
Once part of Thomas Carvel’s ill-fated Sports City development, the property has been the subject of debates for decades.
Patrick Grego/New Pine Plains Herald
Once part of Thomas Carvel’s ill-fated Sports City development, the property has been the subject of debates for decades.
This story was originally published in The New Pine Plains Herald.
In a move that could reshape the future of Pine Plains and its surrounding communities, The Durst Organization has listed its expansive property for $36 million. Put on the market on Oct. 14, the former Carvel estate spans 1,490 acres in Pine Plains and 456 acres in Milan, and has long been at the center of debates over land use and preservation.
“We have decided to list the property for sale as we are currently focused on our New York City portfolio, specifically the development of Halletts Point in Astoria, Queens,” Alexander Durst, principal and chief development officer at The Durst Organization, told the Herald. “Another property owner may be able to realize the full potential of this remarkable property. The Durst family has a longstanding appreciation for the Hudson Valley and we will continue to be a part of the community.”
The Durst Organization is one of the oldest family-run commercial and residential real estate companies in New York state. Established in 1915, its portfolio includes the New York City properties of One World Trade Center and The Bank of America Tower.
The company owns approximately 2,633 acres of land in Pine Plains, representing about 13% of the town’s total acreage, according to Dutchess County tax records.
The Dursts initially purchased the 1,900-acre core of the listed property from the estate of the late ice cream magnate Thomas Carvel, in 2002 for $7.78 million.
After the initial acquisition, The Durst Organization expanded its holdings in Pine Plains, purchasing an additional 711 acres between 2015 and 2019 for nearly $6 million. The property is owned by two limited liability companies: 1133 Taconic LLC and Stissing Mountain Properties LLC.
In the late 1960s, Thomas Carvel launched an ambitious development known as the All-American Sports City after acquiring several parcels of farmland in Pine Plains. His vision included a golf course, clubhouse, lake and 500 homes. While the lake, golf course, clubhouse and 16 homes were built, the broader project stalled and remained incomplete at the time of Carvel’s death in 1990. In the decades that followed, the property’s infrastructure — including roads, water, and wastewater systems — fell into disrepair due to neglect, ultimately leaving it in a deteriorated state by the time it was sold.
While the listed property encompasses the original Carvel property, it does not include 685 additional acres in Pine Plains that remain under Durst ownership. Separately, in early October, the company listed another property, featuring a historic 19th-century farmhouse on 65 acres at 115-133 Mount Ross Road, for $599,000.
The company touts the Carvel property as a “sanctuary offering endless possibilities,” with potential uses including a family compound, corporate retreat, or winery. The listing highlights the property’s views of the Catskills and Stissing Mountain, as well as its remaining structures — following the demolition of several houses and barns over the years — which include four single-family homes, a two-family residence, and an office and warehouse facility.
Over the past two decades, The Durst Organization has put forward three development proposals for the Carvel property and its expanded holdings. While each plan was scaled back in response to public concerns, the company worked to incorporate community feedback and adjust its vision accordingly. The final plan, submitted in 2020, envisioned a 2,700-acre “eco resort” including open space, farmland, outdoor recreation areas, and 237 residential lots in Pine Plains, along with 51 lots in Milan. While the project received preliminary approval from the Pine Plains Zoning Board, it went no further.
The first proposal, in 2003 was for a 951-unit residential development centered around Lake Carvel and prompted Pine Plains to impose a moratorium on development and, eventually, to implement zoning laws for the first time.
The new zoning code, passed in October 2009, included some of the strictest regulations in Dutchess County, limiting building sizes and preventing large-scale commercial projects. The Dursts returned in 2011 with a revised plan for 591 units, in compliance with the new zoning code, but in the face of public opposition, and the stock market collapse of 2011, that proposal lay dormant for nearly seven years.
In the first half of 2018, The Durst Organization tried to revive the project, hosting two public meetings at the Pine Plains Community Center to receive feedback from residents. In June 2018, the company presented a new proposal, a “conservation subdivision,” that included plans to restore the golf course Carvel had built in the 1960s and construct 281 homes, placed in small clusters, around a central “recreation-oriented resort.”
In April 2020, The Durst Organization submitted pre-sketch plans for the conservation subdivision to the Planning Board. This stage focused on determining the maximum number of residential lots permitted under Pine Plains zoning laws, with the Dursts proposing 223 lots.
By June 2020, the Planning Board had unanimously endorsed the pre-sketch plan, which designated more than 50% of the land — about 1,397 acres — as open space. The designated areas included wetlands, steep slopes and buffer zones around water bodies. This approval allowed The Durst Organization to proceed with developing a formal subdivision plan, which would undergo a full environmental review before any final decisions were made.
However, after the property was listed Monday afternoon, Oct. 14, it seems as though the back and forth has come to an end — for now.
“The Pine Plains countryside is an oasis in the Hudson Valley,” Durst said. “With 1,946 acres of land in an ideal location and unmatched natural beauty, the property offers the opportunity to create something special.”
