Conservation easement will be on Town Meeting warrant
August 4, 2008
Eagle Tribune
WINDHAM — Selectmen had originally planned to wait until next spring before asking voters if they wanted 83 acres of town land near Goodhue Road to be managed as a conservation easement by a land trust.
The prevailing thought on the board was to not put this question on the special Town Meeting warrant in September because they didn’t want to muddy the waters for the main question on the special warrant — whether to build a secondary access road to the new Windham High School.
Board members said the road question was too critical to risk drawing attention away from it. Last month, however, the board decided to put the conservation question to voters at the special Town Meeting on Sept. 9. The board was eager to qualify for grant money tied to the easement conveyance.
Selectman Charlie McMahon warned fellow board members that there is no guarantee the state would have any grant money available for the town in the spring, so he wanted to try to pass the article in the fall.
If the town conveys the land as a conservation easement to a third party such as the Southeast Land Trust, it will receive a $177,000 water well protection grant from the state. The money would go to the town conservation fund, available for protecting open space in town.
At least one board member, Selectman Chairman Dennis Senibaldi, worried that people might confuse the two warrant questions, Articles 1 and 2, or think that they are related even though they are not.
Selectmen have yet to take a position on recommending the conservation question. Senibaldi supports the article, but not the time that it is being put to voters.
Selectman Galen Stearns does not support the article, saying that he does not want the town to give up control over the land.
The conservation easement action would permanently preserve the acreage as forest land, wetlands and wildlife habitat.
Residents can size up the proposal at the town deliberative session Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Those in attendance can ask questions, debate and even amend the articles. Voting on both articles is slated for Sept. 9 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. at Golden Brook School.