Op-Ed: Aspetuck Land Trust Clarifies South Park Property Acquisition
PUBLISHED ON October 26, 2021 by Bill Kraekel, President of the Aspetuck Land Trust
Last week you may have received a pamphlet from Citizens for Responsible Government (CRG) about Aspetuck Land Trust’s (ALT) proposed purchase of 18.6 acres of the 29.5- acre South Park property owned by the Town of Easton. We’d like to offer a few clarifications.
ALT’s mission is the preservation and conservation of open space for the benefit and education of the public and future generations. Founded in 1966 as a nonprofit member-supported organization, we have already conserved 1,450 acres in Easton. ALT’s interest is solely in saving the land, not in local politics.
South Park Proposed Purchase – ALT would be delighted to buy the entire property from Easton. But together we settled on the most environmentally sensitive 18.6 acres, basically the shoreline of the Mill River.
Here are the Facts — The land is currently not protected in perpetuity by deed. Conveyed to ALT, it will be deed restricted for preservation and conservation. The $470,000 purchase price is exactly what an independent appraiser set. The State of Connecticut agreed the price is fair and awarded ALT a $188,000 grant to help purchase the property based on it. ALT will pay the balance. The state’s grant award remains in full force and effect.