As for what kind of buyer would purchase a property of this size? “It’s going to range,” said listing agent Larry Havens. “I don’t want to set any limitations on that.”
Dr. Sarah Humphreys became chief medical officer in March.
TORRINGTON — Community Health & Wellness Center has appointed Sarah Humphreys MD, MPH, as its new chief medical officer.
“I feel deeply connected to this community, and it was that connection that drew me to work at the Community Health and Wellness Center,” stated Dr. Humphreys in a March 26 press release.
Dr. Humphreys is board certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases.
She earned her BA from Brown University before completing a Master of Public Health at Yale University. She then obtained her medical degree from Ben Gurion University in Israel, followed by residency in Internal Medicine at New York University and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Mount Sinai in New York City.
Prior to joining CHWC, Dr. Humphreys served as an Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she provided outpatient and inpatient Infectious Disease consultations, HIV primary care and conducted clinical trials research.
Dr. Humphreys has spent time in the Northwest Corner since she was born.She is excited to be moving back to the area full-time to further strengthen her roots in the community.
Passionate about public health, patient care and medical education, she is committed to expanding the reach and impact of CHWC.
Outside of work, Dr, Humphreys enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, daughter, and their two beloved dogs, Oliver and Romeo.
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Car theft arrest
On March 24, Richard Andre Castaldi, 19, of Torrington was arrested for the theft of a vehicle that occurred on Feb. 10 on West Greenwoods Road in Norfolk. Castaldi was processed and charged with Larceny of a Motor Vehicle. Castaldi was released on $1,500 non-surety bond, and is scheduled to appear at Torrington Superior Court on April 7.
Stop sign fender-bender
Abdul Moro Buri, 32, of Salisbury was driving with Samuel Graham, 80, of Louisville, Kentucky, when he approached the intersection of Route 41 with Route 361 in Sharon. Moro Buri came to a complete stop, then initiated a left turn onto Main Street in a Honda CRV. Shirley Yohalem, 78, of Mill River, Massachusetts, was traveling northbound on Route 41 and failed to come to a complete stop at the intersection, causing her Lexus NX200 to collide with the front bumper of the CRV. Both vehicles sustained minor damage, but were able to be driven from the scene. There were no injuries reported. Yohalem was issued a written warning for Failure to Obey Stop Sign.
A Volvo sits upside-down after colliding with a tree alongside Route 44 in Salisbury on Saturday, March 29.Provided
Car strikes tree, flips
Just before 4 p.m. on March 29, John Casadei, 54, of Litchfield was driving his Volvo XC60 westbound on Route 44 in Salisbury when he exited the roadway and struck a tree. The vehicle rolled to a stop in the westbound lane of Route 44, sustaining significant damage in the accident. Casadei was uninjured, but an inspection of the vehicle yielded that it was meant to be installed with an ignition interlock device, but that it was not. Casadei was issued a misdemeanor summons for Avoidance of, Tampering with, or Failure to Install Ignition Interlock Device, as well as Failure to Drive in Proper Lane.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Contact us by mail at P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send an email, with “police blotter” in the subject line, to johnc@lakevillejournal.com
The group — minus Garrick Dinneen, who’s taking the photo — stops for a mid-run rest.
CORNWALL — This past winter, an intergenerational group of Mohawk Mountain skiers took their hard-earned East Coast skills to the towering peaks of interior British Columbia for a ski trip that went beyond just pursuing the steep and deep.
“As fun as the skiing was, the lift rides and even just going home and cooking dinner together and talking was a pretty cool part of it,” said 24-year-old Cornwall native Dean Saccardi of the nearly 20-day voyage. “To have that age range of people who had grown up in Cornwall, went to [Cornwall Consolidated School], and had all their stories about the school, about the ski program, about the community … it definitely made the trip.”
Jim Terrall, who runs a building company in Cornwall, grew up skiing at Mohawk about 50 years before Saccardi got his start through the after-school CCS ski program, which lets students out at noon on Fridays to go skiing during a stretch of the winter. Terrall grew up going to Mohawk the same way, and estimated that the group on the trip spanned 1960-2017 of the CCS ski program.
“My winters were spent at Mohawk” said Terrall, “as were my kids’ winters.”
He said Mohawk Mountain and the CCS ski program have had an outsized impact on building a unique love for downhill snow sports in the town: “A lot of Cornwall kids are skiers because of the program,” which continues to this day — minus the included season pass of years past.
After graduating from Colorado College, Terrall moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with the intention of working a ski season or two, and ended up staying for 15 years.
Terrall’s son Keaton, who also joined the trip, is now a student at Montana State University in Bozeman and is as passionate about skiing as his father.
While a veteran of Western skiing, the elder Terrall said part of the fun of the trip was introducing Saccardi and his brother-in-law Garrick Dinneen, who had never skied outside of the Northeast, to bigger and steeper terrain.
Saccardi said the difference was immediately apparent. At the group’s first stop at Schweitzer Mountain in northern Idaho, “you could barely see the tips of your skis, it was so foggy,” Saccardi recalled. Even then, though, “you quickly appreciate how steep it is.”
