GARDINER, N.Y. -- A preservation group said Tuesday it signed a contract to buy a prominent parcel along the Shawangunk Ridge for $17 million.
The Trust for Public Land plans to resell the 2,500-acre parcel in Ulster County to New York state, which would allow it to expand the borders of the adjacent Minnewaska State Park. The transfer would be a major victory for environmentalists and residents who had opposed recent plans to build a high-end development along the ridge.
A judge in Delaware ordered the land sold to settle a legal battle among the owners of the so-called Awosting Reserve. The court-appointed trustee signed a sale contract Tuesday with the trust and the Open Space Institute, said Philip Nicholas, a project manager for the trust.
Though court proceedings could complicate matters, Nicholas hopes to close by spring on what he calls a "keystone" property in efforts to preserve the ridge. The ridge, popular with rock climbers, runs about 50 miles from the Hudson Valley into New Jersey.
"There are very few pieces of land in New York state that have the significance that the Awosting Reserve does," he said.
The preservationists' bid was accepted over several others, including one by actor Robert De Niro and a business partner, Nicholas said.
A plan to clear space on the ridge for 349 homes and a golf course created a firestorm of opposition several years ago. Awosting Reserve LLC general partner John Atwater Bradley eventually had a falling out with the company chosen to develop the site, Chaffin/Light Associates. Bradley fired the firm last year. Chaffin/Light sued Bradley and won. The Delaware judge then ordered the sale.
