year, you can skip the oven and still serve up a feast worth giving thanks for. We rounded up spots offering everything from full Thanksgiving dinners to go to sides, pies, and pastries that’ll make your table shine.

Just don’t wait too long, most spots are taking preorders now, and they’ll sell out faster than the last slice of pumpkin pie.

Full Dinners To Go 🦃

For those who’d rather plate than prep, these local spots are serving Thanksgiving dinners that’ll make you look like you’ve been basting since sunrise:

Sides & Baked Goods 🥧

Already have your turkey handled? Let these spots take care of the supporting cast, pies, biscuits, and side dishes that’ll steal the show:

Order early, pour the wine, and take all the credit. We won’t tell Grandma you didn’t make the pie.

Nothing in this section is sponsored. They’re just fun things you need to know. I’ll always let you know when something is sponsored

Live Music Breakdown

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

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THANKS!

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Tom Loncar- Publisher
Nicole Loncar- Editor + Partnerships