With a mission to help the community achieve balance in all aspects of life – physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual, Wainwright House is proud to serve the Rye community. If you are a Rye, NY resident and over 18 you can help! Please follow the link and sign the petition that will let City Council know you support us. We will send a list of people who have signed the petition along with a letter to the City Council prior to the meeting scheduled for mid-January.
Wainwright House (WH) and Milton Harbor Foundation (MHF) are petitioning the City Council of the City of Rye for an amendment to the Rye City Code for R-1 zones to also include as an accessory use water dependent recreational facilities and uses for recreational, non-motorized small craft.
MHF has offered to donate a newly constructed building in the current location of the Fonrose House, a non-historic building in need of extensive repair located on the southern-most point of the three buildings on the grounds. This generous donation by MHF will provide WH with a new facility used in accordance with how WH operates today. It would also include training for the sport of rowing for RowAmerica Rye (RAR). RAR is currently exploring the possibility of relocating to the WH property as their lease expiration approaches and with no appropriate alternative solution. The generous donation by MHF will provide WH with a new building to replace the Fonrose House. This new, larger indoor space will provide Wainwright House with a sound long-term financial plan, be utilized by WH and RAR, as well as address some prior concerns voiced by the Milton Point community about the use of the tent. These are challenging times for everyone – nonprofits included. The proposed mutually beneficial arrangement with RAR, will ensure that two valued institutions in Rye remain operational for many years to come. Unfortunately, real estate endeavors often cause charged and unpleasant situations as people grapple with the idea of change. Neighbors of WH have formed an organization called Friends of Milton Point to oppose the proposal and aggressively have been pursuing support for their opposition. Their communications have included false conjecture and misinformation. RAR and WH will provide information the city requires and navigate through this process with transparency, integrity and civility. In addition, there is a sizable voting population in Rye that supports WH and the RAR coming together to continue providing valuable resources to the community. We ask you now to join in that support. For a more thorough understanding of the WH/RAR petition, here is the full proposal. As always, we are grateful for your support. As valued friends of the WH, you have always been there for us when we needed your support. We need you now more than ever. - The Wainwright House Board of Trustees