Welcome to the seventh issue of The Open Space Advocate Newsletter, an online newsletter focusing on open space issues in North Castle and surrounding communities. If you missed the previous issues and would like to read them please go to www.openspaceadvocate.com.
The North Castle Town Board is considering selling a 2 acre parcel owned by the town located at #48 Chestnut Ridge Road right in the middle of a wildlife corridor. The board says that it will use the money from the sale to raise its fund balance. The idea to sell the land was considered by a previous administration headed by long-time town Supervisor John Lombardi. At that time, the town's Open Space Committee voted aginst selling the land and the administration followed the Open Space Committee's advice. The Open Space Committee continues to oppose the sale of the property, but the current administration is going forward and ignoring the Open Space Committee's advice. The North Castle Town Board is also ignoring the advice of Westmoreland Sanctuary which is located near the parcel and has asked the Town to save, not sell the parcel. In a recent letter to the Town Board, Westmoreland stressed that the parcel is in the middle of an important wildlife corridor used by bobcats which are back in North Castle after 40 years. To see the letter written by Westmoreland to the Town Board click here. The Chestnut Ridge parcel is not currently a buildable lot because it lacks adequate frontage and width. Several variances will be needed before the lot can be developed. Any house developed on the property will have to be set back 550 feet from the road due to the flag shape of the lot. This will place the house directly in the middle of the wildlife corridor.
______________________________________________________________________________ Save the Byram Hills Bobcat!
The bobcat is the school mascot for Byram Hills and it is making a comeback in North Castle after a 40 year absence. For the past few years the bobcat has been seen at Westmoreland Sanctuary, Chestnut Ridge Road and the DuBos Property on Baldwin Road. All of these properties are part of a connected wildlife corridor that runs along the east side of I-684.
The bobcat is a very shy creature that eats rabbits, rats and other small mammals. It requires large swaths of land to thrive. Now the North Castle Town Board is thinking of selling town owned open space that is right in the middle of the bobcats' habitat.
Please take a moment and tell the North Castle Town Board to protect the fragile habitat of these creatures so that the Byram Hills Bobcat can be a living symbol of our community. Let's teach our kids that the bobcat is more than just a drawing on a sports uniform. To learn more about bobcats click here.
Tell the North Castle Town Board to Preserve #48 Chestnut Ridge Road. Write the North Castle Town Board at North Castle Town Hall, 15 Bedford Road, Armonk, NY 10504 or Fax # 273-4176. E-mail the Town Board at townclerk@northcastleny.com.
The North Castle Town Board has stated that it needs to raise the town's fund balance. They are hoping that revenue from the sale of the Chestnut Ridge parcel will help to do this. How much money will North Castle actually see from selling the property and will it really help the fund balance?
The property was appraised several years ago for approximately $400,000. The town recently had the property reappraised for approximately $800,000. The Open Space Advocate has obtained a copy of the most recent appraisal for review. Unfortunately, the previous appraisal is missing from the Town's files, so it is not available for review.
In addition to the cost of having the land appraised twice, the Town has hired an outside engineering firm (at a cost of $18,500) to study the feasibility of developing the property. There are also legal fees involved throughout the process. Once all these expenses are subtracted from any money the town receives from selling the property, how much money will the town really have made and will it make a significant impact on the fund balance?
Our open space is a resource that should be protected. Once it is gone, it is gone forever. Selling open space may provide the town with a small amount of cash, but it's only a temporary fix that will cause permanent damage to a valuable asset of our town.
How Just Two Acres Can Benefit the Entire Community
Standing alone, the Chestnut Ridge parcel is only two acres, but these two acres are an important piece of a much larger picture. As mentioned above, they are part of a wildlife corridor that consists of hundreds of acres. By establishing connecting trail easements over private properties all along Chestnut Ridge Road, the Chestnut Ridge parcel can become part of a trailway system connecting greenways in Bedford, North Castle and Mt. Kisco. This would provide hikers throughout the region with the ability to hike over 1,500 acres stretching from Leonard Park and Marsh Sanctuary in Mt. Kisco to Butler Memorial Sanctuary, Merestead County Park, Westmoreland Sanctuary and beyond. Margaret Sloane Patterson, the former owner of the Merestead property described the chain of connecting properties in this area as "the green necklace." With planning and vision our communities can make the green necklace a community treasure for everyone to enjoy.
The Open Space Advocate Newsletter is written by Kerri A. Kazak, an attorney and open space advocate. Ms. Kazak formerly served as co-chair of the North Castle Open Space Committee. She is co-founder of the North Castle Land Trust, a chapter of the Westchester Land Trust. Ms. Kazak is also co-founder and co-chair of the Citizens' Campaign to Save Seven Springs. This newsletter is an independent publication with no affiliation with the North Castle town government or any other community groups or organizations.
