Milton closer to purchasing Boyhaven Another meeting set for May 7
MILTON, N.Y. » The Milton Town Board reconvened Tuesday night in front of a packed house, to continue a meeting that began last Wednesday night.
The purpose was to finish the discussion and come to a vote to determine the future of vacant Camp Boyhaven, located at the northwest end of the town.
Last summer, the Twin Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America made the town of Milton its preferred choice for purchasing the 300-acre Boy Scout camp, which closed in the fall.
Camp Boyhaven is located between Middle Grove Road and Route 29 in Milton, about 10 miles west of Saratoga Springs. Kayaderosseras Creek runs through the mostly forested property, which has a pond, athletic fields, a large dining hall and dozens of smaller buildings. The town is primarily interested in the 50-acre section where scouting activities took place, envisioning recreational opportunities for local residents such as fishing, hiking and crosscountry skiing.
The council had already given the town board an extension to get the closing done. The council gave the town board until last Wednesday evening to vote on a final closing date, which the board failed to do. An anonymous donor, who was giving the town $500,000 to help complete the purchase, pulled his support at the last minute, after repeated attempts by some residents and by the Ballston Journal to uncover the person’s identity, officials said.
Concerned residents and local conservation groups have been
working hard to raise funds necessary to resurrect the deal.
Now, the Twin Rivers Council has voted to give the town one more chance, giving them until May 11 at 1 p.m. to come to the closing table with the $1 million necessary to complete the purchase of the 300acre parcel, the largest undeveloped piece of land in Milton.
Shortly after the meeting re-convened at 7 p.m. Tuesday, the acting town attorney, Craig Peterson requested a five-minute attorney-client session. Thirty minutes later the board and the acting attorney returned to the room and read a resolution stating that the “Town Board authorizes its attorney (or his designee) to close the purchase of the Boyhaven real property despite the single donor’s choice not to contribute to the purchase.”
The resolution went on to say that certain aspects of the transaction would have to be amended to meet the May 11 deadline and the board authorized such changes, “provided the Town receives title to the real property described in the Purchase Contract, and provided the Town does not pay more for the real property than previously authorized,” which is $500,000 plus “necessary expenses for the Town’s due diligence and customary closing costs.”
The resolution also stated that the Town will tale title to the property as “joint tenant or tenant-incommon with another municipal entity or a not-forprofit entity, provided the deal shall provide that the real property shall be used as public park land.”
The board voted unanimously to approve the resolution and Town Supervisor Scott Ostrander made a motion to re-convene a special meeting for May 7 at 7 p.m. The board voted to approval the special meeting, with no explanation of its purpose.
After the meeting was adjourned, Town council member, Barbara Kerr stated that the purpose of the meeting was to finalize arrangements for the remaining funds necessary for the closing. She indicated that the Saratoga Nature Conservancy and Stewart’s Corporation may be willing to enter into the deal with the Town to supply the remaining money and be “joint tenants” or tenants-in-common.”
Approximately $97,000 raised by Woolbright, Saratoga PLAN and Friends of the Kayaderosseras over the past six days will also be included in the final discussions. Woolbright and others continue to raise funds and the final amount raised will be a factor in determining the level of financing other parties will provide.
“Many people worked long hours to make this happen,” said council person Benny Zlotnick.
However, Kerr said she has questions about the exact nature of the “restrictions” that the other partners in the purchase will stipulate. Following the meeting, many residents were unsure about what exactly had happened, and some were concerned that the town board members who are not for the purchase may still try to find a way out of it.
Lifelong resident John Munter said that he was upbeat about the progress that was made at recent meetings and he continued to remain optimistic.