A promising (non) development in Riverside

(Just because God didn’t choose to place his church in a sylvan meadow doesn’t mean AI can’t)

Partnership for Preserving St. Paul’s Open Space Launched in Riverside

Statement to the congregation at St Paul’s Church in Riverside from The Rev. Stephanie M. Johnson:

A rare opportunity to permanently protect undeveloped land in the heart of Riverside is now within reach.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Riverside Association, and Greenwich Land Trust have signed a non-binding letter of intent that could lead to the conservation of a portion of St. Paul’s 8.65-acre campus bolding added at 200 Riverside Avenue as permanently protected open space.

The proposed conservation area, accessed from Indian Head Road, and located within an R-20 single-family residential zone, represents some of the last remaining undeveloped land in this part of Greenwich. If the effort succeeds, the property would be protected from future development and preserved for the benefit of the entire community.

St. Paul’s has sought town approval to subdivide its property as part of a plan to ensure the long-term financial stability of the Day School and Church, an institution that has served Riverside families and neighbors for more than 150 years. [Four separate lots] The Church’s original plan contemplated the sale of residential lots to support its mission and operations.

The newly signed non-binding letter of intent charts a different and collaborative path forward: one that balances financial stewardship with conservation and community values. Under the proposed framework, the Riverside Association will lead a community-wide fundraising effort along with Greenwich Land Trust to purchase the property and conserve it in perpetuity.

….

The initial fundraising goal is $5.2 million, with the final purchase price to be based on an independent appraisal of the property’s value once the property is subdivided.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the Riverside Association and Greenwich Land Trust – two organizations that share our commitment to serving the Riverside community,” said Rev. Stephanie M. Johnson, Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. “Our decision to sell part of our property has been bittersweet. It’s necessary to ensure that St. Paul’s remains a financially strong part of Riverside. We also recognize that our park-like campus has been beloved by our parishioners and neighbors for generations. With the letter of intent, I can see a future where we are able to maintain both the open space and St. Paul’s for future generations.”

Discussions among the three partners began in April 2025, culminating in the signing of the letter of intent earlier this month. The sale to Greenwich Land Trust remains contingent upon final approval of the Church’s proposed subdivision plan by the Town of Greenwich, as well as the successful completion of the fundraising efforts.

The Devil’s in the details, of course: what’s “a portion of the 8.65-acre campus” actually mean? How much, and how many house lots are still planned?

(Update: looking at the original application, it sounds as though the two new lots accessed from Indian Head Road might be spared from development, while two lots fronting Riverside Avenue would be built on. Hmm.)

I found this bio of the Reverend Johnson on St. Paul’s website. I’d hate to suggest that her initial support for carving up 8 acres of undeveloped land in the heart of Riverside smacked of hypocrisy but ….

I await the final plan with curiosity.

Reverend Johnson worked for the Episcopal Bishops of New England providing support to 7 dioceses with nearly 600 congregations in responding to climate change. In this position, she designed and launched an outreach campaign called “Turn off the lights, for God’s sake.”

Reverend Johnson won the 2011 St. Francis Philanthropic Award for Preaching on Creation Care from Earth Ministries in Seattle. She is on the Leadership Circle for Blessed Tomorrow and the Advisory Board at the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary. She is the author of “How Can I Care for Creation” published by Church Publishing. She has served as Chair/Co-chair on the Episcopal Church’s Task Force for Care of Creation and Environmental Racism for the past seven years