Crossroads 312

11/08/09

Town of Southeast Planner, Graham Trelshed, reported on various aspects of the Crossroad 312 Harold Lepler project (6 story upscale, 200-room hotel, restaurant, conference center and 250,000 retail off 312 across from Exit 19 interchange and Terravest.  

Essentially, he stated that the developer had been sensitive to concerns raised by residents (Lynne and I ) at the Public Scoping meeting last month, centered on traffic, viewshed-(hotel rests on ridgeline - a no-no since Town has ridgeline protection law) , effect on Lake Tonetta community i.e. lighting, especially in light (no pun) of the Brewster Highlands development which can be seen for miles around. A Lake Tonetta resident again raised this issue at last night's meeting.  Visual analysis from all points including the light footprint will be included.

In response to these concerns, the methodology analyzing traffic which formerly was limited solely to the interchanges, was changed to include effect on corridors leading to the interchanges.  Corridor analysis was expanded to include Rte 312 and 6 west to Rte 22 east and surrounding roads, including John Simpson.  

At the meeting, I also inquired about the change in zoning code, another concern of mine.  Presently it is Rural Commercial (RC) which is restricted to small-scale, less intense development (convenience retail, B&B) which Lepler wishes to change to HCA1, having the characteristics of Highway Commercial (HC) (permits large-scale retail) with even further intense development.  Privately, I asked Trelshed, what was the rationale of extending the RC to Rte 312.  Recall RC is also designated for the area surrounding Tilly Foster on Pugsley Road and I am very concerned about the domino effect of this proposed zoning change on that area.  What was driving the RC designation on Rte 312 was to halt the effects of the intense development that had occurred on Brewster Highlands but not halt development entirely.  

That said, Trelshed proposed several scenarios including outright change in zoning by the Town Board; application by Lepler to the ZBA for a zoning variance; maintenance of the HC zoning with reductions in size and scope of the proposed project or maintenance of the RC zoning compelling the applicant to further reduce the size and scope of the project, if not change the project entirely,  to meet the requirements of that zone.  Each of these scenarios would be subject to a Public Hearing and comment by residents.

Each of these possible zoning changes would have ramifications for the alternatives required as part of the DEIS, ranging from no-build to full-built out.  

Included the Scoping document would be a section on the effect of the project on sales taxes.  How they missed that with the County grasping for money I'll never know. Recall Towns do not benefit from sales taxes in Putnam County, although they have constantly complained that some sharing, similar to Westchester, should be done.  And Southeast, that provides the bulk of taxes for the County, has been the most persistent advocate for such sharing since it bears the brunt of costs associated with such development.  

The Scoping document could be finished next week and be ready for approval at the Town Board meeting Thursday.  Trelshed calculated that it will take at least four to six months for the DEIS and another indeterminate amount of time for the FEIS.    

Hotel

06/18/09

I attended the Town of Southeast meeting and spoke on the subject of the Best Western Hotel.  Subsequently, I reviewed the plans at the Building Department.  In addition, I submitted a FOIL and received 158 pages from the Industrial Development Agency concerning their approval of tax incentives.  The other incentivized (I love that word) development is the hotel in Carmel.  

The headline in the Journal News "Work is to Begin on Best Western Hotel" is premature to put it mildly.  Residents surrounding the former Bum Steer, thought they got a bum steer when the son of the former owner of the hotel/restaurant, proposed a undistinguished horizontal, modular 48-room 2-story hotel comprised of small and large doubles and big and small king size rooms (approximately 16' by 13" and a bit smaller) with kitchen but without conference or restaurant facilities, just vending machines down the hall.  Situated directly across I84 on Rte 121, residents raised the specter of more than just an overnighter or tourist destination but given the unsavory reputation of the former owner, its use possibly as a transient residence.  

The Town Board weighed in unanimously - rare - but very effective and sought to bring to bear its influence on the architecture and configuration of the proposal.  Supervisor Rights (a lawyer) was especially effective as he dualed with the owner's lawyer who threatened a lawsuit against the town.  Didn't go down well with either the Supervisor or the Town Board members of the attorney for the Town.  They wanted the applicant to return to the Architectural Review Board that has a lot of teeth due stringent code changes and the hiring of an architect (Town of Carmel take note) at the minimum and Supervisor Rights went even further, he wanted a full Planning Board review.  A bit difficult since the applicant had already sued the town and succeeded in getting the court to decide that they had the right to build on the former footprint.  Problem: the applicant included the flower beds.  

Stay tuned.

Putnam OKs lease, Whipple to move ahead

By Michael Risinit
The Journal News • February 7, 2009

George Whipple, the Kent philanthropist, financier and gentleman farmer who will now officially oversee the county-owned Tilly Foster Farm in Southeast, is already catering to probably one of his biggest fan bases.

"The kids have asked for more animals," Whipple said yesterday.

To that end, Whipple announced he completed the purchase of six American rabbits on Thursday - the same day the Putnam County Legislature approved leasing the farm to Whipple's nonprofit Preserve Putnam. The rabbits - three are blue, the others are white - are an endangered livestock breed and will join the collection of American heritage livestock at the 199-acre farm.

