Selectmen Review Strategies For Funding Open Space Acquisitions

By Jan Howard

Tim Northrop of Newtown, state director of The Trust for Public Land in Connecticut and former member of the Open Space Ad Hoc Committee and member of the Newtown Forest Association, made a presentation before the Board of Selectmen October 6 regarding a feasibility analysis of bonding to finance local open space acquisition.

The Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit corporation, has 35 offices in the United States and assists communities to develop strategies for the protection of open space.

Mr Northrop said Connecticut’s staff of four “works with the state and municipalities to acquire open space.”

It addresses how a community could pay for open space acquisitions, he said. Members of Newtown’s Legislative Council are currently discussing a proposal that would use bonding for open space acquisition.

Mr Northrop said the purchase of open space land improves the quality of life in a community and protects natural and historic resources for future generations.

An open space program begins with a community vision and proceeds through research, conservation finance, transactions, park creation, and stewardship, he said during his presentation.

“Community vision includes the need for a plan to identify areas in town that need extra protection,” Mr Northrop said, such as watersheds.

He said his group works with community groups, elected officials, public agencies, land trusts, and others to design conservation measures that create funding for parks, water resources, farmland, and other open space needs. This feasibility research would determine what is an appropriate amount of funding and how to take the research, develop it, and lead to financing.

He said support for open space conservation measures are strong. In 2002, 140 measures, or 75 percent, were passed nationwide allocating $5.7 billion for the cause.

“People are in support of taxing themselves for land conservation,” he said, noting open space bonds in Connecticut have received an average of 72 percent for Yes votes. He said several municipalities, such as Danbury, Redding, Ridgefield, Southbury, Weston, Wilton, and Fairfield, approved bonding for open space between 1999 and 2003 from $2.8 million to $24 million. Some were for specific properties.

Mr Northrop said funds for open space acquisition are available through federal and state grants that can be combined with bonded funds to purchase properties.

He said the Land Trust for Public Land’s feasibility research would summarize the current state of Newtown as to fiscal health and growth trends that have shaped its development, outline potential revenue options, explain the constitutional and statutory provisions for placing an open space measure on the ballot, describe ballot language requirements, and research the history of past budgetary and finance measures.

 It would then analyze the data collected to provide recommendations regarding how to proceed with potential open space ballot measures.

“We would work with the townspeople and employees of the town to collect information,” Mr Northrop said. The cost for this service would be between $2,500 and $3,000. Because The Trust for Public Land is a nonprofit, it is able to offer a discounted price for its services, he noted.

“It sounds great,” Selectman JoeBojnowski said.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said the bonding proposal would give the town authorization to purchase parcels as they became available. The Open Space Task Force has identified land parcels of more than ten acres and has asked the owners to contact the town when they intend to sell.

Mr Northrop said the Land Trust for Public Land could be helpful in determining which property the town should buy.

Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker said the town should devise criteria for identifying critical parcels when they become available, such as has been determined for open space in subdivisions.

Mr Rosenthal said it has been proven that subdivisions cost more in taxes than they generate in revenue, noting it makes the case that tax money spent on the purchase of open space would save money in additional services in the future.

  The idea of bonding for the purchase of open space is to be discussed with the Board of Finance and the Legislative Council.