Edna Sussman, Executive Director
David House, Pace Law School

Federated Conservationists of Westchester County Inc.
E House, Pace University School of Law
78 North Broadway
White Plains, New York 1060
Phone: (914) 422-4053
E-mail: FCWC@law.pace.ed
Website: www.FCWC.org

August 200

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. Various studies of and policy statements of Long Island Sound throughout all the years specifically identify Davids Island for preservation to be kept undeveloped for public use. These include studies and statements of New York State DEC, NYS DOS, US EPA, Westchester County, Audubon, Save the Sound, Regional Plan Association and more.  With its many attributes, Davids Island meets virtually all of the county’s open space acquisition guidelines.

2. The acquisition of Davids Island will enhance the natural environment in Westchester County and will yield social and economic benefits. Investments in parkland are as important as investments in any other kind of infrastructure.

3. A major benefit of preserving Davids Island is that it will provide additional parkland for the dense and growing population in the southern part of Westchester County which is currently underserved by existing parkland.

4. Davids Island will provide additional waterfront public access on the Sound which is sorely needed; the existing county parks only provide a total of .8 miles of beach on the entire Long Island Sound shore in Westchester.

5. Davids Island will provide the additional beach and swimming facilities most wanted by county residents in a location already heavily utilized. 

6. Making Davids Island a park will help preserve water quality in Long Island Sound, an estuary of national significance, in the most populated and polluted section of the Sound.

7. Making Davids Island a park will help preserve wildlife in Long Island Sound, which, as an estuary, is host to an extraordinarily rich variety of wildlife.

8. Davids Island is unique because it is an island with an island’s special

attributes.  It offers an opportunity to get away from the “mainland” and feel open space on a grand  and magnificent scale. The scenic vistas afforded from Davids Island are spectacular; visitors can see the region, not just the fields, woods, or path before them.

9. Davids Island is unique because of its historical and cultural  heritage. Davids Island was a US military base for over 100 years and played an important role during the Civil War, both World Wars and in the defense of New York’s harbor. This heritage should be preserved.

10. Providing the parkland and open space required for the population must go on even during difficult economic times, lest desirable parcels be lost forever.  It is adherence to this principle that has enabled the assemblage of our wonderful Westchester park system.

Davids Island: A Crucial Acquisition

 “The quality and character of the lives of the people of New York depend upon the quality and character of the land on which we live.  Our mountains, lakes, rivers, forests and coastlines, our natural landscapes, historic sites and urban parks shape the way we spend our leisure time, affect the long term strength of our economy, determine whether we have clean air and water, support the web of living things of which we are a part, and affect how we think about ourselves and relate to other New Yorkers”

These words, from New York’s Open Space Conservation Plan 2001, aptly summarize the many reasons why we must preserve our special natural resources, our open spaces for ourselves and future generations. Failure to do so would fulfill the dreadful prophecy of Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall in 1988 “(we are) poised on a pinnacle of wealth and power, yet we live in a land of vanishing beauty, of increasing ugliness, of shrinking open space and of an overall environment that is diminished daily by pollution and noise and blight.”

An opportunity presents itself now that Westchester County must exercise. Davids Island, a 78 acre island treasure off the populated coast of New Rochelle across a short stretch of water from Glen Island Park,  is available for sale to the county for parkland. Davids Island will be the “jewel in the crown” of the county’s magnificent parks system. Davids Island  has a potential few parks offer with panoramic views, cultural history, open space, walking trails, waterfront access and more in the heart of western Long Island Sound and Southern Westchester. A failure to purchase Davids Island  for parkland now and end the decades long struggle over the future of the island would be a failure to provide an essential commodity for future generations: a place to enjoy life.

The struggle to preserve Davids Island has been a long one and many have a sense of déjà vu in joining with others yet again to fight for Davids Island. The battle was fought when Con Edison wanted to put two nuclear power plants on the island. The battle was fought when Xanadu’s proposal was being considered to build 50 story apartment buildings, an 800 boat marina, a helipad and a large bridge on the island. The battle was fought when Trump wanted to build luxury mansions on the island. The time has come to end the battle for all time.