The lease is the basis for the formation of a permanent farm museum and educational center run by Preserve Putnam. The nine-member Legislature voted 6-3 to approve the lease, which runs for 40 years in five-year increments. Whipple wanted a long-term commitment from the county to continue programs he began in the summer to attract visitors to Tilly Foster on Route 312.

The vote came after more than two hours of discussion, which followed weeks of debate and several revisions. The final document, said Denis Castelli, a member of the Tilly Foster Advisory Board, still wasn't benefitting the taxpayer.

"There are many of us who are interested in all the details of this lease. I still think it's an incomplete lease," said Castelli of Southeast, who was not speaking on the board's behalf.

Whipple will operate the farm rent-free and will sublease portions to other tenants. In the fall, he sublet the farm's horse barn for one year to Meadow Creek Farm for horse boarding and equestrian programs. Money from all subleases will be used for farm improvements.

Concerns voiced by residents and opposing lawmakers included the agreement's length, how much control the county would maintain over the operation and the lack of specific benchmarks to gauge the foundation's effort in running the farm. Some were concerned about the future of the Putnam Arts Council, which rents space at the farm and is guaranteed a spot there until February 2010.

The approved version of the lease gives the county the power to evict subtenants, makes the foundation eventually responsible for utilities, and limits the county's responsibility when it comes to reimbursing capital improvement costs. Deputy County Executive John Tully said he expected the lease would be signed by Whipple, then County Executive Robert Bondi next week.

Previously, if the county ended the lease, Whipple would be reimbursed for capital improvements "which cannot be removed from the premises." Now the county will only pay for those Whipple personally pays for, less depreciation. Improvements funded by the foundation, with money collected from the subtenants or through grants will not be the county's responsibility.

Legislator Vincent Tamagna, R-Philipstown, is chairman of the Physical Services Committee, which approved sending the lease to the full legislature. There are many safeguards in place protecting the county, he said yesterday.

"There are a lot of things we can do. This is something that is going to be living, breathing and growing," he said, referring to the relationship between Putnam and the foundation.

Legislators Dan Birmingham, R-Brewster; Anthony Fusco, R-Mahopac; and Sam Oliverio, D-Putnam Valley, voted against the lease's approval. Fusco wanted to limit it to a year and have it reviewed by an outside real estate attorney. Birmingham wanted the county to seek proposals on running the entire farm, like its efforts two years ago to find someone to run the horse-boarding operation.

"Essentially, we're not asking the world, 'Hey, do you have a better plan?' " he said at the meeting.

The county bought the farm in 2002 to protect it from development. All who spoke Thursday night were eager to see the county use the property.

"I wish (Whipple) and the county the best for the next 40 years," Castelli said yesterday.

Putnam leases Tilly Foster Farm to non-profit for 40 years

 By Michael Risinit
The Journal News • February 6, 2009

More rare farm animals on their way to Tilly Foster

A Trail of Broken Promises - Southeast Makes Bid for YMCA

01/09/09

After spending a couple of hours at the Kent Planning Board meeting - Patterson Crossig on the agenda, I raced over to the Town of Southeast and none too soon.  There was Harold Lepler, Southeast's own developer, making a pitch to get the YMCA to come to the Town.  How? There are ten acres that were given by the County to the town in the rear of the crystal cathedral, green eyesore, the glass palace - you name it - and he would be willing to provide fire protection, water and sewer thru Brewster Highlands and the entrance is already there thru Executive Drive.  And the location couldn't be more perfect: shop until you drop at Lepler's Brewster Highlands retail center, get a bite at Applebees,   work it off at the Y and then spend a few moments of relaxation at Tilly Foster.  Wonderful.

A problem:  the county gave the land to be used for municipal purposes - that was to be the location of the Town of Southeast Town Board, now on Rte 22.  The legal question: can the terms of the deeded land be modified, reinterpreted, changed.  They're working hard on it.  For them to have brought it up publicly at a work session signals to me that there has been a lot of behind the scenes negotiations already.  Stay Tuned.

Those of us who fought the sale of the 19 acres for a paltry $1.5 million,
predicated on the construction of a YMCA and a hotel, warned it was all smoke and mirrors.  And as you can see the wreckage of land with their monopoly houses dotting the Gateway to Carmel of other CONmarda projects - The Retreat and the hotel on Stay - he makes Madoff look good. 

Let us remember who was part of the deal; who was part of the approvals and code changes by the town board and who is responsible for wrecking Carmel and breaking bread with CONmarda.at Primavera   Some are up for election in November.

So there you have it.  Just say the Y is tired of dealing with con men and town pay to play clowns. Whatever you might say of Lepler, he is serious and the Southeast Town Board is seriously behind him.  Time will tell if they pull it off.
 

Response to the JN Editorial on The Lease

12/27/08

Legislator Birmingham's critical comments concerning the Lease revolve around the question of accountability. He wants to establish benchmarks for success; that is, to what extent has George Whipple reached the goal of making the Farm financially self sufficient.

Let me deal with that issue. As an educator, I had to deal with constructing measures of accountability. It was the most difficult thing I ever had to do for I had to take into account all the variables - parents educational level; economic and social background, language and constraints - teacher experience, qualifications, etc. that would taint the credibility of the accountability measures and the goal of measuring school success.

And here we have the Journal News editorial staff endorsing Mr. Birmingham's superficial proposal.

