Small Patch Of Land Will Open Path For Urban Trail

By Kendra Bobowick

The small patch of land where Elm Drive meets one end of Deep Brook Road may look unimportant, but recently it has drawn more scrutiny and discussion than any other small patch of grass in town.

Who owns it? The answer will determine — literally — the course of an urban trail that the town’s Parks and Recreation Department hopes to establish in the area of Dickinson Park and Elm Drive. This week the paperwork was moving: e-mails, correspondence, and hints that documents regarding a deed were “in the mail.”

Does the triangular patch of land where the roads intersect belong to the town or to the Newtown Village Cemetery Association Inc? This week, Parks and Recreation Commission members were among those who were not certain about the answer. During a meeting Tuesday, Assistant Director of Parks Carl Samuelson said, “We can’t move forward until we know we own ‘the triangle’ across from the cemetery…” He believes that the triangle is an easement. “But who is the easement to?” he wanted to know Tuesday.

On Wednesday morning cemetery association e-mails between members sought something conclusive. Association President and Sexton Maureen Crick Owen sent an e-mail to Vice President Dan Cruson noting a “dispute” between the association and the town “about the small triangular piece.” Although her letter soon reveals that she is not inclined to dispute the town’s ownership, she did indicate: “For as long as I can remember [the Newtown Village Cemetery Association Inc] has maintained it and thought it belonged to [the association].”

After a phone call to Land Use Director George Benson to confirm Ms Owen’s next statement, the town’s GIS maps do indicate that the triangular parcel is, in fact, in the town’s right-of-way. Ms Owen explains that someone was also hired to do a title search to determine the property’s owner. She states, “He was unable to.”

The recreation department left the discussion open Tuesday, with the hopes of resolving ownership and — best case scenario — beginning its trail work. The department will likely soon have an answer.

Ms Owen wrote to Mr Cruson Wednesday, “I do not have any information to substantiate our claim” that the cemetery association owns the parcel. She indicates that she is ready to inform the town that the parcel “is the town’s.” Although the association has maintained the triangle for roughly 15 years, she is also indicates that “we will not maintain it further.”

Mr. Cruson had replied, “I agree.” He also reviewed documents, but “found no indication that it had been deeded to the association.” He concluded, “I think it is town land.”

The recreation department has had the roughly $40,000 grant money to use toward an urban trail that it had at first mapped out through areas including Ram Pasture — a plan that the cemetery association argued against. As Mr Marks recalls, “The association didn’t want [the trail] running along Hawley Pond.”

The triangular strip became a point of argument when the recreation department rerouted the trail to circle Dickinson Park and travel along Deep Brook Road. It is hoped that the project’s path is now clear and crews can begin work. The trail will “traverse the full length of Dickinson,” said Mr Marks.