Submitted by Tom Andersen on Thu, 06/24/2010 - 1:24pm
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| The Ridge Road acquisitions helps protects the Croton Reservoir system. |
Thirteen acres of watershed land in Katonah have been preserved forever thanks to a partnership of 29 neighbors, the Town of Bedford, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and Westchester Land Trust.
The land, which is on Ridge Road, consists of an intact woodland that is contiguous with DEP land that runs down to the Muscoot Reservoir. The acquisition, which had been in the works since 2007, was completed on Tuesday, June 22, 2010. The land is now owned by the DEP and will be managed as water supply protection land.
Patch.com covered it here.
Patch.com covered it here.
Sonja Lovas, who did a terrific job representing the seller, for Houlihan-Lawrence, wrote about it on her company's blog, here.
The Town, the DEP and Westchester Land Trust bought the land for $660,000 from the Estate of Gwynne O’Donnell. The 29 neighbors on Ridge Road, Quicks Lane and elsewhere contributed the $153,000 that was the Land Trust’s share. The Town’s share was $340,000, and the DEP’s share was $167,000 plus closing closts.
The Town’s share came from its open space fund, which voters approved 10 years ago. It is the fourth parcel acquired using Town open space money (Leatherman’s Ridge, Bedford Hills; Vernon Hills, Bedford Village; and Zema’s Farm, Katonah, are the others).
“We are excited to collaborate with the Town of Bedford and Westchester Land Trust to further protect the drinking water that nine million New Yorkers rely on every day,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway. “By working together in partnership, we’ve been able to protect this land to help sustain water quality and preserve valuable open space in Bedford.”
Bedford Town Supervisor Lee Roberts said, “The Town of Bedford is thrilled to have this acquisition finalized. It is a beautiful property and we were gratified to work with the DEP, Westchester Land Trust and the neighbors to protect this wonderful parcel in perpetuity.”
Kathy Garrett, a Quicks Lane resident who helped lead the preservation effort among the neighbors, said: I am proud to live amongst such a dedicated group of neighbors who put the preservation of land, watershed property and the integrity of a neighborhood at such a priority."
Kathy Garrett, a Quicks Lane resident who helped lead the preservation effort among the neighbors, said: I am proud to live amongst such a dedicated group of neighbors who put the preservation of land, watershed property and the integrity of a neighborhood at such a priority."
“This is a small but important parcel because every bit of land we can preserve in the Croton watershed helps keep contaminated runoff out of the drinking water,” said Tom Andersen, Westchester Land Trust’s deputy executive director. “This was a terrific partnership, and it shows what can be accomplished with a lot of generosity and a little patience.”