Thanks to a great many, we have reached the $1 million goal to purchase 22 acres at Exit 4 in Randolph! So when this parcel is added to the 150 acres that the Castanea Foundation has purchased, a total or 172 acres of land will be protected from development and put into agricultural use. What a miraculous effort!
What a remarkable turnaround! It was not long ago when the developer and owner of the property was proposing to building 1,200,000 square feet of mixed use development. Now the property will be protected forever! The outstanding scenic views will be protected, prime agricultural soils will be used for agricultural purposes, and this key step will help build a stronger downtown Randolph.
This didn’t happen by accident. From the beginning it has been a team effort! When the application for the massive development was submitted, the Conservation Law Foundation and the Vermont Natural Resources Council led the opposition in the permitting process. Exit 4 Open Space rallied local support and was a strong voice at the hearings. We, at the Preservation Trust, provided financial support for the expert witnesses.
Then there were several months when CLF, VNRC, and the Preservation Trust participated in a mediation process with the developer. And then more negotiations.
A major breakthrough happened when the Castanea Foundation reached a deal to buy 150 of the 172 acres along Route 66 in Randolph.
And then after more negotiating, the owner Sam Sammis agreed to give the Preservation Trust, CLF, and VNRC two months to purchase the remaining 22 acres.
The Open Space citizens group did the grassroots fundraising, and we then looked for major gifts to reach the $1 million goal.
It was a daunting task. But you did it! We did it! We have Saved Exit 4! We are so grateful to our grassroots contributors and our major donors! Each of the 476 donations was important and critical to our success! Thank you all!
The Story of “Whale Dance” by Jim Sardonis
Watch the new short film about the making of "Whale Dance" by Jim Sardonis at Exit 4 in Randolph, VT
Whales’ Tails Once More at Exit 4 | The Herald of Randolph
Nearly 40 years ago, sculptor Jim Sardonis had a dream. He saw himself standing on the shore watching two whales dance in the surf. The image of the pair of tails breaking the surface of the water as they dove into the depths of the ocean was frozen in his mind. The product of that dream, a sculpture of twin whales’ tails superimposed against the Green Mountains, will soon grace the Randolph landscape once more....
Donations Surge As Preservation Group Looks To Buy Exit 4 Land | Vermont Public Radio
An effort to preserve a piece of land at the Randolph interstate exit is much closer to its goal after a flurry of commitments from several large donors.
Exit 4 Benefit Concerts
Join us for two upcoming concerts to benefit the Exit 4 Open Space project!
With One Month To Go, Groups Push To Raise Funds For Exit 4 Land | Vermont Public Radio
An effort to preserve 22.5 acres of land just off the Randolph exit of Interstate 89 has just under a month to finish raising $1 million.
Randolph Developer Makes Deal to Conserve Exit 4 Parcel | Valley News
Randolph Developer Makes Deal to Conserve Exit 4 Parcel
Conservation Groups Buy Exit 4 Land Once Slated for Development | Seven Days
Conservation Groups Buy Exit 4 Land Once Slated for Development
Randolph site once up for development now to be protected | VTDigger
Conservationists are raising money to buy the final piece of the parcel at Exit 4, while the owners have agreed to sell most of the land to another group to be run as a farm.
Two Historic Agreements to Protect Exit 4 Farmland and Open Space, Randolph
Two historic agreements will allow the protection of valuable farmland and scenic gateway in Randolph.
Helen Whtye: Exit 4 Development is Bad Business for All Vermonters
Approval of the proposed development would be a terrible thing not only for Randolph, but for all of the state of Vermont.
Vermont Values Exit 4
1.1 million square feet of unneeded development proposed on prime agricultural land at Exit 4, at the expense of Randolph's designated downtown.
Another View of Exit 4
Editorial from the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus and the Rutland Herald