Although it is indeed good business to have measurable standards of accountability - benchmarks for success, they are difficult to produce. How do you quantify accountability in hard numbers?

The standard of accountability as determined by the legislature would be to what extent has Mr. Whipple reached the goal of making the Farm financially self sufficient. Since under the Jeff Green/Birmingham version of the Lease, Mr. Whipple would not have sole responsibility for attaining this goal, we must include all those who have a piece of the responsibility in the accountability formula: the legislators, especially Mr. Birmingham and Mr. Fusco; Mr. Green; County Executive Bondi; The Putnam Arts Council who will be paying over 38 years $500 a month for two buildings; the Sports Association who is paying nothing; the list goes on.

Chaos, finger pointing and conflict in the making. Tilly Foster will be tied up in political wrangling with everyone wanting to have a piece of the action but no one willing to accept full responsibility.

There is a time for legislators to step away but they can still perform due diligence without micromanaging and second guessing. That is the delicate balancing feat that they must perform. It requires putting egos under wraps and political expediency aside.   Under the county, for seven years, as Tony Hay has pointed out, we have been spinning our wheels. For over six months, the county pulled the plug on Tilly Foster. And where were Green/Birmingham? Nowhere. Not a sound that this was an abuse of EOH funds, that the residents were being denied their rightful use of The Farm. No not a word.
 

Putnam weighs lease for Tilly Foster Farm
By Susan Elan • The Journal News • December 22, 2008


The terms of a proposed 40-year lease of Putnam County-owned Tilly Foster Farm in Southeast have come under increased scrutiny by some county residents and legislators who question its length and want to know who selects subtenants and who pays the utility bills.But George Whipple of Kent, who wants to run an educational center at the farm through his nonprofit Preserve Putnam, said recent changes to a draft agreement answer many of those concerns.

The county Legislature's Physical Services Committee planned to visit the 199-acre former horse farm with Whipple on Friday, but that was postponed to today due to the bad weather. Legislator Vincent Tamagna, R-Philipstown, chairman of the committee, said Thursday that the lease was still under review, but that it could be ready for a vote by the full Legislature at its year-end meeting Dec. 29.

"The 40-year term for the lease is scary," said Denis Castelli, a member of the Tilly Foster Advisory Board, who did not speak on behalf of the board. "While we all may have every faith in Mr. Whipple and (Putnam County Executive Robert Bondi) Mr. Bondi, who knows who will be running the nonprofit organization or Putnam County government over the next four decades? How can a contract of this magnitude be tied to the personalities and reputations of two men? "To get the grants and donations he seeks to turn Tilly Foster into an "endowed, world-class farm museum for endangered, early American species," Whipple said Thursday, he must have a long-term commitment from Putnam.The lease now includes a clause that would end it within 12 months if Whipple could no longer run it. The county would then decide what to do with it.

Whipple has said the foundation is working out a succession plan that he hopes would carry on the farm museum without him. Residents also have expressed concern that the county would give up control over the selection of future subtenants.The Putnam Arts Council has run its programs at the farm since May 2007 following a serious fire that destroyed its Belle Levine Arts Center building in Mahopac. Zoning issues have delayed reconstruction. But even when a new center is built in Mahopac, executive director Joyce Picone said, the arts organization wants to continue to provide some programs at the farm."I would be more comfortable reporting to the county government,"

Picone said. "We are separate nonprofits, and I don't want our missions confused by the public."The draft lease agrees to give the arts council use of the lodge at Tilly Foster, where it holds art shows, lectures and other programs, for two years at an annual rate of $1. The council could continue to lease the "cantina" where it holds pottery workshops at a monthly rate of $500 for 38 years.

Whipple has said he would like to run a restaurant and bed-and-breakfast at Tilly Foster. He also welcomes the continued display of artwork in the lodge, he said.But Whipple added, "The lodge should be shared by the community for public events like lectures and movies. One group should not keep it under lock and key."Some also have questioned a clause that made Putnam County responsible for paying utilities at the farm that would be consumed by Whipple's nonprofit, the arts council and others.Whipple said he has agreed that utility consumers at the farm "will pay their fair share."Legislator Dan Birmingham, R-Brewster, a Wall Street lawyer who sits on the Physical Services Committee, plans to vote against the lease as it is currently written. Birmingham said he opposes the length and the use of a "best-effort standard" as applied to Whipple's nonprofit."That's not an objective standard of performance," Birmingham said. "There is no way to measure it. I think Putnam's taxpayers could get a better bargain.

"But Tamagna and Legislature Chairman Tony Hay, R-Southeast, strongly disagree."The county has owned it since 2003, and we have done nothing but spin our wheels," said Hay, who opposed county spending for a horse boarding operation at Tilly Foster that ended a year ago. "George Whipple can make the commitment of time and money. We will take as many safeguards as possible, but at some point you have to have faith and belief."Reach Susan Elan at selan@lohud.com or 845-228-2277.
 

Some things you ought to know about Tilly Foster

12/13/08

In the midst of all the speculation, inuendoes and downright misinformation and lies surrounding the George Whipple 40-year lease, there are several issues that need to be brought to light.