 County Executive Spano has announced an agreement with Mayor Idoni of New Rochelle to acquire the island for $6.5 million for parkland. Even in this difficult budget year, all who control the progress of this purchase must understand that open space acquisitions must go on and that Davids Island must be acquired; once developed our few existing open space parcels in Westchester will be gone forever.

The facts supporting the acquisition of Davids Island are compelling:

1. Studies of Long Island Sound and policy statements on open space acquisition  all set forth recommendations and criteria that support the acquisition of Davids Island so as to ensure that it remain undeveloped and preserved for public use.

·        NYS Priority Property -The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Open Space Plan, following an exhaustive review process, listed Davids Island as a priority for acquisition in its Plan for Conserving Open Space in New York State Draft  2001. The plan says “Located in the City of New Rochelle, this 120 acre island property ( 77.8 above water) on the Long Island Sound is characterized by a shoreline of tidal wetlands… Acquisition would protect the island from the threat of development, provide a unique recreational opportunity, enhance the quality of the Long Island Sound and provide an exceptional piece of open space in a densely populated portion of Westchester County.” At p. 305.

·        LIS CMP recommends public use - The Long Island Sound Coastal Management Program (LIS CMP) first released by the New York State Department of State in 1994 and revised in 1999 specifically recommends that Davids Island be retained for public use “that takes advantage of the island’s historic, natural and scenic setting .

·        LIS Study urges conservation- The Long Island Sound Study Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (LIS Study) prepared by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation  and the  Connecticut  Department of Environmental Conservation released in 1994 urges that “conservation of natural resources and open space is vital to the long-term protection of Long Island Sound and must be aggressively pursued.” .” The LIS Study notes the publication of the LIS CMP and states that it is consistent with its own findings and should be adopted, thus endorsing the retention of Davids Island for public use.

·        The Regional Plan Association’s Third Regional Plan for New York-A Region At Risk- published in 1996 (RPA Plan) specifically endorsed the LIS CMP , thus endorsing the preservation of Davids Island for public use. It identified Long Island Sound as a critical region-shaping open space where public recreation and natural resource management should be paramount public policy goals

·        Listen to the Sound Report- The Listen to the Sound Report of 2000, an effort by National Audubon Society, Save the Sound, and the Regional Plan Association to create a comprehensive citizen’s agenda for Long Island Sound, represents the voice of the citizens of the region.  Research was conducted via a series of public hearings, and Davids Island was cited as a critical key parcel for acquisition and protection.

·        Consistent with Patterns - Patterns for Westchester, released in 1996 by the Westchester County Planning Board, includes in its statement of Policies for 2000 and Beyond:

§         preserving the county’s natural resources and environment,

§         improving public access to parks

§         providing a variety of settings for passive enjoyment

§         taking into account the need for recreation close to population centers,

§         enhancing the quality of life by protecting the county’s historical and cultural resources

·        Consistent with Open Space Policies -Westchester County’s Open Space Policies released in 1999 states that the County should give high priority to open space elemen ts that:

§         protect unique environmental resources,

§         provide space for active and passive recreation and

§         protect scenic views and provide public access to the waterfront.

The policy statement further specifically states that priority will be given

 to:

• properties located on Long Island Sound that offer potential public access, waterfront recreation or scenic vistas;
• properties that are close to concentrations of population and
• properties that may lose their historic significance and character if not protected.

2. Acquisition of Davids Island will enhance the natural environment in Westchester County and will yield social and economic benefits. Westchester County’s park system and access to natural resources is public capital that is essential to the quality of life of Westchester’s residents and is an important factor in the valuation of the County’s real estate and in its attraction to businesses. 

