Siegel Proposes Two Alternative Plans for 200-Acre Granite Knolls Property Acquisition

Two alternate proposals for purchasing the 200-acre Granite Knolls property on Stony Street were presented to the Recreation Commission on Thursday, September 2, by Supervisor Susan Siegel. The cost of the property is $2.7 million.

The first proposal would split off 15 acres from the 75-acre parcel and purchase it for $1, with the intent to subdivide the parcel into four 4-acre lots. The lots would then be sold, and the profit could be used for recreational purposes.

The town has consulted local real estate sources, and said the 15 acres could sell for $150,000 and up.

Under the second option, Siegel said the town could sell the entire 75-acre to a developer and require the developer, as a condition of subdivision approval, to construct up to three new sports fields on the site and make the planned trailway connection. 

Based on current four-acre zoning, a maximum of 10 to 11 lots could potentially be built on the site. Money from the sale would be used to pay off a portion of the debt service for the original $2.7 million borrowing and the rest would be used to fund improvements to existing recreational facilities, Siegel said. 

If the 75 acres was developed as a cluster subdivision, at least 30 of the 75 acres would have to remain as permanent open space.

The difference between the two proposals is in the future use of the 75-acre site on the west side of Stony Street. The town would purchase the 125-parcel on the east side of Stony Street and dedicate it as parkland. 

Siegel said both proposals would preserve most of the site for open space, set aside land for the proposed trailway connection. In addition, depending on which proposal was ultimately adopted, could provide additional new sports fields at no cost to the town, while the revenue could be used to pay for improvements to existing recreational facilities.

"We can't have it all," Siegel said. "We can't have open space, recreational facilities and tax cuts all at the same time. We have to balance these competing needs and try to arrive at a compromise that works for the entire community. That's what I'm trying to do with this proposal."

Members of the town board would discuss Siegel's proposal during their next work session on Wednesday, September 15. 

Siegel told the Recreation Commission that she has been advised by a bond counsel that both of her proposals are legal. 

According to the town a five-year Parks and Recreation Department Capital Projects Plan has identified $935,000 worth of needed park improvements, including repairing the tennis courts at Shrub Oak and Downing Parks, the Route 202 ball fields and the inline skating rink at Shrub Oak Park, and constructing an all-purpose field at Hunterbrook Park.

In addition, the list includes an estimated $325,000 worth of additional work the town needs to do at the Legacy ball fields after the county completes its work there.

Some of these projects have been pending for several years because money wasn't available.

In addition to the Parks & Recreation Department projects, close to $2 million in road and bridge repairs are needed, as well as improvements to town buildings and a variety of safety and emergency related projects.

"Ordinarily, the town would budget or bond large projects such as these, but these are not ordinary times," Siegel said. "Our taxpayers are struggling to make ends meet and no one is going to support higher taxes so we need to think outside the box."

She said the proposals balance between the need for open space and recreational facilities without raising taxes. 

"Both of these proposals provide the Board with additional time and flexibility to explore different options," she added. "We would still retain the ability to declare the entire site as park land, so we have nothing to lose."