In 2007, the total expenses for running the farm (200 acres) were a bit over $250,000.  I believe them to be more but that is the figure given to me by the county.  The horse boarding operation accounted for $80,000, leaving a shortfall of about $70,000.  Starting January 1, 2008, the horse boarding operation was discontinued and the farm effectively shut down.  The County Executive succumbed to legislative pressure to either make it self sufficient or to close it down.  Attempts at RFP's for the horse boarding operation failed: one was found to be the equivalent of an equestrian slumlord and the other made certain demands that could not be accommodated.

Through the generosity of County Executive Bondi who came to the Putnam Arts Council's assistance when their facility burned in February of 2007, he allocated  temporarily on a month to month lease, two principal structures on the Farm: The Lodge and the first floor of The Cantini.  The Lodge is being used for painting lessons, concerts and exhibits and The Cantini contained a pottery kiln similar to the activities that would have taken place at their Mahopac location. The rental as per the JN article is $1000 per month or $12,000 a year paid to the county and placed in a general fund.  The PAC kept the revenues from all other activities.

On the second floor of The Cantini is the Putnam County Sportsmen Association who similarly were in need of space. Their rental - 0.

Let me describe The Lodge.  It is a very large structure (5,820 sq ft) used by the Benedicts for a variety of functions: conferences, dinners, receptions, possibly weddings.  It has an industrial kitchen; wooden floors,  a huge fireplace and an entry way that overlooks the spacious room downstairs ornamented with a fireplace, flags and with wooden rafters designed by an Italian craftsman, Giardelli (sp unsure)

With the Farm in worse shape than The Titanic, George Whipple came to the rescue and he has brought energy, life and most of all money to the Farm.  The Lodge is central to the farm's revival and he must have a free hand to restore it to its former use (clean up the paint spattered wooden floors; get rid of the garbage, boxes in the industrial kitchen and make the entry way a Welcome Center envisioned by the first Tilly Foster Board) so as to make the farm self sufficient at no cost to the taxpayers. By the way, this was the charge he received from the Legislature and he has committed himself to making it happen in three years.  He can't do it.  Why??

There has been tremendous resistance principally from the PAC who wishes to remain in The Lodge and has lobbied vigorously the legislature.  I am an avid promoter of the arts and if you are a frequent reader of this site, you will know that.  That the Town of Carmel, the county seat of Putnam County and the largest town in the county, could spend millions for ballfields and yet turn PAC into a gypsy looking for space and denying the residents and their children an alternate venue, is shameful beyond words.  So I was sympathetic to PAC's plight and supported their stay temporarily on the Farm until such time as their building could be constructed and supported them at the Carmel Public Hearing for their approvals.  

The argument advanced by PAC is that the arts and the farm can be integrated, read co-partner with Whipple.   Either we have a Tilly Foster Farm Museum or we have an Arts Council  Muscoot, Glynwood, Cascade are farms.  There is a distinct difference and I am very respectful of the integrity of each.  The activities engaged by the PAC have an raison d'etre by themselves and since they require use of The Lodge, it effectively forecloses to George Whipple any option to use it in a different and more financially profitable fashion as the center for Tourism in this part of the county.

The generous rental of $1,000 a month for what is considered commercial space by any definition is a pittance.  I inquired as to what is the going rate per square foot of commercial space near a state road (Rte 312).  It is about $25.00 per square foot.  Here the Farm was threatened with closure; the horse boarding operation closed; denied all financial sustenance (taxpayer funds) from the Legislature and the County Executive, literally left for dead and PAC paid only $12,000 a year for a 5,000 sq. ft building plus the first floor of the Cantini whose total square footage is 3,551, of which PAC had 1/2 and the Sportsmen's Association the other half paying absolutely no rent.   And there was no revenue sharing of activities initiated by PAC.  They retained all proceeds according to the county Finance Department.  With expenses of at least $250,000 as of 2007, the county literally gave away the store. Is this any way to manage a business - a county facility?

Additionally,  there is on the Farm a house with four bedrooms, dining room, living room and sun parlor overlooking the reservoir on one side and the fields where the horses graze on the other.  Renovated, it could be a bed and breakfast and together with The Lodge it could serve as a magnet for visitors from NYC, and residents alike.

Tilly Foster is a gold mine that is now tied up in the political thicket and selfish agendas of organizations who will not permit it to be the gem that it was meant to be. It is being torn apart with each wanting a piece of the action.   And the only person to have come forward and lend his expertise, reputation, property in the form of rare heritage animals and money to preserve it as residents wanted,  George Whipple, is being vilified which give credence to the adage: No good deed goes unpunished.

Sincerely,
Ann
 

'New' Tilly Foster Farm thrives
By: Eric Gross , Staff Reporter

CARMEL-George Whipple is a man with a mission.
 
The philanthropist from Kent, who heads up the 'Preserve Putnam County' non-for-profit organization and the 'Society for the Preservation of Putnam County Antiquities and Greenways,' met with the Putnam Legislature last week to report on the first 150 days of the Tilly Foster Farm Museum.

Whipple's goal is to keep the farm open and free to the public forever while building a world class museum containing early American endangered farm animals that will be on display. He outlined a plan for the farm's economic self sufficiency.

The 40-plus year Putnam resident has asked the county for a 40-year lease to operate the farm located off Route 312 in Southeast. Any money raised will be segregated and used exclusively for what Whipple called the "support and maintenance of the farm museum."