·        Parkland Essential Infrastructure - Viewing parkland acquisition as a discretionary luxury ignores the fact that parkland is a critical contributor to the bottom line. Investment in parkland is as important to the economic and social vitality of a region as investments in other types of infrastructure such as roads, sewers, utilities and other infrastructure elements. Parkland enhances property values, increases the attraction of the area to businesses and visitors, increases environmental benefits, provides vistas, and the social capital rejuvenates the populace.  See Parks and Economic Development; American Planning Association Planning, Advisory Service Report Number 502, November 2001 (APA Report).

·        Parkland increases values- That property values increase due to the availability of parkland has been demonstrated in study after study. In an early and seminal work on this point, Olmsted verified that increased taxes resulting from the enhancement of real property value attributable to Central Park more than paid for the acquisition and construction of the park. This finding was echoed in the analysis of the impact of the parkland acquisitions in Westchester. As reported in the People and the Parks report published by the County in 1980, in 1922 the total assessed valuation of all taxable property in the county was $733,000,000. In five years it jumped to $1,318,000,000 following the expenditure of $47,000,000 for parkland acquisition. While other factors were at work, the bulk of the increase in property values was attributed to increased valuations resulting from the development of the park system. This principle of increased values as a consequence of parkland acquisition continues and has been proven again and again. (See APA Report.)

·        Parkland essential to Quality of Life - Westchester competes with other suburbs in the New York metropolitan area for relocating and start up businesses. Quality of life is one of the most important factors listed by business leaders in their selection of business location. “No matter how quality of life is defined, park and recreational opportunities are likely to be a major component of it.”  APA Report  at 53. Thus,  providing adequate parkland is essential to attracting investment and businesses to this county.

·        Government Obligation to Provide Open Space - In this increasingly landless society it is the obligation of government to provide common public land for the people. As stated in the Open Space Program for Westchester County in 1965 “An integral part of governmental responsibility is the establishment and operation of lands, facilities and programs to serve the active and passive recreational and cultural needs of the people residing in the jurisdiction.”

·        Open Space and Public Places a Recognized Benefit – In recognition of the fact that communities cannot thrive without adequate access to nature and public open spaces, cities, towns and villages throughout the country have embarked in recent years on programs to “green” their environments and add to and improve public open spaces. Westchester has been part of this “greening” movement with the county’s Open Space initiative and with twelve municipalities passing legislative initiatives to provide as aggregate of  over $30 million for open space acquisition. As summed up by the mayor of Bogota, Enrique Penalosa at the Urban Parks Institute conference last year, “the importance of pedestrian public spaces cannot be measured.  We cannot prove mathematically that wider sidewalks, pedestrian streets, more or better parks make people happier, much less measure how much happier.  However if we reflect, most things that are important in life cannot be measured either: Friendship, beauty, Love and loyalty are examples.  Parks and other pedestrian places are essential to a city’s happiness.” 

·        Smart growth in Down county critical to quality of life - “Smart growth” is essential if our quality of life in Westchester is to be preserved and the environment and the watershed lands protected. An integral element of smart growth in Westchester is the redevelopment of already developed areas, especially those in the southern part of the county: brownfields need to be resurrected, abandoned properties rebuilt and underutilized properties developed to reach their potential. Thus attracting redevelopment in these densely populated areas is a must and depends heavily on the quality of life offered in those communities. Parks and recreational opportunities are an essential element in making those areas attractive to investors and potential residents.

·        LIS generates significant  revenues -A healthy Long Island Sound with opportunities for recreation generates enormous revenues. Studies show that Long Island Sound generates over $5 billion a year to the regional economy through boating, tourism, fishing, swimming and beach-going. See LIS CMP at p. 34.  Only if we take care to protect the Sound and improve its water quality and create additional public access and opportunities for recreation will these economic benefits continue and increase.

