Paul Gallay, Westchester Land Trust's executive director, made an important point in yesterday's Journal News story about the Valeria conservation easements and the development that is part of the deal. You can read the story here, but his point is worth repeating: The Valeria project will result in a responsible, cluster housing development, and it is also is a major conservation victory. From the Journal News:
"Major benefits are coming together, like none other
that we've seen," said Paul Gallay, the outgoing head of the
Westchester Land Trust, who is leaving the nonprofit organization to
take a position in Maine. "Six hundred ninety acres, the core in a
corridor of preserved land (with) demonstrated biodiversity. And if
that's not enough, you're protecting a significant amount of watershed
land, the drinking water supply."
He said the new
residential units would be clustered together, limiting the disruption
to the nearby woodlands, and would employ the latest energy-saving
technology.
With the 690 acres of Valeria, Westchester Land Trust has now helped protect 896 acres in Cortlandt. Add that to the 965 we've helped protect in Somers and the183 in Yorktown, and it comes to 35 percent of all the land we've protected throughout all of Westchester.