Data shows that from 1996-2021, the Hudson Valley region lost a net total of 146,763 people to out migration, which calculates out to 5% of the Hudson Valley’s population.
Elected officials, seeking to appease vocal constituents, frequently uphold restrictive zoning laws that favor single-family residences over more diverse housing options.
In 2023, the Rockland County Office of Consumer Protection investigated 617 complaints and returned $66,000 to homeowners.
SLOATSBURG—Tucked into the northern reaches of Rockland County, a 120-acre wooded and lakeside development parcel in the private gated community of Pierson Lakes is being offered for sale for $10.5 million.
The owner, Byron-Hill Homebuilders, is marketing the entire parcel to a single buyer or luxury home developer. The property, which has been in the Pierson-Mapes family for 200 years, includes 24 fully approved, five-acre custom home sites for an average purchase price per lot of $437,500. To maintain the pristine character of Pierson Lakes, the hilltop sites have environmental restrictions that stipulate the number of trees that may be cleared and prevent the land from being further subdivided, according to an announcement by broker Rand Commercial.
Pierson Lakes, which was first launched by the Ramapo Land Co. in 1989, is a private gated community with both a manned gatehouse and roving security as well as a boathouse, community docks, a boat launch and a sandy beach. Nearby amenities include the Spook Rock Golf Course. The entrepreneur Michael Bruno, who founded the online marketplace 1st Dibs, has purchased several properties in Sloatsburg and Tuxedo Park, with the goal of turning this area into a destination recreational area.
“These lots would sell for $1.2 million to $1.4 million in Westchester County, just 20 minutes across the Hudson River via the Mario Cuomo Bridge,” said Paul Adler, Chief Strategy Officer at Rand Commercial, the exclusive Broker for this site.
“This is an incredible opportunity for a developer to come in and complete the project,” added Samuel J. Adler, a Real Estate Salesperson with Rand Commercial. “The home sites are beautifully laid out, and the road is built with buried electrical lines in place. The sites are literally shovel ready. There is no other shovel-ready property in Rockland or Westchester County.” He noted the buyer could also choose to turn the 120 acres into an Adirondack-style family compound with just a handful of homes.
When completed, the 1,000-acre Pierson Lakes development is slated to have a total of 74 homes, 25 of which have been built as part of Phase 1. All 24 home sites in this Phase 2 overlook the 103-acre Cranberry Lake and some also have mountaintop views of the 92.5-acre Potake Lake. Four-season recreational activities include swimming, fishing, hiking and biking, horseback riding, skating, and cross-country skiing. Electric boats up to 20 feet long are allowed on the lakes. There are an additional 25 lots that are approved and shovel ready but still need some infrastructure improvements.
The property, which ranges in altitude from 300 feet to 1,000 feet above sea level, is located, just five minutes from the New York Thruway (I-87) and with easy access to I-287, Route 17, the Garden State Parkway and the Palisades Parkway. Three train stations are also nearby, and the well-regarded gated community of Tuxedo Park is just seven miles away.
The land is also surrounded by permanently protected state parks, including the 22,000-acre Sterling Forest and the 47,500-acre Harriman State Park, and adjacent land conservancies. Meandering hiking and biking trails go through the community, some of which lead to the bordering 4,444-acre Ringwood State Park in New Jersey.
In 2023, the Rockland County Office of Consumer Protection investigated 617 complaints and returned $66,000 to homeowners.
The program offered the latest home sales data and trends for Rockland County, updates on the NAR Commission settlement, and perspectives on topical business and political issues.
Rockland County designated $13.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the initiative, which the county intends to commit by the end of this year.
There are six separate lotteries which will be conducted simultaneously and will result in six separate lists.
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