3. One of the benefits of preserving Davids Island is that it would provide additional parkland for a large and underserved  population. Davids Island is in Southern Westchester, the most densely populated area of the county with limited open space or opportunity to enjoy nature. Davids Island would provide extraordinary opportunities for recreation and a true “getaway” for the hundreds of thousands of people who live in the area.

·        A growing population needs more parkland -As the population has grown, the amount of parkland needed to service the population has increased thus necessitating additional acquisitions. There is simply not enough parkland in the southern part of the county to service the people adequately. Moreover the 2000 census data shows that the population in the urban areas in the southern part of the county is continuing to grow thus requiring more parkland.

·        Level of service guideline not met - The traditional standard for parkland “level of service” is 10 acres of parkland per 1000 residents. This is not met for the residents of the populated communities in the southern part of the county. New Rochelle has 7.0 acres per thousand residents, Mount Vernon has 2.6 acres per thousand residents, Yonkers has 6.5 acres per thousand residents, Larchmont has 7.2 acres per thousand residents, Pelham Manor has 2.3 acres per thousand residents, and Pelham has no parkland at all. By comparison New York City has 7.2 acres of parkland per thousand people. 

·        Users go to parks near home –The Residents Recreation Preferences Survey conducted by the County Planning Department in 1996 (Parks Survey) found that residents are generally more likely to visit parks in the geographic area in which they live; therefore additional parks are needed in their own communities or immediately nearby.

·        Acquiring parkland where populated a priority -In recognition of these demographic and geographic facts, one of the top priorities in parkland acquisition since the creation of the Westchester parks system has been the purchase of  “parks and parkways for the more thickly populated sections in the southerly portion of the county.” This principle was reiterated in the Parks and Open Space Policy issued in 1976 (“priority to properties in the more densely populated municipalities of the county”) and again in the Open Space Policies issued in 1999 ( “priority to properties close to concentrations of population”).

4. Davids Island would provide greatly desired waterfront public access. There is little access to the Sound in Westchester;  Davids Island presents a unique opportunity for increasing access to the Long Island Sound shore line.

·        Limited access today- Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary and Marshlands are both appropriately limited use nature reserve facilities with very limited capacity. Only Glen Island Park offers County residents park land access to the Sound and only Read and the beach at Playland offer access to the open Sound itself and not interior bays or harbors. The county beaches on the Sound only provide 0.2 miles of beach at Glen Island and  0.6 miles of beach at Playland, a woefully inadequate amount.. On the Hudson side of the county, residents of Westchester enjoy George's Island Park, Kingsland Point Park and, of course, Croton Point Park, each of which give them ready access to the broad sweep of the Hudson estuary. 

·        Little land left - Approximately 10% of the Sound’s shoreline remains undeveloped, and these lands are under tremendous growth pressure. Davids Island, provides an opportunity for significant shore line accessibility and should  be county parkland accessible to all county residents.

·        Access will foster stewardship - Access to the Sound is important not only to recreational use but to generate the interest in and appreciation of Long Island Sound necessary to inspire people to become active stewards of the Sound. It will take new behavior by millions of people to restore and protect the Sound, behavior this county is currently attempting to encourage through a massive education effort.  As said in the RPA Plan “Why should any of these people care if they cannot get down to the water they are being asked to protect? ”

·        The LIS Study - The Long Island Sound Study urges that public access improvements be “aggressively pursued” to “provide the public with greater opportunities for use and enjoyment, especially since the Sound’s water quality improvements require substantial public costs. Promoting physical and visual access to the coast increases the use, value and appreciation of the Sound.”

5. Davids Island it will provide the beach and swimming facilities most wanted by county residents in a location already heavily utilized. 

·        Well used park - Glen Island Park, which lies directly across a short stretch of water from Davids Island, has historically been and continues to be one of the most utilized parks with over 130,000 visitors in 2001. As found in the Parks survey, after Playland, Glen Island was the most familiar and most regularly visited facility for south county residents. Davids Island will provide another recreational opportunity in that popular area.

