Autumn 2005 -- The town of Bedford, aided by a motivated group of local residents, has purchased 33 acres of open space in Bedford Hills.
The land, known as Leatherman's Ridge because a cave on the site was frequented by the famous Leatherman of 125 years ago, rises above Haines Road and Cherry Street, and encompasses hardwood forest and important watershed land.
The town granted a conservation easement on the property to Westchester Land Trust, which helped negotiate the sale and worked with neighbors to raise part of the $1.325 million price.
The conservation easement means that the land will remain undeveloped forever. Several trails cross the property, and Leatherman's Ridge will soon be open for hiking and other passive recreation. Located across from the Bedford Hills town park, Leatherman's Ridge is also a potential resource for school groups and can play an important role in a regional greenbelt system, which is a priority for Bedford.
Bedford contributed $1.275 million of the purchase price from its open space fund, which voters approved four years ago. The town's Open Space Acquisition Committee recommended the purchase.
Neighbors raised the remaining $50,000, plus an additional amount that will help fund a long-term stewardship plan.
The 33-acre tract has long been owned by the Pechet family, which agreed to sell to the town at less than the land's market value, in the interests of the environment and community preservation.
"Bedford is committed to protecting open space, and this purchase reaffirms that," said Town Supervisor Lee Roberts. "We appreciate the hard work of the neighbors, who convinced us to move forward on this purchase, and the cooperativeness of the Pechet family, who were willing to sell their property to the town, even at less than its full market value, to protect its natural beauty."
Tavan Pechet, who represented the family in the negotiations with the town and Westchester Land Trust, said he was pleased that the Pechet family could do something to help the community and the environment. "It gives us great satisfaction to see this land protected forever," he said. "The commitment of the community and the hard work of the Land Trust was very impressive."
Neighbors of the property, led by Sue Bronico, Dave Medd, Dan Campbell and Liz Hill-Kende, began working with Westchester Land Trust and town officials in January 2004. Bedford's Open Space Acquisition Committee, with committee members Rosemary Lee and Kathy Moser, playing leading roles, evaluated the land and determined that it was worth preserving.
"Leatherman's Ridge meets all the Town's criteria for preservation - with steep slopes, scenic vistas, many species of wildlife and one of the Leatherman's caves," Sue Bronico said. "As a united group of neighbors, we commend the town and the Pechet family for moving so quickly to protect it."