Willow Ridge Country Club Agrees To Sell To Town Of Harrison

HARRISON, NY — After months of bickering and exchanging terse public statements, it appears the Harrison town officials and the owners of the Willow Ridge Country Club have reached a deal for the municipality to take over the historic property. On November 18 of last year, Harrison Town Attorney Frank P. Allegretti announced that the town would pursue eminent domain proceedings to acquire the 120-acre facility.

The announcement led to accusations of bad faith negotiating from both sides. In recent weeks, it seemed entirely possible that the Harrison landmark might cease to exist altogether. Late last year, the country club informed town officials that it was considering an offer from a group with plans to subdivide the property into a residential development.

Now in an abrupt about-face, the club has agreed to sell to the town. A $13.65 million offer from Harrison has been formally accepted by Willow Ridge ownership, Harrison Mayor Ron Belmont confirmed to Patch on Monday.

The country club accepting the offer is only the first step in the town’s plans to take over the site. The owners still have an opportunity to petition a judge to declare that the fair market value of the property is higher than the offer on the table. If this happens, Harrison taxpayers could be on the hook for substantially more money.

In January, a feasibility study commissioned by the town revealed that a municipal golf course on the property could result in the collection of green fees in excess of $135 per golfer. Residents might be able to join a new Harrison pool club for around $1500 per year. Results of the study conducted by the golf management consulting firm Troon were obtained by Westchester Magazine in January.

“Troon is the largest professional golf management company that provides services to over 470 plus courses all over the world,” Allegretti told town officials at the November meeting. He also noted that the management at Willow Ridge repeatedly attempted to stymie the study.