25ac purchase Old Mill Road
1 view
Skip to first unread message
thomas harbinson
Feb 23, 2022, 6:58:34 PM2/23/22
to Unknown
Commissioners - passing along some info on actions I saw taken by the Board of Alderman last night at their meeting. I find the YouTube video aspect of meetings very effective to keep in touch with what is occurring vs minutes that get released a month later.
The BOA authorized the execution of purchase agreement for the 25ac parcel on Old Mill Road. This is the Wells Holding property with some open fields and woodlands, abutting Rte8. Operates as the Bare Plain Farms Christmas Tree operations seasonally.
Here is the drop-in point for the YouTube video covering topic during the Special Meeting of the BOA. https://youtu.be/0F-pY5-fUhc?t=100
- Stated purchase price of $1,290,000 for 25ac (works out to $51,600/ac) with 1st payment of $322,500 to come from Aldermanic bonding. That is a 1/4 portion of the purchase price, but no mention of the subsequent periodic payments as to amounts or timing. No mention where future payments would source from. No mention of what the appraisal was to ensure the City was obtaining property at appropriate market values, though if you watch the video from Dec7 when the BOA authorized the Mayor to negotiate for purchase, you can overhear the Mayor saying something to BOA Clerk Teresa Adcox regarding an appraisal.
- No mention of why the Alderman are moving forward with the City purchasing it. Don't reference if it is for open space, preparation toward a future municipal use like recreation fields and such, or land banking for economic development ala the MAS property.
- There is no 8-24 referral request to P&Z, and I find no comment from P&Z minutes prior to this action to give comment from a planning perspective.
- Nobody reached out to the Conservation Commission for comment, which is logical in the sense that P&Z seems to have not been requested to give an 8-24 referral request. (8-24 refers to the CtGenStatutes section defining when a municipality disposes or acquires property)
Article in today's Shelton Herald regarding the subject. Direct link and copy/paste of text:
+++
Updated: Feb. 23, 2022 3:33 p.m.
SHELTON - The city has completed a deal to add more acreage to its land holdings. The Board of Aldermen, at its meeting Tuesday, approved the purchase of a 25-acre parcel off Old Mill Road for $1.2 million. The city is buying the property from Wells Holdings, with the initial payment of $322,500 to come from aldermanic bonding.
“This is consistent with what we want to do with other land purchases,” Mayor Mark Lauretti has stated about the land buy, adding that the city owns open space abutting this property already. “We like to block large parcels together. It helps control what goes on the land, if anything at all.”
Lauretti said the property owners reached out to the city about selling the land to Shelton. “It’s their wish to try to preserve as much of the land as possible,” said Lauretti. “It’s a nice piece of property.”
The site presently has a tree farm and borders Route 8 along Long Hill Crossroads.
“This is consistent with what we want to do with other land purchases,” Mayor Mark Lauretti has stated about the land buy, adding that the city owns open space abutting this property already. “We like to block large parcels together. It helps control what goes on the land, if anything at all.”
Lauretti said the property owners reached out to the city about selling the land to Shelton. “It’s their wish to try to preserve as much of the land as possible,” said Lauretti. “It’s a nice piece of property.”
The site presently has a tree farm and borders Route 8 along Long Hill Crossroads.
+++
Tom Harbinson
Tel: 203SirTomH
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages