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The Town of Cortlandt closed on the purchase of 10-acre Furnace Dock Lake today, also known as Railroad Lake, which Con Edison had threatened to drain in order repair the dam as mandated by the State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The lake was called a treasure trove of land, water and biodiversity, according to neighborhood group Save Railroad Pond, which was formed to stop Con Edison from draining the lake. The 100-year-old man made lake was created when the New York Central Railroad, the predecessor of the Metro-North, dammed Furnace Brook, in order to service steam locomotives.
Linda Puglisi, Town Supervisor for the Town of Cortlandt, signed the papers today in New York City confirming the lake is now owned by the Town of Cortlandt. The funds used to purchase the $300,000 lake came from a fund which accrues recreation fees and passive recreation fees over the years, and one-third from a private developer adjacent to the lake.
The total area purchased includes a 55-acre watershed, and another 30 acres of land to be deeded to the town from the adjacent developer. A release issued by the Supervisors Office called it imperative to protect our environment and to preserve the ecology and biodiversity of this area in our community.
The release also thanked the town engineer, town attorney, thousands of village residents who participated in the project, and the thousands of village residents who signed petitions.
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