New York Champion Butternut Poughkeepsie, New York Robin Poritzky stands guard beneath the State Champion

There's a great big butternut tree growing along Poughkeepsie's Forbus Street, a bona fide champion whose reign risked being cut short by development. Now, however, the future looks greener for the 79-foot-tall white walnut, the largest of its kind in New York State. Negotiations are currently underway to find a solution that would protect the officially designated "State Champion Tree" and its park-like surroundings, while addressing the rights of the developer who planned to build houses on the site.

"This started out as an adversarial situation," notes John Lyons of Grant & Lyons, a Rhinebeck law firm. Residents living near the tree were horrified to learn last July that the City of Poughkeepsie Planning Board had granted a developer permission to build a subdivision on the property. Bordered by Forbus, Gray and Cherry Streets, the land was once part of the grounds of Gregory House, an 1869 Victorian listed on the national and state historic registries.

Spearheaded by Robin Poritzky and Gina Burley, a dozen or so neighbors banded together to form the Forbus Butternut Association. They contacted a DEC forester, who measured the tree and declared it a state record-holder. The group also hired Lyons, who filed a legal proceeding asking the court to review the planning board's decision.

A courtroom showdown seemed inevitable. Now, however, that confrontation may be headed off by a combination of old-fashioned mediation and good-faith negotiating.

Acting as a go-between in the dispute is Manna Jo Greene of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Referring to Greene's role, Lyons says: "She has not been advocating one side or another; she's been acting as a neutral party to facilitate the situation."

Greene is hopeful that a solution acceptable to all concerned parties can be found. "We're very optimistic about... saving the butternut tree, and having the developer come out OK," she declares. "There is a great deal of cooperation at this point from people who had previously been in opposition to each other."

"The developer," declares Poritzky, "is giving us the opportunity to purchase the property and of coming up with a win-win situation, where everyone makes out."

Purchasing the site, which is just under .9 acres, will take money-$100,000, to be exact.

"We're approaching as many foundations as we can," says Burley, who adds that they have also held fundraisers and hope to raise enough to qualify for a Dutchess County Open Space matching grant.

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For his part, the developer has shown an admirable willingness to consider alternatives to his original plans. Though Milton Maybaum, general manager of Brittney Enterprises, had intended to build six houses on the site, he subsequently agreed to build only five, so that thee tree could remain standing. A local newspaper quoted Maybaum as saying, "I wouldn't cut that tree down in a million years if I'd known it was the largest [butternut] tree in the state."

Such an arrangement wouldn't necessarily prevent the tree from being chopped down by a future owner, of course. And in any case, the neighborhood group was hopeful that not only the butternut, but also its bucolic surroundings, could be safeguarded.

Responding to community concerns, Maybaum agreed to participate in a series of meetings chaired by Greene and attended by city and state officials, as well as representatives of the Forbus Butternut Association.

Forbus Butternut Assoc. of Poughkeepsie P.O. Box 5058 Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 845-454-2349 President Gary Privratsky

So, why all this fuss over a tree?

"It's not just a tree. It's a beautiful piece of property," exclaims Burley, who has lived near the old-timer for 12 years. "It's an oasis located in the center of a bustling city."

Poritzky concurs. "It's a beautiful park-like setting," she notes. "The house and the property go hand-in-hand. We're trying to preserve its integrity."