A highly visible four-acre parcel at the corner of East Warren Road and Roxbury Mountain Road is being conserved by the Yestermorrow Design/Build School and a coalition of local conservationists, in what organizers are calling the “Four Corners Project.”
The land, owned by John and Yasmin Landy, is being transferred to Yestermorrow through a “bargain sale,” where the Landys are selling the property for less than its appraised value – over $400,000 – to support the nonprofit’s mission. Yestermorrow is purchasing the land for $290,000, with over $318,000 pledged by donors to cover the sale and initial operating costs.
LANDRY QUOTE IF HE RESPONDS
The parcel sits directly across from the East Warren Community Market and is considered one of the most visible and significant undeveloped corners in the Mad River Valley. The closing is expected to take place next week.
“We thank a generous group of community members whose donations to Yestermorrow are helping purchase this land,” said Dan Reichert, a Warren resident and Yestermorrow board member. “It sits in a highly important and visible location in The Valley. I’m excited to dive into a community-oriented process to determine what may well be several long-term uses of the property.”
The land is currently zoned as “rural residential,” with much of it falling under the town’s “meadowland overlay,” according to Warren zoning administrator Ruth Robbins. Under the town’s updated zoning rules, subdivision is no longer allowed on parcels under five acres in either the rural or residential zone. The parcel will be in the rural zone under the town’s new land use and development regulations. While development isn’t prohibited, any potential projects would be subject to additional review due to the meadowland designation.
“That doesn’t mean certain development can’t take place,” Robbins said.
Yestermorrow leaders say no final decisions have been made on future uses of the land, but ideas floated include small-scale retail, moderate-cost housing, land conservation, and community event space. One informal idea includes potential coordination with the East Warren Community Market, should the right kind of building be constructed.
“We hope to achieve a community-oriented use of the property,” said Reichert, noting that after the closing, Yestermorrow will enter the second phase of the project – hosting public workshops in partnership with Warren and the public to gather input and shape future plans.
In a June presentation to the Warren Planning Commission, the project received “enthusiastic support,” and the commission expressed interest in collaborating on future planning. Yestermorrow also raised the possibility of integrating the project with the town’s own schoolhouse property across the road.
Reichert emphasized the collaborative and charitable nature of the deal. “This effort reflects both a generous sale by the Landys and the commitment of our community to thoughtful, locally grounded development,” he said.
Yestermorrow, based in Waitsfield, is a nonprofit design/build school offering workshops in architecture, sustainability, and building crafts.
For now, the organization says the site will receive immediate care, including brush hogging, cleanup, tree planting, and insurance coverage as it embarks on the next phase of community engagement.
