State committee signals support to transfer Randall parcel to Waterbury for flood mitigation

The Buildings and General Services Committee signaled support on March 20 to transfer a state-owned parcel commonly referred to in the meeting as the Randall property to the town of Waterbury so the town can pursue long-term flood mitigation.

The committee’s discussion, led by Wanda Manoli, Commissioner of Buildings and General Services, centered on aligning a subdivision and transfer with the state’s stormwater-management needs and ensuring the town receives clear parcel language and a statutory ‘‘notwithstanding’’ clause to Title 29 VSA §166(b) for the transfer. ‘‘If you choose to transfer, we would want the opportunity to work with the town of Waterbury to ensure that the subdivision reflects our stormwater management needs,’’ Commissioner Wanda Manoli said.

The parcel is currently leased to a farmer. Commissioner Manoli told the committee the lease brings in ‘‘a little bit over $3,000 a year’’ and that staff have notified the leaseholder about the discussions. She said the state cannot develop the…