Sterling Forest developer sells 575 acres to state for $13.5 million

Tuxedo - The decades-long flap over Sterling Forest is all but over. Sterling Forest L.L.C. sold 575 acres to New York State on Monday for $13.5 million. The price was negotiated by The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit land-conservation organization. The per-acre price of $23,478 was six and one-half times the price paid by the state for 15,280 acres in 1998. “The difference is the result of parcel size, the passing of eight years and the market conditions,” said Louis Heimbach, the president of Sterling Forest L.L.C., in a Wednesday interview. “Anyway, the state certainly couldn’t buy it without an appraisal. “We received a higher offer, but sold the 575 acres to the state,” Heimbach added. “We want to be good neighbors.” The property, known as the Sterling Forge parcel, consists of an irregularly shaped 575-acre parcel with extensive frontage along both the southeast and northwest sides of County Route 84, Long Meadow Road. The site’s topography varies from level/rolling land to steeply sloping, and the southern section of the property features a 36-acre pond. There also is a 15-acre wetland area at the easternmost section of the property and various other wetlands, totaling approximately 25 acres, scattered throughout. Ninety-eight percent of the parcel is in the Town of Tuxedo; the rest is in the Town of Warwick. The parcel, which was to be the 100-home Sterling Forge development, is surrounded by land previously transferred to the state, increasing Sterling Forest State Park to over 18,200 acres. The park is part of the New York State parks system and is administered by the Palisades Interstate Parks Commission. Slightly over half of the park is in the Town of Warwick; the rest, except a sliver in the Town of Monroe, is in the Town of Tuxedo. Environmentalists opposed the Sterling Forge development because it was to be placed in the center of the State Park, would harm wildlife and threaten much of New Jersey’s water supply. “Sterling Forest is now closed for good to development and open forever to the public,” said Rose Harvey, senior vice president of The Trust for Public Land. Susan Clark, director of public affairs for the trust added: “In addition to serving as a watershed for millions of residents in New Jersey and New York, Sterling Forest is vital for the survival of many resident and migratory species, including black bears and a variety of hawks and songbirds.” The land holdings of Sterling Forest L.L.C. have gone from 22,000 acres in 1990 to a mere 55 acres today — fronting on Route 17 in Tuxedo. Sixty-three single-family homes, to be called Sterling Place, are planned for 44 of those acres.