The philanthropic Julia Butterfield did a great thing funding a trust to establish and operate a hospital for the people of Cold Spring, Nelsonville, Garrison and the surrounding areas. During its many years of operation (1928-1993?), the hospital was a lifesaving asset to the Philipstown community and a birthing room to many. Then, due to either changing economic conditions or the Butterfield Hospital Board of Trustees' ineptness or inability to resist the influence of a well-connected medical empire's efforts to remove all competition (depending who you ask), the hospital was shut down and the trust was "merged" with Hudson Valley Hospital Center, despite petitions from hundreds of residents trying to stop the proceedings. HVHC then removed the hospital equipment and have since been leasing space to a few medical related concerns. Residents could only hope that some day the hospital would reopen, as specified in the trust.
Where once there was a trust fund, a hospital and property, now who knows what's left for the community. Is it possible everything is gone from the trust but the building and the property under it? Is it possible it's too late for that, too? If the former Butterfield Hospital Board of Trustees did indeed lose everything Julia Butterfield generously left, should they not be held accountable to the community for their blatant mismanagement/ In the movies, the State Attorney General's office would step in, punish any wrongdoers and restore the trust to its rightful heirs. But don't hold your breath.
A well-hidden meeting took place last Tuesday at, ironicly, the Julia Butterfield Library, between board members of Cold Spring, Nelsonville and possibly Philipstown (they were invited) and representives of HVHC. Seems HVHC wants to lease or possibly sell the property out to a NYC concern, who will convert and add on to the building or to create assisted-living housing. The NYC concern surely plans on making a profit for its efforts, so what's in it for the local residents, who were meant to benefit from this charitable trust? Where's the charity in HVHC pocketing the proceeds from sale of the mortgage-free property or collecting discounted rent from a separate for-profit subagent, who in turn provides housing to the public at current market rates.
If HVHC and the Butterfield Hospital Trustees are able to wash their hands of the past and this project goes through, Julia Butterfield's once bountiful trust will be either gone forever or at the very least, stagnant, toiling along in limbo as if it was never established. The net result, whether the property is leased out or sold, would be the same as if the trustees just gave the trust, the hospital and the land it sits on away. And that would be criminal.
P.S. If senior housing
is the best use of the old hospital, then cut out the subagent and
HVHC, who should not have rights to what's left of the trust, and set
up a not-for-profit organization benefiting the area's seniors. Any
positive cashflow could be applied back as rent reductions, based on
need. The small percentage of local residents benefiting from the
trust in this scenario would be better than no local residents
benefiting from the trust, as in the scenario being proposed.
John Teagle
Cold Spring