COMMITTEE ON PARKS AND RECREATION
MINUTES: FEBRUARY 2, 2004
Chairman Astorino called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Chair: Astorino; Legislators: Alvarado, Pinto; GUESTS: Department of Planning—Ed Hoffmeister, Commissioner Gerry Mulligan
I. MINUTES:
No minutes were presented for adoption.
II. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION:
The following items were presented for discussion.
Committee Organization
On the motion of Legislator Pinto, seconded by Legislator Alvarado and approved without objection, the quorum for the Parks Committee was set at 2 members.
On the motion of Legislator Pinto, seconded by Legislator Alvarado and approved without objection, the quorum for action on an item before the Parks Committee was set at 2 members.
Item A1. Taxter Ridge, County Executive: Act and Bond Act authorizing the county to acquire an interest in the 200-acre parcel of open space in northern Greenburgh known as Taxter Ridge and to issue bonds in the amount of $4,000,000 to finance the cost of the property’s acquisition (referred on January 7, 2004; also referred to Budget and Appropriations – passed January 26, 2004)
Regarding the item, Planning Commissioner Gerry Mulligan made a presentation before the committee highlighting the following main points:
· Taxter Ridge is one of the largest undeveloped properties in Lower Westchester
· Once the property is acquired, two of the three existing houses on the property will be demolished by Westchester Land Trust, with the remaining house to be taken over by the Town of Greenburgh for affordable housing
· The project has a three-way financing structure between New York State, the Town of Greenburgh and the county, with the county’s portion totaling $4 million
· Purpose of the property’s acquisition is three fold: 1) open space preservation in connecting V.E. Macy Park, the Westwood property, and the Unification Church property, 2) watershed protection, and 3) environmental habitat protection
· Plans for the property are limited to passive use parkland with some tailways
On the motion of Legislator Pinto, seconded by Legislator Alvarado, the item was approved by a vote of 3-0.
III. RECEIVE AND FILE:
The following item was presented for the committee to receive and file.
Item B2. Taxter Ridge, Hon. Tom Abinanti: Act authorizing the county to participate in the purchase of the 200-acre parcel of open space in northern Greenburgh known as Taxter Ridge (referred on January 7, 2004; also referred to Budget and Appropriations)
It was pointed out by Chairman Astorino that the item was identical to the previous item that had just been adopted. On the motion of Legislator Pinto, seconded by Legislator Alvarado, the item was declared received and filed by a vote of 3-0.
IV. ADJOURN:
On the motion of Legislator Alvarado, seconded by Legislator Pinto and without objection, the committee was adjourned.
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