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The Shawangunk Ridge is far more than a regional gem; it's a national treasure.
Wedged between the Hudson Highlands and the Catskill Mountains, "The 'Gunks" have become a haven for rock climbers, mountain bikers and hikers from the Northeast — and beyond. The 50-mile ridge, with its signature white cliffs, was created by glaciers hundreds of millions of years ago.
It's blessed with sky lakes and streams, waterfalls and ravines. The environmental group The Nature Conservancy has deemed the ridge one of the "75 Last Great Places on Earth."
But that lofty title would no longer ring true if developers have their way. Every legal means necessary — from court fights to better zoning laws — must be used to protect the ridge. An informal Poughkeepsie Journal survey shows readers put a high premium on preserving this pristine area.
Some localities, the governmental guardians of the ridge, are starting to get the message. One developer wants to build hundreds of homes in the Shawangunks, in an area adjacent to and visible from Minnewaska State Park Preserve, which features a number of old carriageways that now serve as biking and hiking trails.
Under the misguided name "Awosting Reserve," landowner John Atwater Bradley wants to carve up the 'Gunks. Awosting Reserve is on about 2,600 acres of land, mostly in the Town of Gardiner.
"Building hundreds of houses on this very steep and sensitive section of the ridge would be an environmental disaster," Gardiner resident Mike Kruglinski said, echoing the sentiments of the great majority of survey respondents.
Irreparable harm
At one point, Bradley put forth a plan to create 349 pricey cabins and a small village center that would feature a fitness center, swimming pool and restaurant — even a 296-acre golf course. Plastering the ridge with cabins and other structures would forever change one of the most breathtaking areas in the Hudson Valley. But Bradley's plan would do far more harm than mess up views from the state park, which shares a five-mile border with the Awosting property.
Hundreds of acres would have to give way to homes and new roads, some located in the highest reaches of the ridge, thereby breaking large tracts of land that nurture wildlife and protect watersheds that provide fresh drinking water for neighboring communities. Unbroken forests are essential for hundreds of species of wildlife, including bear and gray foxes that have made homes in the ridge, along with peregrine falcons that have nested in recent years on the cliffs.
Minnewaska State Park and the neighboring Mohonk Preserve comprise a conservation area of about 24,000 acres. They provide people with a respite from sprawl without having to travel deep into the Catskills or venturing up to the Adirondack Park or Vermont. In stark contrast to these recreational meccas, Awosting Reserve would be a gated community.
Bradley's project has galvanized opposition in a number of ways. Red-and-white "Save the Ridge" signs can be seen on yards throughout Ulster County and beyond. A "Save the Ridge" group has created a Web site to keep the public informed about threats to the Shawangunks; its members vigilantly attend local board meetings when Awosting Reserve and zoning matters have been on the agenda.
Residents come to rescue
These efforts are crucial. In fact, about 25 years ago, residents successfully fought a hotel chain's plan to build a hotel and 300 condominiums on land the state later had the good sense to convert into Minnewaska State Park.
The current fight has manifested itself in other ways. Gardiner Democrats Carl Zatz, Nadine Lemmon and Matt Bialecki were swept into office in November 2003, vowing to update the town's zoning laws.
Many residents realize Bradley's project is far from the only threat to the ridge — or Gardiner. Census figures show the town's population grew by 22 percent through the 1990s to 5,238 people, and there has been no letup in second-home buyers moving into the area. The resiliency of the real estate market, fueled by low-interest rates, has made once-rural places like Gardiner prime areas for new homes.
"We have taken for granted that the ridge is protected," Bialecki said. "It is not." In fact, the majority of the ridge is in private hands with no conservation agreements in place. The ridgeline is far better protected as it stretches south and forms the Kittatinny Mountains in New Jersey. Eventually, that same ridgeline becomes part of the Appalachian Mountains.
So far, Gardiner has stalled Bradley's efforts to mar the ridge. Last year, it ruled that a proposed sewage treatment plant, an important component of the project, would not be permitted under the town's zoning laws.
The town subsequently launched a building moratorium, then got down to the business of clarifying its master plan and is still in the process of toughening its zoning laws.
That last part is key.
For example, in 1992, the town's master plan identified ridge protection as a priority, but it was never written into the zoning code. The town is determined not to repeat that mistake. So far, the town's proposed zoning changes show much promise — and flexibility. Gardiner wants to strengthen its hamlet areas by clustering more developments and getting a better mix of housing, including more affordable places for young families and seniors. But it also wants to create a three-tier system under which development would get more restrictive in the higher elevations of town. Such a plan would protect views and help stop clear-cutting methods that ruin forests.
Courts playing a major role
Some property owners believe the changes go too far, and Bradley himself is certainly not deterred. He and some other landowners have filed two lawsuits against Gardiner. One asserts the town erred in rejecting the central sewage system for the development, another challenges the town's new master plan. Essentially, Bradley accuses the town of unfairly limiting his property rights. So far, one judge has agreed Gardiner's zoning laws were trumped by different interpretations in health and state codes about the sewage system. The town hopes to remedy that by allowing central sewer systems while simultaneously reducing the number of lots that can be built in given areas.
The legal battles will likely continue long after the town approves the zoning changes. Bradley, a partner in a Manhattan consulting firm, has deep pockets to fight for what he wants. He accumulated the Shawangunk land in pieces over the last three decades.
Even with better zoning laws, Gardiner would not have the financial resources to give a thorough environmental review to Bradley's project. In most cases, the state Department of Environmental Conservation is the best agency for that task. It has the broad power and resources to investigate not just the local, but regional effects of big projects. It must do so with vigor if Bradley's proposal ever gets that far along the review process.
The Nature Conservancy and the Open Space Institute, which have bought thousands of acres on the ridge, have each tried for years to purchase Bradley's land without success. That is regrettable, but it's Bradley's right to hold on to his property. How he develops it is another matter. Government leaders have a duty to look at the bigger picture and do everything they can to protect the ridge. Gardiner officials are close to shoring up the first line of what has to be an unrelenting defense.
