Changes to the Open Space Ordinance that created the Open Space Committee, the Open Space Trust Account and the funding to it, were reviewed for public comment at a BOA Public Hearing on Ordinances held Tue Jul25, 2006. The proposal contains 2 components: Elimination of the Open Space Committee (rolling their duties into the Conservation Commission), and changing funding to the Open Space Trust Account.
The Open Space Committee was created to prepare an Open Space Plan, and recomend, monitor and report on activities to the Open Space Trust Account. The OSC is made up of a representative from the Board of Alderman, Inland Wetland Commission, Planning and Zoning Commission, Sewer Commission, Conservation Commission (all with alternates) and 2 members at large.
The Open Space Committee in recent years started commenting on plans for subdivision. This creates conflict to members of the regulatory boards that make up the Committee and may be reviewing those applications. Partly in response to this, the Committee has great difficulty creating a quorom to conduct a meeting.
The Open Space Plan was completed in 1992. The Conservation Commission has been in the process of updating it, and several years back started a Quality of Life initiative to identify properties of interest that would be appropriate to consider for acquisition in light of the Open Space Plan. In effect, the Conservation Commission was doing this work of the Open Space Committee.
The Conservation Commission at it's July meeting reviewed the outcome of several meetings between myself and Board of Alderman president John Anglace regarding changing the ordinance. This included recomending $250k be allocated from the annual budget to the Open Space Trust Account. This is based on previous history of annual expenditures and receipts from subdivision's fees in lieu of open space land set asides. The amount also considered upcoming expenditures required for properties under acquisition and those that are likely to be acquired in the near future.
The Conservation Commission believed (and the Open Space Committee concurred) that this was a reasonable amount to receive from the annual budget into this restricted account held in trust for the use toward purchasing Permanently Protected Open Space Land and the ancillary expenses of studies, title insurance, attorney fees, etc related to such acquisitions.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Open Space Ordinance, the text of the proposal
The full text of the proposed ordinance can be found at the following address:
http://www.writely.com/View.aspx?docid=dhs7xnc2_0g425qp
http://www.writely.com/View.aspx?docid=dhs7xnc2_0g425qp
Friday, June 30, 2006
Jones Family Farms PDR
The Jones Family Farms applied to the City of Shelton's "Farm & Forest Protection Program". They sought to sell the development rights to apx. 140 acres they refer to as "Homestead Acres". This is the area sometimes referred to as "Candy Cane Hill" where people purchase Christmas Trees in the Chrismas season and where Easter Sunrise services have been held by local churches since the mid-1970's.
This acreage is within the "Means Brook Greenway" of the City of Shelton Open Space Plan. It abuts other acreage known as the "Shelton Family Farm" where the City of Shelton purchased development rights from the Shelton family. Across the street is Jones Family Farms "Valley Farm" (strawberries, blueberries and xmas trees) where development rights of 82 acres were purchased in 1995 (at no cost to the City of Shelton).
It is exciting to see property owners recognize the value, to both themselves and the City, of selling development rights or giving land as open space. The recently approved "Plan of Conservation and Development" also documented such value recognized and expressed by the residents at workshops held during the plan's preparation.
Residents both now and in the future are beneficiaries of the fact that the City of Shelton has an Open Space Plan that all departments refer and adhere to in their decisions. Shelton also maintains an Open Space Trust Account to receive fees, grants and budgetary amounts for future purchases and the many other ancillary components (appraisals, closing fees, surveys, title searches, etc) that lead to open space protection accomplishiments.
On March29, 2006 the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service's Farm and Ranchland Protection Program was announced with proposals due May11th. Of the several options available at both State and Federal levels, this was the best partner option for the City to help in acquiring the development rights. Any USDA NRCS FRLP grant is limited to no greater than 50% participation of the valuation.
On April26 the Board of Alderman held a special meeting where they authorized the Mayor to negotiate with Jones Family Farms for purchasing the development rights of property as outlined in their application to the Shelton Farm and Forest Protection Program using the USDA NRCS FRLP.
On May3 the Board of Alderman held a special meeting to award appraisal services to be done on the property for valuation.
On May5 the property was site-walked by the appraiser. The development rights value takes into consideration the potential build-out of the parcel and removing that to leave the agricultural value. Comparables are also reviewed and the appraisal was done to Federal "yellow book" standards.
On May9 the Planning & Zoning Commission gave a favorable 8-24 referral that purchase of development rights for this acreage was appropriate planning for Shelton.
On June27 the Board of Alderman authorized the Mayor to sign a co-operative agreement with the United States of America Commodity Credit Corporation for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Grant.
The Conservation Commission helped every step of the way in it's advisory capacity to bring it to this stage.
Everything mentioned to this point of this posting is publicly available knowledge through exploring minutes of meetings of various boards/commissions/committees. The Mayor is still in the negotiation process with Jones Family Farms. It is the practice of all City agents to not discuss items dealt with in "executive session" in order to protect the City's negotiating abilities. Until such time that there is an official announcement from the Mayor's office, no further public comment will be made by me.
This acreage is within the "Means Brook Greenway" of the City of Shelton Open Space Plan. It abuts other acreage known as the "Shelton Family Farm" where the City of Shelton purchased development rights from the Shelton family. Across the street is Jones Family Farms "Valley Farm" (strawberries, blueberries and xmas trees) where development rights of 82 acres were purchased in 1995 (at no cost to the City of Shelton).
It is exciting to see property owners recognize the value, to both themselves and the City, of selling development rights or giving land as open space. The recently approved "Plan of Conservation and Development" also documented such value recognized and expressed by the residents at workshops held during the plan's preparation.
Residents both now and in the future are beneficiaries of the fact that the City of Shelton has an Open Space Plan that all departments refer and adhere to in their decisions. Shelton also maintains an Open Space Trust Account to receive fees, grants and budgetary amounts for future purchases and the many other ancillary components (appraisals, closing fees, surveys, title searches, etc) that lead to open space protection accomplishiments.
On March29, 2006 the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resource Conservation Service's Farm and Ranchland Protection Program was announced with proposals due May11th. Of the several options available at both State and Federal levels, this was the best partner option for the City to help in acquiring the development rights. Any USDA NRCS FRLP grant is limited to no greater than 50% participation of the valuation.
On April26 the Board of Alderman held a special meeting where they authorized the Mayor to negotiate with Jones Family Farms for purchasing the development rights of property as outlined in their application to the Shelton Farm and Forest Protection Program using the USDA NRCS FRLP.
On May3 the Board of Alderman held a special meeting to award appraisal services to be done on the property for valuation.
On May5 the property was site-walked by the appraiser. The development rights value takes into consideration the potential build-out of the parcel and removing that to leave the agricultural value. Comparables are also reviewed and the appraisal was done to Federal "yellow book" standards.
On May9 the Planning & Zoning Commission gave a favorable 8-24 referral that purchase of development rights for this acreage was appropriate planning for Shelton.
On June27 the Board of Alderman authorized the Mayor to sign a co-operative agreement with the United States of America Commodity Credit Corporation for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program Grant.
The Conservation Commission helped every step of the way in it's advisory capacity to bring it to this stage.
Everything mentioned to this point of this posting is publicly available knowledge through exploring minutes of meetings of various boards/commissions/committees. The Mayor is still in the negotiation process with Jones Family Farms. It is the practice of all City agents to not discuss items dealt with in "executive session" in order to protect the City's negotiating abilities. Until such time that there is an official announcement from the Mayor's office, no further public comment will be made by me.
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