https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Saratoga-PLAN-Friends-of-Kayaderosseras-join-12873319.php
Saratoga PLAN, Friends of Kayaderosseras join efforts to save Boyhaven
Town and nonprofits raise $75,000 of $500,000 needed
Published 5:07 pm, Sunday, April 29, 2018
MILTON - Two organizations that work to conserve and protect Saratoga County's natural resources have joined efforts by the town to preserve Camp Boyhaven as a passive park.
In just a few hours on Saturday, Larry Woolbright, chairman of the town's Planning Board, and the nonprofits raised $23,450 in pledged donations. The two nonprofits are Saratoga PLAN (Preserving Land and Nature), and Friends of the Kayaderosseras. Woolbright said the group's efforts took in another $50,000 on Sunday afternoon.
"I am overwhelmed," said Woolbright who is the chair of the town's Planning Board. "It's amazing. The amount of support from individual citizens to fill the gap in funding is wonderful."
Maria Trabka, the executive director of Saratoga PLAN, said that $75,000 is good work for a few hours. However, the trio would like to reach its $500,000 goal by Tuesday. That is when the Town Board will meet to discuss and possibly vote on its future involvement in Boyhaven. Trabka said the groups are also taking pledges on loans.
"It's a short time frame, but we really want to make it happen," Trabka said. "It's such an important piece of property."
The 300-acre camp on Middle Grove Road and Route 29 features trails, a lake and cabins, with the Kayaderosseras Creek running through it. Owned by the Twin Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the town was planning to buy it in a $1 million deal.
The town had the finances worked out: $500,000 was bonded and in the bank and another $500,000 was coming from an anonymous donor.
However, that plan dissolved at the town board meeting when Woolbright announced that the donor dropped out of plans to assist in the purchase of Boyhaven.
The donor pulled out of the deal because the The Ballston Journal and developer Frank Rossi Jr. were calling for the person to reveal his identity, and even implied that the donation might be tied to earnings gained through nefarious means.
"What happens if we discover the money was dirty?" Rossi said. "Nobody knows who he is."
Rossi was echoing The Ballston Journal's Publisher Angela McFarlane, who in a Facebook editorial, mused, "How do we know he's not a money launderer?"
Those comments prompted the donor to withdraw. Woolbright said he's certain the donor will not change his mind.
That led the Boys Scout Council to toss its plan to sell to Milton. On Friday, the Council announced it was going to put the property back out to bid. In addition to the loss of the donor, the Council's Board said it was frustrated by the Town's continual delays in committing to a closing date.
"Our staff and volunteers have dedicated a significant amount of time and effort in trying to make the sale a reality. However, recent developments and consistent delays have frustrated the process to the point that we no longer believe a sale to the town is practical, and we can no longer continue to incur the time and expense of waiting, with no end in sight," the scouts' executive board said on Friday.
The fear that the property could go to developers mobilized the community and the nonprofits.
"I sent out emails to a few supporters and asked them to send it to others they knew," Woolbright said. "We will see if we can pull off the deal."
Woolbright said that most of the pledges are coming in amounts of $100, $500 and $1,000. Those who pledged will be asked to come up with the money in days if Woolbright can salvage the deal with the Boy Scout Council. The money will be managed either by Saratoga PLAN or Friends of the Kayaderosseras, both organizations that have experience handling donations. As a land conservationist, Saratoga PLAN has experience with land transfers and was involved in the Milton/Boy Scout deal early on.
"We were involved at the outset to help the town understand its due diligence," Trabka said. "Larry Woolbright was taking care of everything until this crisis arose."
Meanwhile, the developer who contributed to the anonymous donor's decision to withdraw has set up a GoFundMe page for the Boyhaven purchase. So far, he has raised $1,400, which includes a $250 donation from Town Board member John Frolish. Rossi is looking for $750,000 in donations.
Rossi said he is limiting anonymous donors to $100.
Woolbright and the nonprofits considered using the GoFundMe website, but discarded the idea because GoFundMe takes a cut of the donations.
Supervisor Scott Ostrander said he didn't know that Saratoga PLAN or the Friends of the Kayaderosseras were involved.
"That's great," said Ostrander, who was skeptical of the project during his campaign for supervisor. "Anyone who wants to help us out, I'm all for."
The Boyhaven meeting is 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Town Hall on Geyser Road in Milton.
