Bronx County Highpoint Trip Report
Date: November 13, 2005
Author: Mike Schwartz
As reported in April, the 16-acre wooded plot that includes the highpoint is
under massive construction. The entire area has been cleared, except for a few trees,
and the highest area has been scalped to allow home construction. As of today,
at least two foundations have been poured. At highest ground there is a
huge pile of boulders to be pulverized by machinery. Two large piles of stone
are the apparent remnants of already crushed boulders.
The original access gate at the end of Goodridge Road still exists but is now padlocked.
The main construction entrance is along 250th Street, with a gate, beyond which
is a wide access road and a construction trailer just inside.
Access might be granted if one checked in at the trailer on a workday.
Note that this project has been the subject of years of litigation between the
developers and Fieldston Community, which must be crossed to gain access to the
project. The latest court case was decided as recently as November 1, 2005 and,
if I interpret the ruling correctly, several issues remain to be settled.
I attempted contacting my former point-of-contact, an attorney for the developer,
in April but my calls were not returned and I would consider that avenue as
probably closed. It remains to be seen whether the new development will be
gated (which I predict) after completion or be "public" streets, still requiring
passage across the private, patrolled, but ungated Fieldston Community.
I'll check the area now and then and report as the development progresses.