Saccardi said that despite the initial adjustments, he and Dinneen were able to keep up well with the seasoned and skilled group. “It’s a testament to Mohawk Mountain and that program … Despite it being a little mountain, it does prepare you with the basics and everything you need to know.”
Josh Tyson, from the CCS class of 1981, who now runs a Cornwall excavating company, said that watching Saccardi and Dinneen get to experience Western skiing was a highlight of the trip for him.
“They became such better skiers in like a day,” he said. “Just the exposure to really steep and mogully trees — it’s not eastern skiing, you know, and they just figured it out right away and were great.”
Tyson’s son Ian joined too and the final member of the cohort was Andy Peterson, who grew up skiing with Terrall at Mohawk in the 1960s and now lives in Colorado, but still spends a few months in Cornwall every summer. As a group of seven, the skiers resort-hopped across southern British Columbia on an itinerary that would make even the most seasoned skier rage in jealousy.
Flying round trip to Missoula, Montana, the group hopped in a few cars and first stopped at Schweitzer in Idaho for a day of foggy skiing, before bouncing to Red Mountain just across the border, where they spent three full days, including the sole powder day of the trip — which was a blast, Tyson said. After that, the crew visited Whitewater, Kimberly, Panorama, and finally, famed powder-mecca Revelstoke, which was unfortunately mostly powder-free during their stay.
Their visit, which spanned the final week of February and first week of March, was uncharacteristically warm for the Canadian mountains.
“We skied in all types of weather, from dense fog to 18 inches of fresh snow to spring skiing,” said Tyson. Despite the variable conditions, “I didn’t hear one complaint the whole time,” said Terrall, reflecting fondly on the group’s positive attitude.
The Terralls and Peterson capped off the trip with a few days of heli-skiing in the mountains surrounding Revelstoke, where “you never cross another ski track” — including your own — said the elder Terrall.
Plans for another trip are already in the works for next year. The group is thinking a return to B.C. is in order, but with an emphasis on mountains they missed this round — Fernie, Kicking Horse, and maybe some more Revelstoke for good measure.
The community feeling remains, however, as those who still call Cornwall home settle back into Northwest Corner life.
Tyson said that since both he and Terrall are in the contracting business, they often run into each other on job sites alongside Dinneen, who is an electrician in town. Ian works for his father’s company, and Saccardi works for Terrall, further tightening the bond.
In his free time, Saccardi stays busy by serving on Cornwall’s Board of Education, a position he picked up after graduating high school and has held for nearly four years.
When asked about how he decided to take up a town service role at such a young age, he was quick to attribute it to Cornwall’s intrinsic community benevolence: “I think the town itself sort of has that culture.”
In Lakeville this week, a bear opened the door to Theodore O’Neill’s truck and messed with a box of Kleenex.
HARTFORD — A bill called “An Act Concerning Bear Hunting” made it through a vote of the Connecticut General Assembly’s Environment Commission on March 28, but with a catch: there will be no general bear hunting.
Senate Bill 1523 was originally raised to promote the establishment of a bear hunting season to control the exploding black bear population in the state, which has led to more home entries and conflicts with farmers than ever before.
A contentious public hearing on March 24 saw residents across the state and on both sides of the issue deliver testimony on the bill with highly split opinion.
“The bill we passed today is no longer a bear hunt, despite the title,” said State Rep. Maria Horn, D-64, shortly after the vote was taken.
Horn said the bill was passed with substitute language, which is applied when a bill is amended after having been heard by the state legislature.
Horn explained that the new SB 1523 essentially updates legislation from 2023 that was similarly raised with the prospect of a bear hunt. By the time it was adopted, though, it only allowed self-defense killings to protect oneself, family or pets. It also established a program for farmers suffering depredation to their livestock or crop damage to apply for a permit to enable them to kill the bear.
Horn, whose Northwest Corner constituency sits in the heart of Connecticut bear country, said she had been told by area farmers that the permitting process under the 2023 law was laden with “unrealistic hurdles.”
The new bill allows farmers to take immediate action to protect their livestock, when before the law extended only to pets. It also enables farmers, with proof of bear damage to their crops or livestock, to preemptively obtain a permit for the next season if the bear were to return to the farm.
Connecticut, alongside Rhode Island, is the only state in the Northeast without a public bear hunting season. Horn said she was satisfied that farmers’ voices were being heard in this legislation, but expressed concern that since Connecticut lacks a hunt, the new legislation may push farmers “to the front lines in addressing these challenges.”
SB 1523 is not the only bear-focused bill with legs during this legislative session. House Bill 7051, which calls for a black bear management plan, has passed a Public Safety and Security Committee vote.
Presenting a broader scope than SB 1523, HB 7051 proposes a multifaceted and inter-organizational approach to “ensure public safety and the protection of property and maintain a sustainable black bear population in the state,” according to its statement of purpose.
With both bills having passed committee votes, they will now “be part of the conversation of what makes it to the floor,” Horn said.