The Greenburgh Nature Center is an asset to the community and will continue to serve our community
I have received many e mails and phone calls from residents of the town today worried about the long-term future of the Greenburgh Nature Center. I would like to reassure you that there is no possibility that the nature center will close, or that its property will be used for other purposes. The property is parkland and can never be developed.
The Town Board, with the help of the town attorney, is drafting a counteroffer for a 25-year lease which will be forwarded to the Board of the Nature Center after Tuesday’swork session. We are dealing with a 25-year contract and have a responsibility to do our due diligence regarding the terms and financial obligations. Over a year ago the members of the Town Board offered to extend the lease to the Greenburgh Nature Center for twenty-five years –enabling the center to continue to use the land. Because we did not reach an agreement on the annual payments that would be required to be made for 25 years Board members suggested that we could sign the 25 year extension now and work out the annual payments that would be made to the Nature Center in a subsequent agreement. The Town Board continues to fund parts of the Nature Center budget and continues to maintain the property. In recent years we have also appropriated funds for capital projects at the Nature Center. Funding will be included in the 2025 budget for the Nature Center.
The Nature Center is a great asset to our community. I’m optimistic that we will work things out with the Board of the Nature Center and will keep the community informed after the Board meets on Tuesday.
Paul Feiner
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
