For beach-goers to have more access to the ocean in Southampton Village this summer comes at a steep price — $25.8 million to pave the way to the beach.
In a unanimous vote co-sponsored by the entire board on Tuesday evening, the Southampton Town has agreed to purchase oceanfront property along Meadow Lane — known as Billionaire’s Row in real estate circles — using the Community Preservation Fund to create additional access to the shoreline and a parking lot.
The 2.2-acre estate, west of the Road F beach access, boasts more than 200 feet of oceanfront and currently holds an 8,293-square-foot residence, built in the cubist modern design of the 1980s.
The town board authorized the acquisition of the property, while also amending the CPF Project Plan and the CPF Management and Stewardship Plan to include it, at its regular meeting on Tuesday, noting “the property contains maritime dunes and maritime beaches and will preserve valuable shoreline along the Atlantic Ocean serving coastal resiliency objectives and will further provide public access to the beach and Atlantic Ocean providing active and passive recreational opportunities for Town residents.”
The owner, Frances Katz, agreed to sell the property, despite the market value of the land being estimated to be $30.7 million, according to PropertyShark.
Tim Davis of The Corcoran Group listed 1950 Meadow Lane for Katz in August 2025 at $27 million.
The 11-bed, 12-and-a-half-bath residence and the pool would have to be razed before the town takes possession. Plans call for the town to create a parking lot and keep the existing catwalk for access over the dunes to the beach.
The stretch of beach in front of the property is known to locals as the Picnic Area, and the beachfront spot is the only area where the Southampton Town Trustees allow four-by-four vehicles onto the sand during the day in the summertime.
At a public hearing on the purchase on Jan. 13, Councilwoman Cynthia McNamara noted this location will be the only Town beach access within Southampton Village – an important distinction as village passes come with a high cost.
The acquisition received support from the community, many of whom advocated for more open access to the beaches.
One resident, Christopher Sargeant of Tuckahoe, voiced his opposition, saying he felt it wasn’t the purpose of CPF to use money for an oceanfront mansion.
The town has purchased property with buildings on it in the past and has more plans to do so.
Last year, the board purchased Casa Basso, a longtime Westhampton restaurant also known for its 120-year-old castle and a pair of towering sculptures of musketeers, using $4 million from the Community Preservation Fund.
The 1.5-acre property at 59 Montauk Highway, which had been on the market for nearly two years, boasts 232 feet of frontage on Beaver Dam Creek and the board plans to create a waterfront park, restoring tidal marshlands at the shoreline, while also preserving the castle.
The town also paid $15 million for a 2.5-acre waterfront estate on North Haven last year, among others in the interest of improving water quality and reducing development along the water.
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