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| Our new headquarters on Harris Road, Bedford Hills. |
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Westchester Land Trust protects land and preserves community character. We've done so for more than 20 years. During that time we saw our land preservation numbers reach more than 5,000 acres. And our staff grew too, from four people in 2000 to a dozen now.
That presented us with a problem.
But we also have a solution.
The problem was that our 1,600-square-foot office near the Bedford Hills train station became too small for us to operate in efficiently.
We needed a new headquarters, and late in 2006 we started to search. And then in December of that year, we got a call from Lisa Schwartz that changed everything. She, along with her husband Mark and their Harris Road neighbors, Frank and Carol Nickell, made us an offer we could not refuse:
They would buy Sugar Hill Farm, in Bedford Hills, protect the surrounding 17 acres with conservation easements, and donate the 19th-century farmhouse that is the farm's centerpiece to us, to use as our new headquarters.
As we said, it was an offer we couldn't refuse. But (there's always a 'but')...
... an old farmhouse isn't a modern office. We need to renovate. The house needs a new roof (using recycled materials), an upgraded electrical system, a good paint job inside and out, energy efficient upgrades such as window and wall insulation, and the removal and installation of internal walls. Every precaution is being taken to make sure the renovations are done cost effectively, and in an energy efficient, environmentally friendly way.
The total will be about $500,000. But we estimate that when we move in, WLT will save $70,000 a year in rent and other operating costs.
The most important thing is that once renovated, Sugar Hill Farm will help Westchester Land Trust work harder and better at what we do best - protecting land!
So please make a gift to help restore Sugar Hill Farm and help create a permanent headquarters for Westchester Land Trust.
Click here to donate.
Need to know more? Give us a call or send us an e-mail. The Sugar Hill Farm Fund is being coordinated by our development director, Keeva Young-Wright, (914) 241-6346 ext. 18.