Town of Warwick’s Community Preservation Act extended

State Sen. Mike Martucci and Assemblyman Karl Brabenec announced this week that their legislation to extend the Town of Warwick’s Community Preservation Fund for an additional 25 years until 2050 has been signed into law.

Residents of Warwick advocated for this bill, believing it is a great resource for the town. Since it became active in 2005, the Town of Warwick has been able to utilize revenue generated by the program to preserve local farmland, recreation areas, water access and historic landmarks.

“No single issue is more important to Warwick’s residents than preserving open space and the rural character of their community,” Martucci said. “The long-term extension of this program ensures that control of Warwick’s future remains firmly where it belongs – in the hands of its own residents.”

“Our victory for the Town of Warwick is a perfect example of what is possible when government operates the way it should,” Brabenec said. “The Community Preservation Fund has proven to be a substantial asset for our community to safeguard the scenery and historic sites that define our Hudson Valley home.”

What’s been preserved

Since 2005, the Town of Warwick has preserved more than 4,300 acres, a public beach on Greenwood Lake and several parks, including the former Kutz Camp with its municipal pools, 85 acres of hiking and fishing land, through the Community Preservation Act.

“Mike and Karl, working across the aisle with Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, successfully shepherded the bill to the Governor for signing,” Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton said. “Thanks to their hard work the bill is now law allowing the Town to continue its effort to preserve working farms, recreational and critical environmental areas. We will be forever grateful.”

Impact

Sweeton said the extension is important because the program would have ended in 2026.

‘With the purchase of the Kutz camp and (the town’s) commitment to pay that off over five years, the remaining projected revenue from the CPF through its expiration of 2026 prevented the town from committing to acquire development rights on any other farm applicant,” the supervisor said. “It would not have been fiscally prudent for us to do so. The home rule request to extend it was the only way for us to continue our efforts to secure the development rights on good, working farms.”

‘We respect our environment and historical context’

The extension also means, Sweeton added, that “as we get quality applicants we will have the resources to act and also to continue our successful partnership with the New York State and Federal land preservation programs which has allowed us to essentially double the amount of money we have to acquire development rights.

“It has, in conjunction with our excellent zoning code, allowed for responsible growth while keeping school taxes essentially flat,” he noted. “The farms we have protected continue to farm and have diversified in ways that have generated millions of dollars for our local economy. First the taxpayer funded PDR bond resolution then the CPF real estate tax has helped Warwick flourish and secured a future for the next generations.

“I don’t believe anyone who has seen the success of our program could argue the extension is not warranted,” Sweeton concluded. “Values in Warwick remain above average, the quality of life is excellent, we respect our environment and historical context while continuing a place people want to visit and/or call home.”