Since taking over the farm five months ago, the organization has spent $30,000 for fencing and painting. Whipple donated rare Randell Lineback cows and American Jacob sheep while conducting a series of monthly events that attracted thousands of visitors.

The Putnam County Antique Machinery Museum has been established in the basement of a large red barn while a tractor museum has been created in a larger barn containing $1 million in exhibits loaned to the farm for display.

The horses are also back at Tilly Foster with a horse boarding operation. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be used to support the museum.

Whipple told the legislators that Tilly Foster's plans for housing additional rare and endangered species of farm animals are progressing - with an American Mammouth Jackstock donkey recently purchased and American rabbits, guinea hogs, Narragansett turkeys, Pilgrim geese, Cayuga ducks and Runner ducks coming on board next spring.

Whipple told the Courier his goal was to create Putnam County's central park: "Central Park was established in the middle of the city where all citizens of New York could enjoy good health, green surroundings and out-of-doors recreation. As Putnam County has developed, Tilly Foster must become that same type of Central Park. It should be a place where people from Garrison come to cross country ski and from where residents of Brewster come to show their children that chickens lay eggs and people come from Kent to hear a donkey bray. To have this connection to a farm in the center of our county will result in a tremendous community spirit."

Legislator Vincent Tamagna, who chairs the Physical Services Committee, lauded Whipple's efforts and enthusiasm: "Tilly Foster is an oasis in the middle of Putnam County with no cost to our taxpayers. Tilly Foster Farm has come to life thanks to George Whipple. The farm has a bright future."

The legislature is expected to grant Whipple's organization its lease before the end of the year.

Nonprofit turns Tilly Foster into a success

By Susan Elan • The Journal News • November 20, 2008


SOUTHEAST - A long-term lease between Putnam and a not-for-profit organization with plans to make county-owned Tilly Foster Farm a permanent farm museum is nearing completion.

"The advantage is the farm is managed in the name of the taxpayers, but they are not burdened with the cost," Deputy County Executive John Tully said Monday.

Kent gentleman farmer George Whipple, founder of the not-for profit Preserve Putnam County, which has been managing the farm with the approval of the county Legislature since June, said he hopes to see it become "a world-class farm museum with a huge national endowment."

During his first 150 days at Tilly Foster, Whipple has loaned it some of his rare, early American farm animals, set up educational programs for families on weekends, and negotiated the return of a horse boarding and riding operation to the 199-acre former thoroughbred farm.

Those efforts have greatly increased the number of visitors to Tilly Foster and won kudos even from those who opposed spending taxpayer dollars to support an earlier county-run horse boarding operation at the farm. That enterprise closed in December 2007.

"We're going to go there every chance we get," said Gina Kleinlercher of Carmel, who took her 8-year-old triplet sons to a free nature class at Tilly Foster last month.

"It's very expensive to go places with three kids, and this is only five minutes from where we live," Kleinlercher said.

Last month, Whipple presented the Legislature with a list of Preserve Putnam's accomplishments at Tilly Foster that also included the creation of an antique machinery museum; $30,000 worth of new fencing and painting paid for by the nonprofit; new flower beds; and the hiring of a full-time livestock manager "to keep the animals safe and cared for 24 hours a day."

Whipple takes the greatest pride in the crowds that have flocked to see his rare, endangered animals and the two calves born last week at Tilly Foster to his Randall Lineback cattle. He hopes the male - named for 19th-century farmer Tillingham Foster - will one day pull an ox cart that children can ride in.

But more important, Whipple said, Tilly Foster is the only place the public can view such rare animals as the Randall Linebacks and the long-eared American Mammoth Jackstock donkey.

"We're only 60 miles from New York City, and you can't see them anywhere else because the rest are on private estates owned by the super rich," said Whipple, a lawyer at Credit Suisse Securities.

Ryan Holman of Carmel has yet to visit the unique American breed of Jacob sheep at Tilly Foster, but when he noticed horses grazing in the pastures recently, he asked his father, Paul Holman, to drive in so he could get a better look.

Sheila Mealey, barn manager for Meadow Creek Farm, which now runs the stables at Tilly Foster, offered Ryan a pony ride, and he was hooked. When it came time to plan his seventh birthday party, Ryan asked to hold it at Tilly Foster.

On Oct. 19, he and about 10 of friends shared pizza and birthday cake in the barn loft and later treated the horses to newly picked apples.

"It was a way to get them outdoors and have them learn something instead of playing video games and doing the things they do at regular birthday parties," Paul Holman said.

Ann Fanizzi, a member of the Tilly Foster Advisory Board who was instrumental in the campaign to save the farm from development, said Whipple has proved that he can run the farm in the public interest.

"He's had his probationary period," Fanizzi said. "Almost every weekend there were events. It's been a success. Why not make it a total success."

Legislature Chairman Tony Hay, R-Southeast, the earliest and most vocal advocate of eliminating taxpayer contributions to the formerly county-run stable, said Monday that Whipple's experience running his own farm in Kent has helped him do "an outstanding job in a very short time" at Tilly Foster.

The arrangement with Whipple means Putnam taxpayers now cover only the cost of some utilities and maintenance, he said.

