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Orange County holds public hearing on $272,569 conservation easement for Morcheski Farm
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Summary
The Orange County Legislature held a public hearing Feb. 21 to solicit comment on a proposed repropriation of $272,569 to acquire a conservation easement on the approximately 166-acre Morcheski Farm in the Town of Warwick, county planning staff said.
The Orange County Legislature held a public hearing Feb. 21 to solicit comment on a proposed repropriation of $272,569 to acquire a conservation easement on the approximately 166-acre Morcheski Farm in the Town of Warwick, county planning staff said.
County planning Commissioner Alan Sorensen said the purchase would be structured as a purchase of development rights so the family may continue to own and operate the farm while restrictions prevent subdivision or other development. "This property will remain a farm, will remain used for the purpose of agriculture. It cannot be developed in the future for like a subdivision or other commercial use," Sorensen said.
The hearing was held under General Municipal Law §247, the public notice said. The county established an Open Space Fund in 2024; Sorensen said the county’s contribution to the conservation easement would be 25% of the easement’s value, with the remaining 75% expected from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Farmland Protection Implementation Grant. The public notice identified the owner as Michael Morcheski and listed the property as covering Town of Warwick tax map Section 16, Block 1, Lots 38.231, 75.2 and 704.2. The notice described the property as consisting of approximately 166 acres and gave the street address as 190 Little York Road, Warwick.
The public notice said copies of documents related to the proposed conveyance were available at the Office of the Clerk of the Orange County Legislature at the Orange County Government Center in Goshen during regular business hours. The notice was published in multiple regional newspapers, including the Hudson Valley Press, Goshen Independent and Warwick Valley Dispatch, the notice stated.
No members of the public signed up to speak; the presiding officer declared the public hearing closed. The hearing record as provided does not show any formal vote or final appropriation by the legislature at that meeting.
Background: The proposal would result in a conservation easement co-held by the Orange County Land Trust and the County of Orange on land owned by Michael Morcheski. County staff described the action as one tool to protect open space and keep arable land in production for future generations.
