April 2, 2015 LGLC’s Pinnacle Protection Project Bolstered by Community Support
The Lake George Land Conservancy has five weeks remaining to raise $157,990 and complete its purchase of the 75-acre property known as the Pinnacle in Bolton Landing. An option to purchase the land expires May 8, 2015.
Since the project’s inception in December 2014, 72% of the total project cost has already been raised or is anticipated, primarily through generous local residents and businesses, including The Sagamore Resort, which contributed $10,000, and an anonymous donor which has pledged $187,500. The total project cost of $571,250 includes the purchase price as well as closing costs, legal fees and other associated expenses.
Once acquired, LGLC will sell it for a bargain price of $150,000 to the Town of Bolton Landing, subject to a donated conservation easement from the Town, which will keep the property as a public recreational resource.
The Town and its residents have a vested interested in seeing the Pinnacle preserved. The steep slopes of the Pinnacle drain directly into Finkle Brook, one of the lake’s major tributaries. The property’s protection also presents an opportunity to advance Bolton Landing’s appeal as a hiking destination. A proposed trail system would link the Pinnacle, Bolton’s Conservation Park, and the Cat and Thomas Mountain Forest Preserve, and ultimately include a trail that connects to the downtown business district.
“It’s wonderful to see and hear how excited the local community is about the Pinnacle,” said LGLC Executive Director Jamie Brown. “This has been a property of concern for many years, and now that the opportunity to protect it is here, we need everyone’s support to make it happen.”
LGLC hopes to also garner support from across the lake, including the Pilot Knob, Cleverdale and Assembly Point communities, where many residents are able to see the Pinnacle as part of their view of the Bolton ridgeline.
“The Pinnacle is very visible from many areas in central basin of Lake George,” LGLC Development Associate Jordyn Conway said. “Most people just don’t know what they are looking at, and that the land could potentially be scarred from development.”
The Pinnacle protection project was made possible when, after nearly five years of negotiations, LGLC was able to come to an agreement with its owner. By purchasing this property LGLC hopes to further protect the watershed of Bolton Landing and the water quality of Lake George. Donations to help with the project may be made at www.lglc.org/projects/the-pinnacle.