Update: Willow Ridge Rejects Town's Assertion Deal Was Accepted

HARRISON, NY — It appears that Willow Ridge Country Club electing to receive the Town of Harrison's offer as an advance payment will not end the dispute surrounding the historic 120-acre property. Lawyers for the club make it clear that the legal wrangling has just only started.

"The report on Willow Ridge Country club is incorrect," the club's eminent-domain attorney Michael Rikon told Patch in a written statement. "The club did not settle. It rejected the offer as full compensation and elected to receive same as an advance payment under the law without prejudice to filing a claim for just compensation as required by the Fifth Amendment."

The often rancorous dispute between the town and the country club came to a head last year when Harrison Town Attorney Frank P. Allegretti announced that the town would pursue eminent domain proceedings to acquire the property. Since then, each side has accused the other of negotiating in bad faith.

The town has explored plans to convert the property to a municipal golf course and swim club, open to the public, but Willow Ridge representatives say a final sale is a long way off and may never happen. It seems almost certain at this point the courts will also have a hand in the future of the club.

"The club has not agreed to sell," the Willow Ridge spokesperson told Patch in an email. "The initial payment is a step in a process that could lead to a transaction. That process is outlined by New York State’s Eminent Domain Procedure Law."