71°
CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. The Croton Board of Trustees is considering the acquisition of a considerable property on Route 9A. The property, at 1300 Albany Post Road, has sweeping views of the Hudson River and substantial grounds. Some citizens are concerned that the maintenance costs of the property are out of the villages reach.
I do want to leave it as a public place, said homeowner Laurel Gouveia. I think it would be great for the public to get to enjoy it.
The bigger question is, can the public use this house? said Trustee Greg Schmidt. There has to be some goal for this property, otherwise, why do we accept it?
An inspection of the property revealed a number of issues, including some termite damage in the beams, an oil tank which needs to be replaced, drainage issues and an electrical panel which needs to be replaced. The homeowner has agreed to make a number of these repairs.
Other concerns expressed by residents at the village board work session Monday night included reduced tax rolls, and how to make the property useful to the public. The property pays approximately $14,500 in taxes each year to the village.
Its coming off our tax rolls one way or another, said Trustee Ian Murtaugh. Some trustees expressed the belief that the grounds would become a public trust, perhaps manned by another nonprofit organization, regardless of whether the village takes the property or not.
There are a number of residents who raised concerns about the Gouveia property and the house, in many ways those kinds of questions were identical to the Jane E. Lytle Arboretum, and also the property which became the Croton Landing Park property, said Mayor Leo Wiegman. Which at the time were thought to be some future drag on the village."
Gouveia said she would like to live out the rest of her days in her home, saying, My husband and I loved the property so much, and I think were both big on conservation of land.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Cortlandt and receive free news updates.
