Date: Fri 28-Mar-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

greenways-Fetzer-Iroquois

Full Text:

Fetzer Says Amaral Land Purchase May Hurt Greenways Effort

B Y S TEVE B IGHAM

Gary Fetzer said he was initially thrilled to hear of the town's interest in

the purchase of a 13-acre parcel off Elm Drive. He still is, but not if it

means paying for it with most of the $455,000 in Iroquois pipeline money the

town currently has at its disposal.

Mr Fetzer, who is a selectman and chairman of the town's Greenways Committee,

said he and his fellow board members have been counting on that "seed money"

to help jump start the town's plan to someday establish a continuous trail

system in town, connecting all of the town's major open spaces.

"That money is critical for us to acquire easements and other small pieces of

land," Mr Fetzer said. "I guess there are different definitions of the word

`greenways.' Some feel it's acquiring open space, but we're looking to create

a trail system."

He sees the trail being used for low-intensity recreation for hikers, cross-

country skiers, horseback riders and mountain bicyclists.

Last week, First Selectman Bob Cascella endorsed the purchase of the Elm Drive

property recently put up for sale by brothers Daniel and Marcus Amaral. He

said the property would be a great acquisition for the town. He also said he

favored using some of the Iroquois money to pay for the land if its purchase

by the town came to fruition.

Iroquois' Gary Davis has already informed the first selectman that his company

would approve the purchase of the property for ballfields.

Mr Cascella said the town still does not know how much it would be willing to

pay for the property. In fact, he's been talking to local realtors this week

for appraisals to make sure the Amarals' $400,000 asking price is realistic.

"First of all, we don't know what we're going to pay for this property, and

how and where we spend this money is still open for debate," Mr Cascella said

Tuesday. "Even if we did pay the asking price for the Amaral property, there

will still be money left."

Exactly $55,000, about enough money to buy, at the most, 4 to 5 acres.

Mr Fetzer said the town's need for ballfields should be addressed through

bonding and/or in the budget, not with Iroquois money.

"We can't turn our backs on passive open space. The Amaral property does not

tie in to what we're trying to achieve. Without this Iroquois money to help

get us started we're going to be dead in the water," he said.

A Boost For Sandy Hook

Mr Fetzer met with members of Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity (SHOP)

earlier this week to discuss how the Greenways trail system could help

rejuvenate the economy in the Sandy Hook center. Both the Greenways Committee

and business owners feel strongly that the trail system, if brought into Sandy

Hook rather than around, could help draw people into the area.

SHOP President Kathy Fellows, owner of Woodstock Enterprises Tack Shop, said

the Sandy Hook center has had several new businesses move in in recent years

and has made significant improvements. Many say Sandy Hook center has changed

dramatically since the 1970s, when the Huns and the Hell's Angels motorcycle

gangs were involved in a deadly shootout there.

"The business owners here are trying to change people's viewpoints about Sandy

Hook. There seems to be a definite feeling that Sandy Hook is on the other

side of the tracks," she said.

Mrs Fellows said the area around the Sandy Hook center is beautiful and a

trail winding its way along the picturesque Pootatuck River would be ideal.

The Greenways Committee has already submitted proposals to use the Iroquois

money for repairs to Black Bridge off Glen Road and the building of a parking

lot at the foot of Huntington Park near the Redding border.

Of course, Mr Fetzer said his committee is not counting solely on the Iroquois

money to complete its monstrous plan. However, he said it would help get

things rolling.

"We want to be able to show that tangible steps are being taken," he said.