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Great Works Regional Land Trust closes on riverfront parcels; town's $200,000 helped secure 73-acre conservation project
Summary
The Great Works Regional Land Trust reported closing on more than 70 acres that include riverfront marsh and uplands; the project raised about $2.5 million in funds and includes donor land value and a $200,000 town contribution.
Tim Smith, project manager with the Great Works Regional Land Trust, told the council the land trust closed on multiple parcels that together protect roughly 73 acres of upland and about 16--17 acres of marsh along the Salmon Falls River (project names used in funding materials may differ). The land trust said it raised roughly $2.5 million to acquire the properties and that the town contributed $200,000 toward the purchase.
Major private contributions included more than $1.1 million in donated land value from the original landowner and an additional donation of about $440,000 from neighbors Chris and Rosalind Magnuson, who gave their parcel during the closing. The land trust said it closed on the primary parcels in September and now owns the properties.
Planned public uses include low-intensity, wildlife-focused trails; two river overlooks; a small parking area with roughly eight or nine spaces on Oldfields Road; a gathering circle for educational programming; and one universal-access trail segment intended for visitors with mobility limitations. The project team described efforts to avoid sensitive habitat and vernal pools, to limit signage and to potentially restrict dogs to minimize disturbance in core wildlife areas.
Smith told the council there are six schools within four miles of the site and said the land trust envisions educational programming and modest public access rather than heavily developed recreation. Staff said trail design and engineering (including parking-lot design) would be advanced this winter and trail construction could begin in spring and summer, with further work through the fall.
Councilors and staff discussed possible volunteer or community partnerships; one councilor suggested coordinating trail work with a locally based naval crew adoption program that places service members in community projects. The land trust said it had consulted the conservation commission and planning staff and would pursue standard permitting and site-review steps.
Next steps: engineering/design for the parking area this winter, trail layout in spring, and staged construction in summer/fall pending permitting and funding of construction costs.