Reach Susan Elan at selan@lohud.com or 845-228-2277.

 

Tilly Foster offers economic opportunity

• November 13, 2008

Tilly Foster offers economic opportunity

The Nov. 2 Business section article focusing on Cold Spring, "Tourists leave wallet home," is somewhat misleading and inconsistent with the facts reported. What the article made clear is that smart marketers were able to surmount the challenges of the economic downturn by turning adversity into opportunity. Specifically cited were "bed and breakfasts (The Kittleman) seeing strong bookings from customers who are shunning more expensive air travel to stay close to home. Restaurants (The Depot) are benefiting from the simple fact that if you are away from home for a day or a weekend, you need to eat." The real losers in this were high-end merchants who saw tourists browse rather than spend.

We in Putnam are poised to benefit from the downturn but we need to be smart. Under the leadership of George Whipple's not-for-profit organization, Preserve Putnam, Tilly Foster Conservation Area and Farm Museum has embarked on an ambitious plan to make this jewel of eastern Putnam a unique venue for residents and visitors alike: accessibility to transportation; incomparable beauty; home to rare animals and horse riding; a museum featuring agricultural machinery of the past and present; and untapped and underutilized buildings such as the Lodge, possessing an industrial kitchen and more-than-adequate space for conferences, educational seminars, weddings and family get-togethers.


And there are other buildings that could be used to realize the legislative goal of making Tilly Foster financially self-sufficient, resident- and visitor-friendly, and a tourist destination without parallel in Putnam.

Ann Fanizzi

Carmel

The writer is chair of Putnam County Coalition to Preserve Open Space

Celebrate our bounty; support local farming

By Marvin Baum • November 8, 2008


Not long ago, I went into a supermarket and picked up a package of dried apples. On the back side of the package, it indicated "Product of China." That surprised me. After all, New York state is a major grower of apples. On a recent Sunday, I was at another supermarket and wanted to buy a bag of dried berries for a salad, but I noticed in the ingredient listing that the strawberries were also a "Product of China." Why would I want strawberries from China, considering that the U.S. grows so many strawberries?

Unfortunately, we're beginning to see our most basic food items come from far-off places to local supermarket shelves - and we all know what problems this can cause (like the recent pet food and baby formula scares). Just a few years ago, I was able to buy great-tasting canned pineapple slices from Hawaii. Now, it all comes from Thailand, Indonesia or the Philippines, and your orange juice may well come from Central or South America. I've even seen packages of frozen fish from China and hard candies from Mexico.


How safe are their food handling procedures? Is their water clean? Do they protect their environment against the use of harmful pesticides, which can also harm us as we ingest their foods? Are animals being treated in humane ways? Are their workers being treated humanely? Is their electricity being generated by a dirty coal-fired power plant that contributes to global environmental concerns? I have enough worries about what we do in the U.S., let alone what happens in other countries that have fewer regulations, less oversight and no free press to report on problems that could embarrass the government.

The "global economy" has many benefits, but it becomes really sad when we can no longer produce anything ourselves and we become dependent on other countries for our life-sustaining foods. Does it make sense to save a few pennies when we are eating foods that have less taste and nutritional benefits, plus require extensive transportation to bring to market - which then drives up our oil costs, hurts our economy and increases pollution?

Fortunately, the Rockland Farm Alliance, founded last year, is working to bring back farming to Rockland County. The organization brings together traditional and new farmers, horse farm owners, nursery owners and everyday people interested in nurturing farming and gaining access to locally grown food. Local farming and locally produced foods are easy ways that we can help improve our health, the environment and our overall quality-of-life. Many restaurants are now even promoting local and regional sources for their ingredients and wines.

As you start planning your Thanksgiving meal, take a minute to think about where your food comes from and, when possible, consider buying local foods. The Thanksgiving holiday, more than any other American holiday, truly celebrates the bounty of our land. The Pilgrims were blessed by the local foods they harvested and, even in our modern times, this could still be a model that serves us well.

The writer is a Valley Cottage resident.
 

Horses return to graze at Tilly Foster Farm

By Susan Elan • The Journal News • October 1, 2008

SOUTHEAST - Horses graze once again on the rolling fields at Putnam-owned Tilly Foster Farm.

Meadow Creek Farm, previously in Hopewell Junction in Dutchess County, has moved 20 horses to the 199-acre former horse-breeding farm. The new tenant arrives under an agreement between Putnam officials and Kent gentleman farmer George Whipple, chairman of a nonprofit organization that hopes to make Tilly Foster economically self-sufficient within three years.

Putnam officials ended a county-run horse boarding operation in December 2007 after some taxpayers complained of subsidizing a facility where a small number of owners kept their horses at below-market rates. Yesterday, County Executive Robert Bondi and several legislators said they had left it up to Whipple to decide how to make the farm welcoming to the public while ensuring that it pays for itself.

Two horse barn operators who bid for a chance to run Tilly Foster's barn cried foul yesterday over the arrangement that bypassed competitive bidding.

But former horse boarder Kathie Franco of Kent said she is delighted to see horses at Tilly Foster again, even if hers now board in Dutchess County.

"Horses belong there," Franco said. "It's a wonderful thing that the county is not involved in running it."

