July 2009
Issue
Backroom
Deal
State Land Transfer Kept Out of Public Eye
by Ed
Schwing
It was odd enough for someone to come to a Planning & Zoning Commission meeting to discuss a potential land swap of a property that he did not own. Stranger yet, was requesting a retroactive extension of an expired zoning permit for that same property.
But the unusual event did occur at the May 5 P&Z Commission meeting, when Architect Steve Rocco discussed a potential land swap and requested a permit extension for a property he was considering buying.
“We have formed a new partnership called Eagle Landing LLC,” said Rocco, “and we are in negotiations with a public entity that I cannot name at this time, to exchange land that we are in the process of purchasing in Higganum, for a piece of land in Tylerville that would be beneficial to our business, the Riverhouse ”.
Rocco, a partner in the Riverhouse banquet facility in Tylerville, explained that the new partnership had been formed for the purpose of buying the 87 acre property at the corner of High Street and Route 81 in Higganum. In 1998, plans to subdivide that parcel had been approved by the P&Z Commission. However, due to various circumstances, the original plans to build 33 houses on the property were never implemented and the subdivision permit expired in 2007. Over time the property changed hands.
Now, as Rocco explained, he and his partners were in discussion to buy the property and exchange a portion of it, about 54 acres, with a public entity, the identity of which he could not reveal to the commission.
“It is a secret,” said Rocco, “and only Chairman Mal Gorin and Planner Liz West, know what the deal is and I have asked them not to share that information at this time.”
“Once Eagle Landing LLC takes title to the property,” he added, “the partnership plans to convey 54 acres as permanent open space to this public entity, and the remaining 34 acres will be for residential development.”
(Full Article)
New Group to Help
Conserve CY Property
One year after Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company
requested “Expressions of Interest” for its 582 acre
former power plant site in Haddam, a new group the
“Connecticut Yankee Conservation Project” has been formed
to work with the conservation community and Connecticut
Yankee toward an agreement to conserve the property.
The CY Conservation Project has hired Melissa Spear,
former Connecticut State Director of the Trust for Public
Land, to lead this effort. With over two miles of river
frontage on both the Salmon and Connecticut rivers, and
numerous significant historic and archeological sites,
the property is considered a high priority for protection
by surrounding communities, conservation groups, historic
preservation groups, as well as the Connecticut
Department of Environmental Protection and the US Fish
and Wildlife Service.
Andrew French, Wildlife Refuge Manager for the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service noted that the majority
of the Connecticut Yankee property lies within the
proposed Salmon River Division of the Silvio Conte
National Fish and Wildlife Refuge.
“The Salmon River Division was identified as a high
priority for conservation within the Connecticut River
watershed in 1995,” said French. “The property is very
important and it is our hope that it is invested in the
conservation estate for plants, fish, wildlife and
people.”
The Connecticut Yankee Conservation Project has committed
to act as an independent and impartial entity as it works
toward a conservation objective.
“This property is an extraordinary natural resource of
regional significance” said Melissa Spear. “Our initial
discussions with Connecticut Yankee, the State, the US
Fish and Wildlife Service, the town and the surrounding
conservation community have convinced us that a real
opportunity exists to conserve this property. It will be
a long process but we are working hard to lay the
groundwork for an agreement that will permanently protect
this spectacular site.”
The Middlesex County Community Foundation has agreed to
serve as the fiscal sponsor of the newly formed group
which will be overseen by a five member advisory
committee.
A number of key conservation organizations have already
expressed their support for this effort including the
Connecticut River Gateway Commission, The Nature
Conservancy, the Connecticut River Watershed Council, The
Trust for Public Land, the Connecticut Forest and Park
Association, Haddam Neck Spirit, the Middlesex Land
Trust, the Haddam Land Trust, and the East Haddam Land
Trust.
Speaking for the Haddam Neck Spirit and as a member of
the advisory committee Jim McHutchison explained why he
joined the new organization.
“We were afraid that if we waited passively any longer
for something to happen we might lose the opportunity to
conserve this one-of-a-kind property so a group of us
decided we needed to do something to get things going,”
said McHutchison
“We were very fortunate that Melissa Spear was available
to work with us,” he added. “Her experience working on
complex conservation projects, her connections within the
conservation community and her relationships with the
State and the USFWS have already proven very helpful.”
The CY Conservation Project intends to stay in close
touch with the local community and collaborate with
interested conservation groups as it works to negotiate
an agreement to preserve the CY property.
For more info contact Melissa Spear
at 203-530-3941 or
email: CYConservationProject@gmail.com.
