Newtown’s First 2006 Open Space Purchase A 61-Acre Coup

By John Voket

It has been a long time since anyone could get an acre of land in Newtown for $12,000. But thanks to the wish of one resident’s family to remain in town and protect its land from development, local officials were able to protect 61 acres while spending only $637,000.

The latest acquisition in Newtown’s five-year plan to purchase open space to preempt residential development provides a connection between two other key public parcels, according to First Selectman Herb Rosenthal.

 “By combining the outright purchase of eight acres and securing the development rights and a conservation easement on 50 additional acres, we’re creating a contiguous hiking trail extending from The Pleasance at South Main and Sugar Street to an egress point on Brushy Hill Road south of John Beech Road,” Mr Rosenthal said.

Since the land purchase will allow the seller, Katja M. Pieragostini, to reconfigure his residential parcel and retain a connected three-acre lot for private family use, the total acreage removed from possible development totals 61. Mr Rosenthal said the family parcel is perfect for a small-scale agricultural operation.

“The contract states that no further residential development can occur on the family parcel, and it must conform to some strict use standards,” Mr Rosenthal said. “The family can leave it as is, they can farm on it, grow Christmas trees or conduct some other type of agriculture that won’t compromise its current condition.”

While those lots can be sold, they cannot ever be developed beyond the strict usage standards set forth in the conservation easement. The first selectman said when multiplying out the total acreage protected against the purchase price for the eight acres, the total per acre cost was about $12,000.

“That’s unheard of, even in situations where there is prominent wetlands,” he said. “Today, we are figuring building lots at $250,000 to $350,000 value. So even if you just apply the purchase to the developable eight acres, we made a good investment.”

The funds to make the purchase were the first to be expended from the 2006-2007 allotment of $2 million, which is from the second phase of a five-year, $10 million land acquisition allocation approved by voters in 2005.

Conservation Commission Chairman Joseph Hovious said a number of residents have contacted the Conservation Commission since hearing about the town’s land preservation initiative.

“We’ve talked to a number of folks interested in preserving their properties through easements, sales, and donations,” Mr Hovious said.

He said interested landowners who may want to be considered for the program should contact the first selectman’s office, the land use department, or the Conservation Commission.

Mr Hovious said he was pleased to see the way the town’s latest acquisition completes a multipiece patchwork of properties to form a large expanse of public land.

“This parcel connects several pieces of open space, and preserves some properties for our residents for passive recreation use, which helps meet our objectives for the plan of Conservation and Development,” he said. “The Conservation Commission worked with the selectman and the owner to evaluate and rate the property, and ensured the public and owner had appropriate access to the respective parcels.”

According to Mr Hovious, recent changes in tax laws help make land donations and the granting of easements and development rights an attractive option for property owners who would rather preserve than see family land sold and possibly developed.