If you have additional questions or would like to arrange a visit, please contact us here.

Location: Town of Chesterfield, Essex County, New York (Google Maps   Yahoo Maps)

Size: 493.4 acres, per survey

Price: $295,000 ($598 per acre) SOLD

Tax Map Identifier: 20.1-1-7.002

Latitude/Longitude: The center of the property is approx. 44°25'00" North, 73°29'30" West. The parcel is split between two county tax maps, with the western portion on this map and the eastern portion on this map. The USGS topo map below shows of the approximate boundaries to make it easier to visualize. The property has been recently surveyed by a licensed New York land surveyor, and the survey map is shown below on the right. Click on either map for a larger version.

Description: Large private tract of Adirondack timberland. The property has been logged within the past few years, so there is no presently marketable timber. However, the cutting was done selectively leaving the property aesthetically pleasing.

Utilities: Power lines pass along the edge of the property on U.S. Route 9. There is no public water or sewer service. One would drill a well and install a septic system to build a residence.

Access: The property has legal and physical access along U.S. Route 9 (paved).

Property Taxes: $6,047 per year. Taxes could be reduced by putting a forestry plan in place and enrolling the property in New York's 480-A tax reduction program. The property is not enrolled now, so its use is not restricted to forestry.

Title Transfer: We provide a Warranty Deed and guaranteed insurable title. Title insurance policy is available at Buyer's expense.

Highlights: The property is located inside a very scenic part of Adirondack Park and borders about 2,000 acres of state land in the Taylor Pond Wild Forest. The views of Butternut Pond and Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain are excellent from just about anywhere near the road. From the higher elevations deep inside the property (looking east), there are million-dollar views of the Lake Champlain, Willsboro Bay, and the Green Mountains of Vermont. The property has 5,454 feet (over 1 mile) of frontage along U.S. Route 9 and is about 1 mile from Exit 33 of Interstate 87, so there is excellent four-season access. The property is about 4½ hours from New York City.

Potential Uses:

• It would make a nice private estate for someone who likes privacy and the Adirondacks. Given the large size, it would have appeal as a premier estate property for the discriminating buyer, who may wish to construct a long private drive and place a secluded large home in the east side of the land with the spectacular Lake Champlain views.
• A prospective year-round resident might build inexpensively nearer the road and enjoy the Butternut Pond and Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain views, and easy commute to Plattsburgh.
• The pure investment buyer could lower the taxes and generate income by committing to a long-term timber harvesting plan (and perhaps enjoy a large capital gain in the future... private land in the Adirondacks is a strictly finite resource).
• An enterprising developer could split the property up and sell tracts (>42 acres) along the road.
• Hunters, ATV riders, hikers, and rock-climbers would enjoy unparalleled recreational opportunities.
• A Canadian buyer might also consider this land for any of these purposes, as it is only 1½ hours from Montreal and the Canadian dollar is reasonably strong at the moment.

Financing: Seller financing is available, with flexible terms.

Zoning: The property is inside Adirondack Park. A permit is required from the Adirondack Park Agency for building or subdividing. This property has Resource Management zoning, meaning that compatible uses include residential uses, agriculture, and forestry, and the average lot size can be no lower than 42.7 acres. Building within 300 feet of a federal highway is subject to additional scrutiny as a Critical Environmental Area. More information is available at the APA website.

Wetlands: Per mapping data available from Essex County, New York, there are only about 12 acres of wetlands on the property.

Comparison Shopping: Browse the MLS at Realtor.com, or other land offerings at LandsOfNewYork.com. National portals like eBay, EagleStar, and LandAndFarm.com are also worth checking out. Locally focused land sales companies include Christmas And Associates and Land First, Inc.. We think you'll find that:

• Tracts larger than 400 acres are rare
• Prices under $600 per acre are uncommon
• When prices this low are found, the property usually has poor road access (e.g. a right-of-way), significant wetlands, long distance from the highway, or all three.

Our property offers excellent road access, a very small amount of wetlands, and a convenient location. After you've done your research, please contact us to arrange a visit.

Photos: The photos below were taken from the property in September 2007.

View to the west from up in the woods	View looking up U.S. 9 northbound from the property
View of Butternut Pond from the property	View looking into the property from U.S. 9

The following photos were taken from the property in January 2009.

Trail inside the property	Typical Adirondack woods view
U.S. 9 frontage (property on right, I-87 on left)	Mountain view
Overlooking road and mountains beyond	Another mountain view

The following photos were taken from the property during the preparation of a new boundary survey, at various times in February-April 2009.

Lake Champlain and Willsboro Bay view	Another spectacular lake view (looking east)
Butternut Pond (looking west from property)	Looking south at Poke-O-Moonshine Mountain
Rock wall on the property	Small wetland area at southwest tip of property
Woods view (looking northeast)	Woods view (looking southeast)

How Large Is 493.4 Acres? The technical answer is 21,496,184 square feet. But it's hard to imagine it until you've seen it. Here are some points of reference that may or may not mean anything to you:

• A standard football field, including end zones: 1.32 acres
• Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay: 22 acres
• Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Florida: 107 acres
• Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY: 147 acres
• The National Mall in Washington, DC: 309 acres
• The independent nation of Monaco: 485 acres
• One square mile: 640 acres
• Central Park in New York City: 843 acres