As most Manhasset residents know, Greentree was the home of the late Mr. and Mrs. John H. Whitney. The Whitneys, longtime residents of Manhasset, cared deeply about the community. Over the years they gave portions of their estate to start North Shore Hospital, to build new station houses for the police and fire departments, and to create a community park and pond.

Long before their deaths, the Whitneys had planned for the future of Greentree. They felt strongly that Greentree should be preserved, remain intact and be used to further understanding among people of different nations and cultures. They were also mindful of the importance of engagement with the local Manhasset community.

The Greentree Foundation and its board of trustees have made plans for Greentree that are consistent with the Whitneys' wishes. First and foremost, the foundation has decided not to subdivide or develop the property. Instead, the foundation will preserve the estate as it presently exists. There will be no new construction other than to upgrade existing facilities.

As everyone is aware, there is a critical shortage of open space in Nassau County. Greentree is a key property in the Nassau County open space plan with 408 acres consisting of forested areas, mowed fields and landscaped gardens. Most of the site is made up of upland oak forests with a red maple-hardwood swamp located at the southern portion of the property. The site also supports a variety of wildlife, including many species of birds. It is the home of Nassau's most famous outcrop, Shelter Rock. As undeveloped open space, Greentree contributes significantly to the ecology and limits the density of the area.

The foundation's commitment to protect this property fulfills a desire of the Whitneys and, we believe, a long-held desire often expressed by members of the community. Maintaining the property in its natural state requires a substantial amount of time and money. The foundation has not requested and does not intend to request resources from the town, the county or the state to maintain and preserve the property.

Consistent with the Whitneys' core wishes, the plan is to use Greentree as a meeting place for leaders, scholars and nongovernmental officials. Accordingly Greentree Foundation has been working with the United Nations and other organizations whose missions are similar in scope and importance to establish Greentree as a meeting place to promote human rights, justice and international cooperation.

Throughout the last two years Greentree has hosted several meetings devoted to these issues. Peacekeepers from East Timor and Kosovo met at Greentree in September of 2000. The International Center for Transitional Justice held several strategy sessions at Greentree in 2001. Last June the inaugural meeting of the Commission on Human Security took place at the estate. In late November, the Secretary General of the UN visited the estate.

Greentree Foundation has also made the estate available to local foundations that support programs carried out by nonprofit and civic organizations. For example, the foundation hosted several meetings at the property for the Long Island Community Foundation and a coalition of Long Island foundations to discuss inter-group relations and ways to improve cooperation among Long Island philanthropies. Greentree Foundation will continue to make the estate available to local foundations whose mission is consistent with the foundation's purposes. We are committed to working with the community on programs that will inure to its benefit.

Let us address the real estate tax question. Greentree Foundation can obtain an exemption from real property tax if it uses the property for charitable purposes. That is the law and it applies to Greentree just as it does to religious and other charitable nonprofit organizations. Whether the foundation is entitled to an exemption from real property depends solely on the nature of the foundation's use of the property. Whatever decision the Town of North Hempstead makes on the zoning text change will have no impact on the real property tax issue.

Currently, the foundation is paying taxes to the Town of North Hempstead, Nassau County, the Manhasset School District, the Great Neck School District and various Special Districts. We will continue to do so unless or until the court determines otherwise.

We look forward to continuing the Whitneys' longstanding relationship with Manhasset and its citizens. We are prepared to meet regularly with community representatives to review our program developments and assure that our activities are mutually beneficial.

Robert Curvin

President

Greentree Foundation