SOMERS, N.Y. - Somers recently took its first step toward realizing a future vision for its beloved Angle Fly Preserve.
Woodard & Curran, the town’s engineering consultants, will be working with the Town Board to develop a master plan for the Reynolds House area of Angle Fly Preserve.
The 654-acre wildlife sanctuary on Route 139 (aka Primrose Street) was established 17 years ago when the land was jointly acquired by the town, state, and county.
Originally stewarded by Somers Land Trust volunteers, it transitioned to town responsibility in 2023.
Besides providing crucial habitat, Angle Fly offers passive recreational opportunities such as hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, bird watching, fishing, bow-hunting (with valid permits), and the opportunity to commune with nature. It’s also been the site of many an Eagle Scout project.
While most of the land is preserved, 15 acres were designated for specific uses such as recreational fields. The state Department of Environmental Conservation holds a 370-acre conservation easement.
As lovely as it is, Angle Fly is not without its problems.
Several condominium models were left behind to rot after the demise of the failed 1976 “Primrose Farms” development. An attractive, and dangerous, nuisance and target of vandalism, they are scheduled to be razed – and the land they sit on remediated – as a “community benefit” by the developer of the proposed North Edge townhouse project in Baldwin Place.
There is also the Tatham House, a large, abandoned 1900s era mansion. The Mediterranean revival style home once had a formal, walled garden. Unfortunately, the then-owners planted a bunch of wisteria, an invasive plant species that’s now spread far and wide.
The old relic is outside the 15-acre area controlled by the town.
The estate’s caretakers lived in the old Reynolds homestead, a colonial-era house that’s being renovated by the town. It stands at the gateway to Angle Fly.
That’s the spot the town wishes to focus on now.
Funding from a $35,000 Hudson River Valley Greenway grant will be used to pay Woodard & Curran to put together the master plan, engineer Steve Robbins said.
According to HRVG’s website, the program was established to continue and advance the state’s “commitment to the preservation, enhancement and development of the world-renowned scenic, natural, historic, cultural and recreational resources of the Hudson River Valley” while continuing to “emphasize economic development activities and remaining consistent with the tradition of municipal home rule.”
Input will be gathered from stakeholders, including the town’s Parks and Recreation folks, the Somers Land Trust, the state Department of Environmental Conservation, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Westchester County, Scouting organizations, and the hunting organizations that use Angle Fly.
The town will also seek the public’s opinion, noted Supervisor Robert Scorrano at the Town Board’s March 5 meeting.
The targeted area includes a pond, a native plant garden, and a small yellow barn.
Cornell Cooperative Extension Westchester County has “weighed in” on the indigenous plants at the Reynolds House site, noted Councilman Richard Clinchy.
The entity provides research-based education and resources focusing on horticulture, health, and the environment.
The master plan would be a cataloging of all the flora and fauna there in order to understand what areas are “suitable for different types of uses,” Robbins said, adding that some spots might be okay for something more “intense,” while others could be “set aside and preserved as untouched space.”
It’s important to be cognizant of “the environmental constraints of the site” while also taking into account the community’s recreation and open space “needs,” he added.
The plan will also address ways in which the town can incorporate ADA-compliant features into the site, ensuring that folks of all ages and abilities will be supported there, Robbins said in a memo.
Remarking on how “unique” Angle Fly is, Clinchy said he thought it was a “good decision way back” to save it from development.
He added that the town welcomes the chance to make it even more “attractive.”
Scorrano agreed that it would be good to “have a game plan going forward, for the next five, 10, 15 years.”
One of the goals is to make more people “aware” of Angle Fly’s amenities, said the supervisor, who grew up in Somers.
“I knew that the condos were bad. We never went back there at all. It was taboo,” he recalled.
By making the entryway more welcoming, not only will there be a new place for people to “congregate,” it will draw more attention to the rest of the property, he predicted.
“It’ll be a huge plus for the town of Somers,” Scorrano said.
Robbins pointed out that having a master plan “will establish the foundation for what that property can be” and will also put the town in line for “future grant opportunities.”
The Town Board unanimously approved authorizing Scorrano to execute the agreement with Woodard & Curran.
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