Coalition pleads for Point Mountain park

By TOM KANE

HANCOCK, NY — Will Point Mountain go the way of residential development?

A coalition of local and national open space preservation groups hope that the significant landmass at the headwaters of the Upper Delaware River will be preserved for the future.

At the monthly meeting of the Village of Hancock Board on January 10, Barbara Yeaman of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy made the arguments for preserving Point Mountain as a park.

Recently, the 78-acre section of Point Mountain—where the East Branch and the West Branch converge to form the Delaware River—was put up for sale. This caused The Coalition for Point Mountain Park to be established.

Because Yeaman had been active in attempts to preserve the mountain as open space five years ago, she was chosen by the coalition to make the case for preservation.

“No foundation or grant source will fund us if the locality does not support the idea of a park,” Yeamen said. “Therefore, I am here to speak for the coalition to seek your support.”

Yeaman added that the Upper Delaware Council, an organization of river towns, would not go against the wishes of the town and village.

“It is imperative that we purchase the site now if we want a park since the price will probably double in a short while,” Yeaman said. “We should take title and then seek funding to make it happen.”

Yeaman spoke of the unique historic and cultural nature of the land. The Leni Lenape consider the site as sacred land, she said.

Hancock businessman Jim Rotzler, who serves as the village’s code enforcement officer, expressed objections to the land becoming a park.

“This action would remove the land from the tax roles,” Rotzler said. “At a time when the village and town are experiencing great losses with the moving of several businesses out of the area, we should not be taking any property off the tax roles.”

Other concerns included the need to widen and maintain the access road to the site, which would fall to the village.

Other residents did not agree.

“We strongly support the idea and would help the efforts of the coalition by providing some minimal cash and would help maintain the site,” said Jim Serio of the Delaware Foundation, a local environmental group.

The possible residential development of the property was discussed. In 1984, when Bob Lander, Sr. owned the property, the state opposed building homes on the site due to barium levels that were in excess of New York Department of Conservation’s regulations on groundwater quality.

“The levels are now acceptable and building would be allowed. It would be best to the town if the land was developed,” Rotzler said.

Board officials said the village would meet with the Town of Hancock to see what their position is and get back to the coalition.

Coalition members include The National Council of the Lenape tribe, the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, The Open Space Institute, Trout Unlimited, The Norcross Wildlife Foundation and the Hancock Permaculture Center.