Town of Warwick and Open Space Institute partner to preserve 313 acres

WARWICK – Town of Warwick Supervisor Jesse Dwyer and the Open Space Institute (OSI) have announced a partnership to preserve approximately 313 acres surrounding the Warwick Conference Center property.

The protection will expand recreational access across New York and New Jersey through an extensive trail system connecting Warwick Town parks as well as tying into New Jersey’s Wawayanda State Park.

“We are proud to carry on the tradition of protecting open space and preserving the scenic character of Warwick,” Dwyer said. “Working with Open Space Institute, this collaboration will safeguard against overdevelopment for years to come. This initiative ensures that future generations will be able to enjoy and benefit from this beautiful parkland.”

Under an agreement, OSI will purchase a large portion of the Warwick Conference Center land, excluding the land surrounding the conference center buildings, by the end of August this year. The Town of Warwick will buy the land from the OSI for its appraised fair market value of approximately $4 million using a combination of the Town’s community preservation fund and public grant funding. The Town intends to apply for a $3.5 million grant from the NY DEC Open Space Conservation Grant Program.

The property is currently exempt from property taxes through a religious exemption so there will be little to no impact to tax ratables. Located near Wawayanda State Park, among the largest state parks in New Jersey, and the Appalachian Trail, public access will be granted as soon as the sale is complete. The Warwick Conference Center will retain the private retreat center and surrounding land off of Hoyt Road, which will not be open to public access. Warwick, which has protected more than 5,000 acres over the last 25 years, will later establish a Town Preserve on the former Warwick Conference Center property.

“When you walk the beautiful trails on this property, you can tell that it has been part of many memories under the Warwick Conference Center’s care over the years,” said Matt Decker, Land Project Manager, OSI. “OSI is proud to be working with the Town of Warwick to continue that legacy by creating new ways for people to get outside and connect with nature in New York and New Jersey while safeguarding a critical area for wildlife, plants, and clean water. Warwick has been a trailblazer in the use of Community Preservation Funds, which are a powerful tool for municipalities to protect the places that mean the most to them.”