Meadow Creek plans to offer riding lessons, therapeutic riding, horse shows, and activities for children and families, barn manager Sheila Mealey said yesterday as she mucked out stalls.

"We want to be community centered and public friendly with owners that take time to tell visitors about their horses," Mealey said. "We don't want to be one of those snooty barns where owners don't want anyone to touch their horse."

A few minutes later, when Linda and Joe Poandl of Kent dropped in at the barn with grandchildren, Nicholas Calandros, 4, and his sister, Adrianna, 2, in tow, Mealey put down her rake and took them to meet a frisky young horse named Teddy.

An official public opening with a horse show and a costumed dog show is scheduled for Oct. 18, but residents have been dropping by for at least a week, ever since horses began appearing in the paddocks off Route 312, Mealey said.

Ann Fanizzi, a member of the Tilly Foster Advisory Board who was instrumental in the campaign to save the farm from development, said bringing horses back enriched the educational and recreational mission Whipple had undertaken with his loan of early American farm animals to Tilly Foster this summer.

But Anthony Zumpano, manager of River Ridge Equestrian Center in Eastchester, and Drew Marino of Mahopac, who made bids to run their own horse operations at Tilly Foster, yesterday said they felt it was unfair that they had been passed over.

"It should have gone out to bid again," Zumpano said. "This was a way of bringing in someone they wanted and leaving us out. I don't think it is fair at all."

Bondi yesterday said both bids had been rejected because they had been incorrectly submitted.

"The bidding process failed because the bidders did not want to follow the rules," Bondi said.

Following resolutions by the Legislature in June and September, Putnam turned over decision-making about activities and the use of facilities at Tilly Foster to Whipple's nonprofit.

"We support the use of private resources to subsidize Tilly Foster," Bondi said.

Mealey said Meadow Creek is paying to install rubber footing in the ring where lessons will be given and making other improvements. Some of the proceeds from horse events at Tilly Foster will go toward the farm's upkeep.

Mealey and Whipple declined to say how much Meadow Creek is paying in monthly rent or how much it will contribute annually to the farm's nonprofit. Whipple said Meadow Creek is assuming all insurance costs and liability.

"We're trying to save the farm during the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes," said Whipple, a lawyer with Credit Suisse in Manhattan.

Running a horse barn doesn't leave much room for profit, Mealey said. It costs from $7,000 to $10,000 a year for the maintenance of each of Meadow Creek's 10 school horses, she said.

Boarders pay Meadow Creek $850 per month for their horse. There will be no more than 25 horses at Tilly Foster, Mealey said.

Zumpano yesterday said he had planned to start with 30 horses and build that number to 50.

Zumpano is named in a lawsuit that accuses River Ridge Equestrian Center of violating its 20-year lease with Westchester County by defrauding taxpayers and illegally employing children. Zumpano denied the charges.

The suit accuses the center and its owner, Charles "Rusty" Holzer, of failing to properly report income and to withhold full payroll taxes. The suit also accuses the owners of allowing the riding center to deteriorate to the point where riders and horses suffer injuries in the riding rings.

Legislator Vincent Tamagna, R-Philipstown, yesterday said regulating the number of animals at Tilly Foster is a matter that the Physical Services Committee, which he chairs, will take up when it meets Oct. 23.

Putnam purchased Tilly Foster in the fall of 2002 with $3.9 million in New York City Department of Environmental Protection watershed funds to help protect a part of the city's water supply.

Reach Susan Elan at selan@lohud.com or 845-228-2277.

 

Putnam's Tilly Foster to get rare animals

By Susan Elan • The Journal News • July 7, 2008

SOUTHEAST - County-owned Tilly Foster Farm, formerly a dairy and horse breeding farm, has some new tenants.

Seven Randall Lineback Cattle and 15 Jacob Sheep, early American animals, have taken up residence at the 199-acre property off Route 312, a loan by Kent gentleman farmer and financier George Whipple.
An official welcome to introduce the endangered species to Putnam County residents is scheduled for Saturday. There also will be arts and crafts activities, and a musical performance.

Whipple moved the cattle and sheep from his animal collection at his Pine View Farm on Wednesday and spent the night wrapped in a blanket between two sheep pens at Tilly Foster making sure they got acclimated to their new surroundings.

"The people of Putnam County are the owners of Tilly Foster and it's important to encourage them to come to free activities often," Whipple said.

By bringing rare, early American animals there, he hopes to make Tilly Foster a "world-class farm with animals you can see only here," he said.

The farm is open free to the public every day until 4 p.m. Planned events also will be free.

On Saturday, in addition to strolls through the property to the animals, the Putnam Arts Council will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring local pottery and basket-weaving artisans.

Monthly activities are planned through November. An August event will focus on sheep and how wool is spun and turned into shawls and other items. Antique farm equipment, including tractors, gas engines and farm implements, will be on display in September. A farewell festival is scheduled for mid-November, marking the end of the Tilly Foster farm season as the animals prepare to return to Whipple's Kent farm for the winter.

Whipple said he plans to introduce additional animals from his collection to Tilly Foster in the spring.

The public's use of Tilly Foster that Whipple has made possible fit the vision laid out by the Tilly Foster advisory board after the county bought the property in 2002 to protect it from development, board member Ann Fanizzi said.

