In terms of the not-for-profit status that Woodland Pond has secured, Ritchie was quick to point out the tangible financial contributions that the facility has made to the various taxing agencies, as well as the less-tangible revenue sources. According to figures presented by Alex Panagiotopoulos, retained by Woodland Pond, it is now paying “a total amount of $265,000 in fixed taxes, including $250,000 in a Payment in Lieu of Taxes [PILOT], as per our 20-year agreement with the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency,” explained Panagiotopoulos.
“Woodland Pond also has made almost $2 million in payments to the Village of New Paltz to upgrade the sewer and water system and for inspection-related services. Woodland Pond employs 210 total employees, who make a total of $3,230,000 annually. Sixty-five employees live in New Paltz, and account for $930,000 of total salary, which is felt in the local community. Woodland Pond engages many local businesses and contractors for goods and services, with $124,000 in payments to New Paltz, Clintondale and Gardiner businesses expected in 2011.
“We have many educational and environmental partnerships with SUNY-New Paltz, SUNY-Ulster, local public schools, Girl Scouts, Millbrook Preserve, Wallkill Valley Land Trust and Mohonk Preserve, and a host of several local political forums. Woodland Pond also hosts or supports many arts, spirituality and charity endeavors.” To this end, Ritchie points to the Lifetime Learning Institute, which hosts many of its classes at Woodland Pond. He also notes the political debates that Woodland Pond has hosted for candidates vying for local seats in town/village/school elected positions. “We also have artists come in once a month and host an artist lecture and opening reception, as well as displaying the work of many of our resident artists.” There are interfaith committees, artist committees, political action committees and every type of personal, spiritual, physical and civil engagement that one could envision.
Despite the concrete numbers, which will run toward approximately $13 million in a 20-year PILOT agreement with the town, village and school district, Ritchie points to the non-quantifiable asset that he believes Woodland Pond brings to the community. “We have many long-term and lifelong residents of New Paltz who have moved into our facility,” he said. “If this facility was not here, these valuable members of the community would be forced to move somewhere else: to Westchester or Florida or Wisconsin…somewhere that they could retire comfortably and safely and in an active environment that also ensures health care. Now, they can stay here, in the community they worked in, raised families in, served in…” He also noted, “Many of our residents who move here from out of town do so because they have family here. That helps keeps families together, which is critical.”
Woodland Pond not only takes its residents into the community for classes on the SUNY New Paltz campus, but also to local theater productions, museums, art openings, political meetings, lectures, and of course, primary and voting occasions. “Our residents are very politically engaged and active,” he said.
With 63 of its 83 acres under a conservation easement and according to Ritchie, “planned to become part of the Millbrook Greenway,” he said that, contrary to some people’s belief, “That tract of land is open and accessible to the greater public. We have people riding horses through it, fishing, hiking, biking…Our own residents love the ponds and the walking trails…We are not in any way attempting to be, nor do we want to be, a ‘gated community.’ The entire mission of a facility like this is to keep our seniors in the community and keep our community engaged and involved with its elders. We love when we see people utilizing the grounds, biking, walking, schoolchildren visiting, art shows, debates…This is one lively and engaged, educated group of residents, and there is a real, honest connection with the larger community that we promote and encourage and attempt to facilitate.”
According to Ritchie, there is a great range of prices to “buy into” the continuing care facility, ranging roughly from $212,000 for a one-bedroom apartment to $427,000 for a cottage. Monthly fees on top of that buy-in cost range from $2,400 per month to $4,000 per month. That said, Ritchie added, “Ninety percent of that buy-in fee is refundable if the resident moves out or passes away. Within the time that it takes to fill their unit or no more than one year, they are returned 90 percent of that fee, or the fee goes toward their estate.”
To learn more about Woodland Pond, call 883-9800 or (877) 505-9800 or log onto www.hahv.org/woodlandpond. ++