·        More beaches and swimming needed -The Parks Survey reveals some additional relevant and compelling facts. After the Playland amusement park, the attraction that has been and continues to be the most attractive county facility to county residents is beaches. 43% of survey respondents wanted more beach facilities; the number one priority among the south county survey respondents was increased swimming facilities.

·        Magnet park -While residents are generally more likely to visit parks in the geographic area in which they live, there are a few exceptional facilities identified in the Parks Survey which are magnets for visitors from throughout the county. This short list of facilities includes Glen Island.  Of the close to 70 parks and preserves managed by the county, Glen Island ranked 14^th among north county residents in familiarity and frequency of visits. Davids Island should be an even stronger draw for all, including north county residents, because of the unique nature of an island park on the Sound. It can be viewed as the Ward Pound Ridge of the South.

6. Making Davids Island a park will help preserve water quality in Long Island Sound. If Davids Island were developed, sewage and nonpoint source pollution in the Western Sound would increase and could have devastating results on water quality. Long Island Sound is already significantly impaired and concerted action, including land acquisition, continues to be necessary to restore and protect it. Davids Island lies in the heart of Western Long Island Sound; that water body’s most populated and most stressed region should be protected

·        LIS a stressed estuary -Long Island Sound has been described as an “urban sea” under siege. Tom Andersen, in his book This Fine Piece of Water, an Environmental History of Long Island Sound, describes the result of years of pollution as “an ecological crisis that threatens to turn it into a dead sea”.  One in ten Americans live within fifty miles of  Long Island Sound  making it one of the most stressed estuaries in the nation. Increasing population and development along its shores have degraded the Sound and continue to threaten its recovery.

·        LIS pollution problems- In the mid-80’s the EPA and the states of Connecticut and New York initiated the Long Island Sound Study to analyze and correct the results of the decades of neglect. This effort resulted in the clean up plan known as the Long Island Sound Study, Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan 1994 (“CCMP”). The study identified six problems that required special attention: (1) hypoxia ( low dissolved oxygen); (2) toxic contamination; (3) pathogen contamination; (4) floating debris; (5) the impact of these problems on the health of living resources, and (6) the impact of land use and development on habitat and water quality. While progress has been made, there is a great deal more that needs to be done to restore the Sound’s water quality.

·        Beach closings - Water quality monitoring in Rye, Mamaroneck, and New Rochelle harbors demonstrate problems in all their harbors with frequent beach closings due to pollution. Frequent beach closings demonstrate a need to take additional steps to clean the Sound. It should be noted that beaches on Davids Island will be much less subject to closure because they will be on the open Sound and have better tidal flushing.

·        Hypoxia (caused by excessive nitrogen from treated sewage and polluted runoff fueling the growth of algae which decays and uses up the oxygen dissolved in the water )  is a significant indicator of water quality degradation. Water with low dissolved oxygen cannot support life, such as fish or shell fish. Hypoxia continues to be a significant problem in the Sound.

·        Preservation key to cleaning the Sound - Preserving Long Island Sound by expanding protected areas, upgrading sewage treatment facilities, repairing problems on sewer lines, restoring wetlands and educating the public on what they can do to protect water quality in the Sound has been a high priority. Permanently preserving Davids Island as parkland would be a very important step to ensuring a cleaner Sound.

7. Making Davids Island a park will help preserve wildlife in Long Island Sound. Long Island Sound is an estuary with an enormous array of wildlife. The destruction of much of the tidal wetlands and other types of habitat essential to wildlife through prior development necessitates preservation of what is left. The preservation of Davids Island with its 120 acres, some 50 acres below the high tide line, is important to the preservation of the Sound’s diverse wildlife.

