Opinion: The Crux of the Matter Over Marion Carll Farm

Commack resident Arthur J. Reilly Jr.  submitted the below "Letter to the Editor" to Patch, taking a look at the Marion Carll Farm debate: 

The crux of the matter as far as Marion Carll Farm is that the school district was told (with rather short prior notice of a possible sale as far as the district notifying the community) that the Commack residents wished to keep the farm for the public as deeded in the will of Marion Carll herself. This vote was passed in favor of not selling the farm by a two-to--one margin in 2010.

After the vote the board even went as far to indicate that “not enough people voted”. The question I beg to ask is would this same board have made the same conclusion on a budget vote that may have passed in their favor with a small turn-out? I think not.

Recently, the heirs filed suit against the district to have the farm revert back to them. At the same time the board actually had a well put-together plan and contract, to preserve the farm, that was both sustainable, funded and kept the tenets of the will.

The organization AHRC, which in its own right is a well established and capitalized charity, was waiting for the contract to be signed. The board never signed nor proceeded with this sustainable plan. The fact remains the board could have proceeded with this plan making it “subject to the outcome of the heirs lawsuit”. This was not done either.

The board can argue they cannot afford the farm, but with a sustainable and funded plan offered, that argument becomes null and void. Beyond that the board allowed the farm house to atrophy to its current state for far too long. The farm house had a hole in the roof that remained without even a tarp to protect it from the elements for more then a few years. I don’t believe a tarp is a sizeable investment at all. The tarp they finally placed was a bit too late.

At this time myself and many other concerned residents are demanding that the school district defend the heirs lawsuit as they have stated publicly they are not going too.

-  Arthur J. Reilly Jr. , a Commack resident