Shelton Council authorizes purchase of state land at Richmond Avenue for $876,000

The Shelton City Council voted to authorize purchase of a parcel owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation along State Route 714 at Richmond Avenue and Constitution Boulevard for $876,000.

The resolution, backed by a map prepared by Scott A. Hill, P.E., described the parcel as non-access highway land and referenced revisions dating to 2023 and 2024. Council members who spoke described the parcel as roughly a half-acre of rock—25 to 30 feet high in places—and said the state was unlikely to use it for highway purposes. One speaker said the city would be creating the value for any development on the parcel rather than the state.

Councilors acknowledged the appraisal and statutory process required by the state for sales of DOT land and said they preferred to authorize the purchase now rather than risk losing access to the parcel if negotiations continued. The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously favorably referred the sale to the council, a councilor noted.

The motion passed by voice vote; no detailed roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting minutes. The council authorized officials to complete the purchase and any required documents to acquire the parcel. The resolution indicated the purchase would be funded pursuant to cited funding sections in the packet; council discussion did not specify final departmental accounting details at the meeting.