The home at 45 Hunns Lake Road is a renovated Second Empire style home on .66 acres with a distinctive mansard roof which sold for $600,000.
Christine Bates
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POUGHKEEPSIE — The Real Time Crime Center, announced earlier this month as part of county executive Sue Serino’s 2025 proposed spending plan, will kick off at the end of this year.
The $200,000 initiative, whose financing will originate from the Community Benefit Fund, is designed to combat crime through collective oversight and rapid response by law enforcement. The proposal was unanimously approved by the county legislature on Nov. 14.
Serino signaled her support for the measure with her belief that its formation is necessary as an expedient and collective crime reduction measure. “The RTCC will be a true game-changer for speed of response and police safety,” Serino said. “This cutting-edge initiative leverages technology for faster, more effective law enforcement response to protect our communities.”
While the real time crime center may be new to Dutchess, it is not the first one in New York. The concept originated with the New York City Police Department in 2005 with cities in other parts of the country following suit. These centers function by sharing information gleaned from audio, video, license plate readers and other sources into a singular cloud-based view. Additionally, Real Time Crime Centers foster greater communication between law enforcement, community agencies and emergency services. The intended end result is greater uniform awareness of criminal activity in progress and across-the-board access to case-building details.
Staffing needs will be filled by the sheriff’s special operations bureau and a crime analyst from the district attorney’s office. District attorney Anthony Parisi, an advocate for the real time crime center’s formation, believes it to be a worthy expenditure.
“A Real Time Crime Center is not just an investment in technology,” Parisi said. “It’s an investment in the safety and security of our community.”
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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
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.”
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NORTH CANAAN, Conn. — For the fourth year in a row, Mountainside Treatment Center is providing $10,000 worth of academic scholarships to 10 high school juniors and seniors living in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The substance abuse treatment provider created the Mountainside Brighter Future College Scholarships to support students who have been impacted by substance use disorders in sharing their stories and raising awareness of addiction’s impact on families.
Since the program’s inception in 2021, nearly 350 scholarship applications were received, according to Mountainside spokesman Kevin Doyle.
“These stories carry a lot of weight and emotions. It’s amazing to see children and teens overcome trauma and struggles,” said Doyle, who noted that more than 200 applications for the scholarships were received in 2023.
Sobering statistics
Studies show that 21 million children in the United States live with a parent who misuses substances and more than 2 million live with a parent who struggles with a substance use disorder.
Young people also grapple with substance misuse firsthand due to factors such as peer pressure or the belief that substances will help them improve their grades or athletic ability.
According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, 62% of adolescents have abused alcohol by their senior year of high school and 46% have tried illicit drugs.
These substance use habits can have fatal consequences, with more than 11% of total overdose deaths impacting those aged 15 to 24, according to NCDAS.
In their words: winning essays
One scholarship winner’s essay, titled “Papa’, the Glass Cleaner,” began: “The world feels small from 1,100 feet off the ground – small and light. My papa’ worked a job where he defied death every day in order to provide for my family. I am eight at the time and my Papa’ is my hero.”
But by age 10, the student wrote, “for the first time, on Christmas Eve, I realize my father is not perfect. Every hero has their weakness. My father’s kryptonite was a green bottle of Heineken.”
Another winning essayist observed how the world seemed “perfect” as a youngster, but as the years passed, “I realized the world was never even good in the first place. My dad started his relationship with alcohol when I was born, so in a way I never got to meet the man my mom married.
“I grew up with him brewing his own beer in the basement and watching him stumble around in the evenings, but my mom always put me to bed before anything happened.”
The Mountainside scholarship, the student wrote in her essay, “will allow me to pursue my dreams in criminal psychology and assist me in helping the people that need it most. I can ensure that they get it instead of being separated from society unjustly.”
Another winning essayist wrote of her mother’s addiction.
“The thing about addiction that people may not realize, is it can be a camouflaged agent of poison: unnoticeable and kills slowly.
“Growing up, my mom would enjoy a glass of wine once a night. However, as we have gotten older and she is by herself at the end of the night, that glass of wine slowly turned into a bottle. My mother’s addiction to alcohol is apparent by all her family members, but not to herself.”
The student noted how that addiction impacted not only her mother, but also those around her.
“My brother who still lives with my mom, gets the full effects of it … When I found out that my mom would sometimes try to pick up my brother from work after having some wine, I immediately became concerned, and almost angered with her that she would put my brother at risk. I offered to pick my brother up from work whenever needed, and this continues today.”
Mission to educate and empower
For Mountainside, the Brighter Future College Scholarship is just one step in a series of community efforts to educate and empower those struggling to reach out for help.
Joskar Yanes, who earned the scholarship last year and is currently a freshman at Tufts University in Massachusetts, said in a telephone interview last week that it represents more than just a monetary value.
“It helped me become more confident in embracing my past. You find a part of yourself,” by completing the process.
Yanes recalled the “ripple effect” addiction had on his family.
“It also leaves invisible scars which are hard to see,” Yanes said. “I felt like I had to hide it. It was a subconscious choice.”
The college student, who is studying cognitive and brain sciences and social psychology, recommended that other high school students facing addiction challenges consider the application process.
“Regardless of the outcome of the scholarship, you may find and embrace a part of yourself.”
Interested applicants are invited to submit a short essay explaining how they have been impacted by their own or a loved one’s substance use disorder and how it has shaped their understanding of the disease.
Through the scholarships, Mountainside strives to assist individuals affected by addiction in the pursuit of their academic and life ambitions emphasizing that this illness should not be a defining characteristic for anyone.
The $10,000 in scholarship funds will be provided to students as $1,000 awards to 10 scholarship applicants.
The deadline to apply for the scholarship is May 1, 2025, and winners will be announced later that month.
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Posting up
Nov 26, 2024
Nathan Miller
Millbrook’s starting five brought a strong game to Hotchkiss for a girl’s varsity scrimmage Friday night, Nov. 22, in Lakeville, Connecticut. Hotchkiss won the scrimamge 50-42.
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