• Estuary rich in wildlife - Long Island Sound is an immensely important natural resource with over 16,000 square miles of land feeding into it. It is an estuary, a partially enclosed body of water where saltwater and fresh water meet. Estuaries provide breeding and nursing grounds for marine animals and birds and are among the richest and most productive natural systems on earth.  Long Island Sound is a place of great biological wealth with a rich array of wildlife sustained by the freshwater meeting seawater and the rush of the tides. Long Island Sound has over 2,491 species in its ecosystem. It one of the first estuaries to be designated as an Estuary of National Significance and is eligible for federal funding to help in its restoration.

• Wetland preservation - Wildlife in the estuary depends on habitat; tidal wetlands are a critical part of the estuary habitat. In New York almost two-thirds of the Long Island Sound  wetlands have been lost in the last century. Saving Davids Island and its 78 acres in this most highly stressed area of the Sound would ensure the preservation of the tidal wetlands on the island and afford permanent habitat for wildlife.
• Waterfowl flyway -Davids Island lies immediately adjacent to Huckleberry Island, an important nesting habitat for waterfowl, and along an important waterfowl flyway identified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service connecting Jamaica Bay and Pelham Bay Park to Westchester County’s Marshland Conservancy and Edith Read Preserve. ( Huckleberry Island was identified as an Important Bird Area by National Audubon Society due to its colonial water bird colony.) Development on Davids Island would interfere with this flyway.
• LIS CMP -The Department of State Coastal Management Program recommends that tidal wetlands be protected and restored, that sustainable populations of wildlife be maintained, indigenous species established, and impairments to coastal access prevented. Preserving Davids Island will advance these objectives.
• LIS Stewardship- The LIS Study and the CCMP recommends the creation of a Long Island Sound Reserve System of land and water of outstanding or exemplary scientific, educational or biological value as an important element in the management and conservation of living resources and their habitat in the Sound.  Davids  Island could be a keystone in that effort now being formulated as the Long Island Sound Stewardship System.

8. Davids Island is unique because it is an island with an island’s special attributes. Davids Island will be an exceptional tract of protected open space enabling the population to enjoy the special joys of an island. 

·        An Island is unique - Davids Island is an island – surrounded by water – and that alone makes it unique. An island provides the special chance to actually get away from the “mainland”. It is quieter, slower, and offers unmatched opportunities for seeing and feeling open space on a grand and spectacular scale.

·      Scenic vistas -The scenic vistas afforded from Davids Island are unique.  As an island, its horizons are larger, its sky is bigger; from it you can see New York City’s skyline, Westchester, Long Island, Connecticut and the grand bridges – the Whitestone, Triborough and the Throgs Neck. From Davids Island visitors can see the entire region, not just the fields, woods, or path before them and better understand this area’s interrelationship with the bodies of water that surround it.

·      Island’s long shoreline -  As an island surrounded by water on all sides, Davids Island’s acreage provides more that twice as much  shore line as a mainland parcel of similar size.

9. Davids Island is also unique  because of its historical and cultural  heritage. Davids Island was a US military base for over 100 years and served important functions during the Civil War, both World Wars and in the defense of  New York’s harbor. This heritage should be preserved.

·      Lengthy history a survey of our nation- The history of Davids Island is part of the history of America. It was a settlement of the Siwanoy Indians, its series of sales to the English and the Dutch, the Huguenots and to a series of notable New Rochelle families presaged its acquisition by the US government for an army base in 1862. The island served many military functions for the next hundred years including, housing a general hospital during the Civil War, the establishment of a Coast Defense Post in 1870, including the installation of three 15 inch Rodman Guns, serving as the busiest  army recruiting station in the east during WWI,  home to the 18^th Regiment, serving as an overseas staging area during WWII, a training center, a rehabilitation center for soldiers, air force headquarters, a Nike missile site, a Chaplains school, an animal quarantine facility  and many other functions. For a general history see Davids Island by Barbara Davis, The Westchester Historian Volume 66, Number 1, Winter 1990.

·      Educational Value – There is enormous educational and social value in being connected to our nation’s history as it makes us all appreciate the links between the present the past and the future. The long thread of American history right here on Davids Island would make an ideal venue for teaching about the history of this country.

