Long Path Caretakers, Clarkstown Officials Cheer Vote On 9W Parcel

CLARKSTOWN, NY — A deal with a developer that gives Clarkstown more parkland was hailed by town officials and the caretakers of the famous Long Path Trail from New York City to Saratoga Springs.

The town board voted Tuesday to spend $125,000 to purchase 7.7 acres of land along Route 9W. The developer of the Vanderbilt Grande project, now under consideration by the town Planning Board, wants to create a senior housing development near Town Hall under the town's floating Active Adult Residence zoning overlay.

That zoning requires developers either set aside land for recreational use or pay $4,000 per unit to Clarkstown's land trust.

Instead of giving the town $400,000 for Vanderbilt Grande, the developer suggested trading a large parcel of land on West Hook Mountain. Because it is assessed at $525,000, the town would pay the difference.

The deal delighted Supervisor George Hoehmann.

"This is the realization of a long term goal of mine as Supervisor and of the trail conference that will forever protect our ridgeline and expand access to West Hook Mountain for generations to come," he told Patch. "This incredibly important acquisition will result in nearly eight additional acres to be forever preserved and adds to the over 50 acres of land that we have preserved since becoming Town Supervisor."

It also delighted the folks at the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.

The parcel of land acquired by Clarkstown, at the north side of West Hook Mountain, is an important win for open space preservation in Rockland County as well as the Long Path hiking trail, Zachary Cole, Long-Distance Trails Program Coordinator for the NY-NJTC, told Patch.

"This land parcel presents an opportunity for the Trail Conference to eliminate a long and undesirable road walk along the Long Path," Cole said. Now the NY-NJTC now has the option to route the trail over West Hook Mountain using an existing public trail and then connect back to the Long Path in Hook Mountain State Park (as shown in the map).

"The entire project will still require some review to determine the safest option for a crossing over Rt 9W, but establishing this connection between the two public parks will be a significant improvement to the local trail system, enabling easier access to this signature outdoor experience," Cole said.

Note: the proposed routes do not represent the final locations of the trails. These trails will take time to plan and build, so the Long Path reroute is still a way out, he said.

"Long-distance trails, particularly newer ones, are always a work-in-progress which require partners to proactively respond to opportunities and threats to the trail’s route," Cole said. "The Trail Conference has been working on the Long Path for several decades, and we have made significant progress putting together a trail between New York City and John Boyd Thacher State Park, the trail’s current northern terminus.

"Our ultimate vision is to reach the Adirondack Park, and we are currently working to make that a reality."

More information can be found at www.TheLongPath.org.