The new waterway access site to the Peconic Bay on Old Main Road in Southold is expected to be fully operational this summer, according to a spokesperson from the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
The DEC is currently in the final phase of construction on the 3.2-acre waterfront property, formerly home to the Old Barge restaurant. The state purchased the site, which had a fair market value of about $2 million, in 2012 from the Reiter family of Mattituck to provide “public fishing and recreational boating access to the Peconic Bay.” Construction began in 2018.
The Old Barge, now demolished, was a World War II ammunition barge converted to a restaurant. It closed in 2009, after operating for about 61 years.
The land was acquired with a combination of funds from the state, a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a donation from the Reiter family.
The property, called the Hashamomuck Marine Waterway Access Site, will become the DEC’s first waterway access to the Peconic Bay. It’s expected to include a public boat ramp, wash down station, canoe and kayak launch, an accessible pathway and a 37-vehicle parking lot for 31 trailers and six cars. Amenities will be available to the general public, according to the DEC spokesperson.
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