Land Preservation

Much of the land in Orient is protected from development thanks to the sale or donation of development rights or easements. Other protected areas are State, County and local parklands and subdivision open spaces. As of 2016, there were 772 homes in Orient, 175 individual building sites and a calculated yield of 163 additional potential building sites on subdividable unprotected land. In the town of Southold, any new subdivision over 7 acres must preserve 60% open space as a “Standard Subdivision”. “Conservation Subdivisions” protect either 75% or 80% open space. The open space requirements are met through clustering new homes on smaller lots. There are several pending large subdivision proposals in Orient. Here are links to the Southold Town Planning Department files on these proposed subdivisions:

Conservation Subdivisions:

Standard Subdivisions:

Other Resources

Conservation Options from Peconic Land Trust https://peconiclandtrust.org/our-work/conservation/conservation-options
Map of Preserved Land in Southold: https://tos.maps.arcgis.com

Protected Lands in Orient

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Recent Happenings

Orient Water Resources Study Is Finally Here!

In 2022 the Orient Association embarked on a comprehensive study of Orient’s water resources: fresh, salt and waste. It's finally complete! Our hope is that this report informs the community about how our water ecosystems work, presents hard data about those ecosystems, sets up the challenges and opportunities unique to Orient, and offers some options for the future. We invite you to join us on this deep dive into Orient’s waters!

SCWA Southold Scoping Session Summary – June 12, 2025

Suffolk County Water Authority presented a public scoping session about the proposed North Fork Pipeline project which would install a 24" pipeline from Flanders, though Riverhead and connect to SCWA's water system in Southold. A proposed second phase would run a 12" extension from East Marion across the causeway and primarily serve residents of Orient Village.

Southold Zoning Update Presentation and Forum – May 24, 2025

Heather Lanza, Southold Town’s Planning Department Director presented an overview of Southold’s Zoning Update progress and coordinated breakout sessions for the audience to discuss and document their concerns about Southold's Zoning Update, with a focus on Orient’s interests and participation in the process.