·      Connection with New Rochelle -Throughout the years, the island had a close relationship with New Rochelle; frequent ferry rides were available to transport people back and forth from the island and the New Rochelleans were gracious hosts to the young men stationed at what had in 1896 become Fort Slocum.

·      Our American heritage- This wonderful piece of Americana, this military heritage of over 100 years duration and its close relationship to the mainland communities should be preserved through acquisition, preservation and appropriate restoration of Davids Island.

10. Providing the parkland and open space required for the population must go on even during difficult economic times, lest desirable parcels be lost forever.  It is adherence to this principle that has enabled the assemblage of our wonderful Westchester park system. This system was based in large part on the advice of Thomas Adams, a British planner brought here in  1922 to advise the County on the establishment of its park system. In  remarks particularly apt today, Adams said:  “there are two things we should do when money is scarce. One is to plan for our future guidance and the other to buy the land we need for future development on the basis of the plan. The things that should be suspended are the great constructive schemes which involve large sums of money and can be postponed until there is a surplus.” Adams advice served as the underpinning of our county parks system and needs to be heeded in considering the acquisition of Davids Island: Buy Davids Island now, and then plan its redevelopment as a public park and implement that plan as and when appropriate.

·        Must buy when available- Similarly the first New York State Open Space Plan issued in 1992 recognized the difficult fiscal times at hand but found that “while open space conservation must be fiscally prudent, they must go on in good times and bad because once developed forest, fields, lakeshores and seashores will seldom if ever be open land again.” It is the adherence to these sound principles that has created the open space systems we have in this state and in this county.

·        Open Space needed -A failure to seize this opportunity to acquire Davids Island which meets so many of the objective criteria for new parkland would be a real failure on the part of County government to provide open space and to make this unique facility available for public enjoyment.

·        May not be available in the future - Davids Island is available now and may not be available in the future. Previous attempts have been made over the years to buy the island from New Rochelle have been rejected: in the 70’s the federal government tried to buy it, in 1994 O’Rourke tried to buy it for the county and County Executive Andy Spano has been trying for years to accomplish this acquisition before the recent acceptance of his offer by Mayor Idoni.  This willing seller today may not be willing tomorrow. New Rochelle , under a different administration and in different economic times may not be willing to forego the possibility of revenue producing uses of the island through development, as it has not been in the past.  The county must take advantage of the current availability of the island. There are simply no other islands of the size or interest of Davids Island that may be available for acquisition. It is this island or none at all.

·        May cost more in the future - Even if Davids Island were available in the future, it is almost inevitable that the price will be higher in the future as property values continue to increase year to year.

·        Purchase price in context -While $6.5 million may seem like a lot of money, one must look at that price in context.  Compare it to the cost of many of the homes in Westchester County. Compare it to the value of children laughing and playing on the beach, of water quality preserved, of wildlife protected. Moreover the value of Davids Island in the hands of the county will continue to increase as time goes on.

·        Bonded purchase price -Davids Island will be bonded and so the $6.5 million purchase price will not have to be paid in a lump sum in one year. The price will be amortized over a twenty year period. Current projections for new bonds issued by the county project a low 4% interest rate for this new bond. 

·        Delay risks loss of the island - The necessity for purchases even in difficult times was enunciated in a nutshell by Thomas Adams, the Westchester County Parks adviser in 1922: “ This may be a time when taxes are so high, when conditions are so difficult that you would say: ‘well we believe in that park system but for the moment we intend to go slow until we see how things pick up and how conditions improve’[this] raises the question: Are you satisfied that …it is not going to cost you so much in the future, that when the time comes when you have money to invest in the land it will not be too costly to obtain? If you wait a few years much of the land you need may be destroyed for parks purposes … and some of the beauty spots you now think you should preserve will have gone forever.” Those same risks exist today and require that Davids Island be purchased without delay.