"Thanks to the generosity, energy and enthusiasm of George Whipple, the mission of establishing an agriculture and education center for residents at Tilly Foster has been resurrected," Fanizzi said. "At long last that dream has finally come true."

A horse-boarding operation run by the county at Tilly Foster was much criticized because of the associated costs. It ceased operation at the end of 2007.

"We're looking forward to Tilly Foster being actively used by the general public," Deputy County Executive John Tully said. "We hope it will become a tourist attraction for Putnam County and the surrounding area."

Mildred Nugent of Southeast said she hoped to see Tilly Foster become Putnam's version of Muscoot Farm in Somers. Nugent, who lived in Yorktown for 46 years, said she frequently took her children and grandchildren to Muscoot. She moved to Southeast eight years ago.

"They learned things they could never get out of a book," Nugent said.

On Thursday morning, about a dozen children with sketchbooks in hand had taken up position near Tilly Foster's front fields and were drawing the sheep and cattle.

"Allowing people to interact with their historic, agricultural roots feels like the biggest success in my life," Whipple said.
 

Notice of Acceptance of Draft EIS and Public Hearing

Putnam County - The Town of Southeast Planning Board, as lead agency, has accepted a Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed Stateline Retail Center. A public hearing on the Draft EIS will be held on July 14, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. at the Southeast Town Office, 1360 Route 22, Brewster, NY 10509. Written comments on the Draft EIS will be accepted until ten (10) days following the close of the public hearing. The action involves the construction of approximately 184,800 square feet of retail use, 14,800 square feet of office use, and 11,000 square feet of community space and 915 parking spaces on an approximately 44.7 acre site. Access would be from three driveways off NYS Route 6, one of which would be signalized. Water for the site would be supplied from groundwater wells with an approximate daily usage of 4,900 gallons per day and sewage would be treated in an onsite septic system. A series of stormwater basins would be used as the primary method of managing post development stormwater runoff. The project is located on NYS Route 6 between Old Nichols Road and Dingle Ridge Road in the Town of Southeast, NY 10509.

Contact: Laurie Fricchione, Southeast Planning Board, Phone: (845) 279-7736.

April 29, 2008

Disputed Southeast barn knocked down

 

By Michael Risinit
The Journal News • February 7, 2008

SOUTHEAST - An excavator yesterday flattened an early 19th-century barn in Southeast, obliterating a piece of Putnam County's history and emotionally crushing those who tried to save the structure.

"It's a pile of rubble, a seven-year battle all in splinters," Katherine Dwyer said minutes after the walls and roof crumpled to the ground.

Dwyer has lived next door to the circa-1820 barn, once part of the Rocky Dell dairy farm, for 27 years. Neighbors have recently fought to save the barn - first as a temple was considered for its surrounding land off Doansburg Road, then as a Bedford developer proposed four homes on the land. But time finally ran out yesterday for the barn, during its third century of life.

"I've gotten stays of execution on several occasions. I was hoping they would hold off until we could figure out a way that would benefit everybody," Dwyer said.

The latest reprieve began in October, when Strazza Development put the land up for sale. That caused then-Southeast Supervisor John Dunford to put his pen down and not sign the demolition permit. Current Supervisor Michael Rights, though, signed the necessary paperwork last week.

"On advice of counsel, we do not have legal grounds to prevent (Strazza) from using (its) property, from pulling down this rotting barn," Rights said. "At the end of expensive litigation, the town would be ordered to issue the permit anyway."

Dwyer had rejected opportunities to buy the barn and its 47 acres as too expensive, countering with offers to purchase the building and no more than an acre. She and philanthropist George Whipple III of Kent thought a deal was in place for Strazza to transfer ownership to Whipple's Preserve Putnam County foundation in return for a charitable tax deduction. Dwyer would then pay to move the barn to her land. At some point, it possibly would have been relocated to public property.

The excavator was dropped off at the site Tuesday. Yesterday morning, Strazza owner Michael Diguglielmo said he would hold off the demolition if he had written assurances the barn would be removed from his property within 30 days.

"If they are willing to take the barn, why bother?" he said a couple of hours before the razing.

But Dwyer was unable to get an estimate quickly of how much it would cost to move the barn so a contract could be written.

An architectural historian hired by the town last year concluded the barn and Dwyer's home were once part of the same homestead but were divided in the middle of the last century. That separation wiped out any eligibility for state and national historic status, the historian said.

Nonetheless, Putnam County Historian Alan Warnecke said the barn should have been preserved as a link to the county's roots. Instead, its hand-hewn timbers, cupola and side-gable roof lay heaped on the wet ground yesterday afternoon.

"That's a real tragedy. It's very distressing to see another historic structure being destroyed," Warnecke said.

Staff writer Marcela Rojas contributed to this report.
Reach Michael Risinit at mrisinit@lohud.com or 845-228-2274.


Read reactions to this story
   
AnnFanizzi wrote:

Just to add another comment. One of the areas that need to be discussed is how can we bring developers and preservationists together and understand that the presence of an historic structure on their property only can enhance its value. This is what Europeans have done. They have not carted the ruins of Pompeii away in trucks nor the Forum or Coleseum in Rome. These "crumbling" historic structures have become meccas for tourists and an economic boon to the cities in which they are located. We could profit by their example.