Ask John Odonnell
This is a fantastic opportunity to own your own patch of beautiful Adirondack woods, nearly 174 acres, complete with a perennial stream, beaver pond, mature timber, and plenty of wild game. Use this property as your own recreational playground or build your dream home or camp in this peaceful, wooded retreat.
The Potter Brook Timberlands property has abundant large, mature native tree specimens, including white pine, hemlock, red and sugar maple, red oak, and yellow birch. Although managed for timber with a long-term view, it has been several years since a timber operation and to many, this forest appears untouched. Potter Brook, a perennial trout stream that flows through the property year-round, is a great aesthetic and wildlife feature to be enjoyed. In addition to Potter Brook, there is a string of wetlands on the property, including a beaver pond with open water, adding to the opportunities for recreational activities and wildlife viewing on the property.
The Potter Brook Timberlands property has been under the same ownership for over a hundred years. The family has taken great care of the property, working with professional foresters and loggers, evidenced by the quality of timber, diversity of tree species, and abundance of seedlings and saplings. The property is under Real Property Tax Law 480 (a.k.a. Fisher 480), NOT to be confused with 480a, a more restrictive forest tax law program. Unlike 480a, there is no forestry plan, set schedule of cutting, or forester involvement required, so Fisher 480 is a very low-input tax abatement program. Fisher 480 only requires a 6% severance tax paid to the respective town when forest products are harvested. To remove some of or the entire property from Fisher 480 would require a forester to perform a timber inventory and estimate the timber value, for which the 6% severance tax would be paid.
Trails from past timber harvests have had very little recent use and have become seeded in with white pine, hemlock, spruce, and fir saplings. The trails would need to be brushed out for use by ATVs or for other recreational activities, but because they have been protected over the years, the trails are in very good shape. Though not used recently by people, wildlife abounds on the property, including deer and grouse.
Potter Brook Timberlands is not far from Loon Lake (4 miles) and Schroon and Brant Lakes (9 and 18 miles, respectively), as well as Lake George and Lake Champlain. Other attractions include the Hudson and Schroon Rivers for fishing, whitewater rafting, and kayaking, as well as numerous smaller, publicly-accessible trout streams. The property is also close to thousands of acres of State Forest Preserve, open to the public for varied recreational pursuits.
Access to the Potter Brook Timberlands property is off Atateka Road. There is 22 feet of frontage, though current access is via a deeded right-of-way. It is less than 5 miles from the center of Chestertown, and only 6 miles from exit 25 off I-87. Chestertown and nearby Warrensburg offer many of the day-to-day amenities, including hardware, groceries, and dining. The property is less than an hour from Saratoga Springs, just over an hour from Albany, 2.5 hours from Montreal, and under 4 hours from NYC. Nearby airports include Albany International (1+ hour), Plattsburgh International (~1.5 hours), and the smaller Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport (< 45 minutes).
