Scully Estate's future uncertain as Seatuck Environmental Association leaves management role

The nonprofit that manages historic Scully Estate in Islip is walking away from that role after the group's mission expanded and its contract with Suffolk County went unrenewed for roughly eight years, its executive director said.

The move throws the future of the property into uncertainty, though Legis. Steven Flotteron (R-Brightwaters), the county lawmaker who represents the area, vowed its preservation status "will be forever."

Another county lawmaker, Legis. Samuel Gonzalez (D-Brentwood), said "the county is definitely staying" at that property, not selling it off for development.

The 70-acre site is one of the few large areas of untouched woods on Long Island’s South Shore. It includes a home built in 1917 that was converted into the Suffolk County Environmental Center after the county purchased the property in 2004, according to the county website.

The nonprofit Seatuck Environmental Association lobbied for that purchase because “there was risk of [the site] being sold for private development,” according to executive director Enrico Nardone, whose group has managed the estate since at least 2007 as part of a deal with the county. 

The contract did not include any direct funding from the county to Seatuck, which Nardone described as "self-funded." The nonprofit reported an annual revenue of just under $1.4 million on its 2024 tax forms.

Seatuck, which has maintained the property and operated educational programs during its stewardship, is moving out of the estate entirely by October. The agency's departure, Nardone said, was mainly driven by the group's shift from a focus on preserving the estate to broader conservation efforts.

It’s unclear what the county’s plan is for the property, what it will become and who will look after it.

“That’s kind of the fear now: What is going to happen with this property?” said Chris Riley, who lives near the estate. “We don’t want to see it get destroyed.”

Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine’s office did not respond to Newsday’s questions about the future of the estate or why the contract between the county and Seatuck wasn't renewed.

Nonprofit expands its focus

Gonzalez, whose district is near the estate, said he spoke with the county executive's office and told Newsday "they are not selling. They are going to continue with the property." He added the details of how the property will be managed have not yet been worked out.

Seatuck now aims to spur policy change and facilitate regional projects, Nardone said. As an example, he mentioned pushing for new roadway infrastructure to protect crossing river otters, a species that was once nearly wiped out on Long Island because of the fur trade.

“To be effective doing that, you really need to be … working across the Island,” he said. “Taking care of a big old building on a big property was a lot. … It’s hard to raise money or dedicate staff time to doing work that’s really not mission-aligned.”

Nardone added Suffolk County and Seatuck had not agreed to a new contract after the last one expired in 2018. The holdup was triggered by issues ranging from the pandemic to vague contract language and bureaucratic delays, he said.

“In the end, the decision was in large part based on these issues that would have been the same,” he added. “It's been hard. It’s something that I think none of us really wanted to face. But it’s the right strategic decision.”

'A big responsibility'

Flotteron said Seatuck “does a wonderful job” but “had problems living up to their contract.”

It “is a big building and a big property,” he said. "It's a big responsibility when we turn over all of this square footage … with maintenance and things that they agreed to do. I believe it was a little bit of an onerous task.”

Nardone said the old contract's language regarding responsibilities at the property was vague and complicated operations at the estate.

“One of the things that was always a challenge was that we were responsible for ‘day-to-day’ maintenance. That’s sort of a vague term, right?” he said.

Nardone isn't certain what the future holds for the Scully Estate property but said “I feel very confident that the county is committed to maintaining it as open space and a public resource, and that it will not be discarded or sold and developed."

Flotteron told Newsday the property’s preserved status “will be forever." He said the county plans to seek organizations that are interested in taking stewardship of Scully Estate. It’s unclear when that process will take place.