County Executive Robert P. Astorino last week joined partners in the public, private and nonprofit sectors to celebrate the protection of The Croft, a critically important and unique 59-acre parcel adjacent to Teatown Lake Reservation.
Teatown acquired the property after the county government purchased a conservation easement over the land. This effectively protects this property from development, protecting the area's drinking water and preserving the land for trails and a passive park.
"There aren't that many large tracts of vacant land out there, so it is incumbent on us whenever it makes sense – financially and environmentally – to preserve them as open space," Astorino said. "The Croft is an example that makes perfect sense."
He added: "This is an exquisite piece of property. If real estate is about location, location, location – this one has it all. It is connected to the Teatown Reservation and within the very important Croton Watershed. The acquisition of The Croft has in a real sense unified some 2,000 acres of permanent open space just 40 miles north of midtown Manhattan."
Under terms of the plan initiated by Astorino and approved by the Board of Legislators, Teatown acquired the property from its then interim owner, Open Space Institute, and the county paid Teatown $1.15 million for the conservation easement. The easement is financed with county bonds. Teatown raised the other funds through private contributions and financing from OSI, to complete the $3.4 million purchase.
In return, Teatown now operates and maintains the trailways and parking areas at the following nearby county-owned parks: the John E. Hand Park, the Briarcliff-Peekskill Trailway (from Rt. 134 north to John E. Hand Park) and the Kitchawan Preserve.
The Croft is located along Spring Valley Road and Rt. 134 and borders the 834-acre Teatown Reservation and is within the Croton Watershed. Fifty-seven acres of The Croft are located in the southwest corner of Yorktown with two acres in New Castle. The acreage consists of steeply sloped and wooded lands, wetlands and the 9-acre Vernay Lake, which drains into the Croton Reservoir and provides important wildlife protection.
Wednesday's event was the culmination of a partnership. Teatown's long-term goal of securing the permanent protection of the parcel became a reality thanks to a creative financing approach to open space protection. That approach included drawing on private funds raised by Teatown, a bridge loan from the Norcross Foundation, major financial support from the Open Space Institute (OSI) and the crucially important purchase of the permanent conservation easement on the open space by Westchester County.
Geoff Thompson, former long-time chair of Teatown who for more than 35 years has played an instrumental role in the evolution of Teatown, said, "The role of the county, and particularly the guidance and creative thinking of the county Planning Department and members of the Astorino Administration, cannot be overstated during a time of limited funds. They worked collaboratively with Teatown to make this long-held dream a reality. The cooperation and team approach can serve as a model for open space protection in the future."
The property, which was originally developed in the early 1900s by Arthur Vernay, a prominent antiques dealer, was acquired in 1922 by Gerard Swope, Sr., president of General Electric, who expanded the property into a country estate where he lived until his death in 1957. His heirs subsequently gave the bulk of the estate including the stable complex to create the Teatown Lake Reservation which began in 1963. The 72 acres on the east of Spring Valley Road that included the Swope family home and a farmhouse were sold to Phil E. Gilbert, Jr., who lived at The Croft until his death in 2008. Mr. Gilbert's heirs had hoped for the conservation of the property as part of Teatown. Today, their hope became a reality.
About Teatown Lake Reservation
Teatown Lake Reservation is a nonprofit, environmental organization with an 875 acre nature preserve and education center located in the Lower Hudson Valley in the Towns of Yorktown, Cortlandt, and New Castle, New York. Teatown's mission is to conserve open space and to educate and involve the regional community in order to sustain the diversity of wildlife, plants and habitats for future generations. Teatown is devoted to conserving biodiversity, teaching ecology and promoting sustainable living.