Warwick to receive nearly $500,000 for Brady Farm rights

WARWICK-The Town of Warwick will received almost a half-million dollars for purchase of development rights on the Brady Farm. Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Resources Conservation Service have advised him that the Town has been awarded a grant of almost $500,000. This grant is to support the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) on the Brady Farm. The purchase will be accomplished in combination with Town funds from the year 2000 bond vote, and the expectation of a partnering grant from The Scenic Hudson Land Trust Inc. The Brady farm will continue to operate as it has in the past, and will continue to pay property taxes, but when the easement contract has been signed, and the money received by the Brady Brothers, the land may never be developed. Seymour Gordon, chairman of the Town of Warwick Agricultural and Open Space Preservation Board, expressed gratitude for this positive response to his written grant proposal to the USDA. This is the fourth such grant that came from the USDA as a result of Gordon's grant writing, making a total of approximately $930,000 from the Federal government toward PDR for the Town. This allows the bond money remaining, after Greenwood Lake School district's share, to be extended toward more farm owners, thus protecting more acres from development. Along with federal grants, the town has been the beneficiary of New York State Agriculture and Markets awards that total over $3,100,000. All but two of these grant awards were under Gordon's authorship, and when all state monies will have been applied, they will account for 1,116 acres of permanently preserved upland farms in Warwick. As of this moment, the State has announced another Request for Proposals that is due in Albany by Oct. 1. The Ag Board expects to submit yet another Warwick farm in competition with other N.Y. State farms seeking state monies, and, in addition, there are seven other farm owner-applicants. When these come to closing it will add 846 more acres to the total of PDR protected farmland. Any Warwick farmland owner wishing to consider accepting the development value of their land in money while still retaining ownership, but foregoing future development options, should contact Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton at 986-1120, x240 to obtain a PDR application.