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Select Board to consider Conservation Commission purchase of South Road parcel for $225,000
Summary
The Conservation Commission presented a purchase-and-sale for a fee-simple acquisition of a South Road property, asking the Select Board to authorize a bond application and to consider signing a finalized agreement next week. The parcel would connect existing conserved land and is proposed to be financed from the 2022 conservation bond.
The Brentwood Conservation Commission on Tuesday asked the Select Board to authorize moving forward with a purchase-and-sale agreement to buy a privately owned parcel off South Road for $225,000 funded by the town—s 2022 conservation bond.
Conservation Commission chair Becky Dunham told the board the property "came to our attention through a call from Duane Hyde of SELT" and that the owners had accepted the commission—s appraised value. She said the parcel has frontage on the Little River and "is a keystone" connecting Split Rock, the Stevens easement, the Robinson easement and other conserved land in the area.
The commission recommended a fee-simple purchase rather than an easement because the landowners needed a faster closing than an easement process would allow. The purchase-and-sale includes contingencies for a Phase I environmental assessment and for select-board and conservation-commission approvals. Dunham said the conservation commission sent a signed draft P&S to the landowners during Town Meeting.
The commission and town staff told the board they are working to meet the New Hampshire Municipal Bond Bank application deadline of April 25 so the town can request financing in the next bond cycle. Dunham said the closing date being targeted is by the end of the year, but the timeline is contingent on permitting, bonding, and completion of due diligence.
At the meeting Select Board members and staff discussed the timing and whether the bond proceeds and budget timing would affect the town—s tax-cap calculations. Treasurer staff and town administrators were identified as responsible for completing financial portions of the bond application.
No final authorization to close was taken at the meeting; commissioners asked that the item be publicly presented and tabled for one week so interested residents who were not present could comment before the board considers signing the P&S next Tuesday.
If the Select Board votes to sign the agreement, the purchase would be paid from the conservation bond approved at the May 2022 Town Meeting. The Conservation Commission said it will continue to pursue the bond application and complete the environmental review and other contingencies before a final closing.
