Select Board schedules Sept. 3 hearing to put Land for Maine Future covenants on November ballot for 31-acre Perry Oliver Road purchase

The Select Board voted on Aug. 20 to schedule a public hearing on Sept. 3 to consider placing a ballot question before voters in the November special town meeting about accepting a Land for Maine Future grant and associated restrictive covenants for a 31-acre parcel on Perry Oliver Road.

Town staff said the town has a purchase-and-sale agreement with the Bragdon Family Trust for the 31-acre parcel and that the Land for Maine Future Board has offered a $350,000 grant toward the purchase. Staff warned the draft project agreement contains covenants that could limit future improvements on this parcel and other conservation parcels the town already owns, and that some improvements would require review and approval by the Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife agency.

"We entered into a purchase and sales agreement with the Bragdon Family Trust to purchase 31 acres off of Perry Oliver Road," said Mike (staff), describing the map and covenants included in the draft agreement. He said staff will seek changes to allow exemptions such as a small parking area for trail access: "My thought was that we proposed some revisions to the project agreement that would allow us to put up to, say, a 20 space parking lot within an acre or so on the properties, that would be exempt from those restrictions." (Mike's remarks were read from the project memo and the board packet.)

Several board members pushed back on the idea that accepting the grant could transfer control of town-owned parcels to state review. "I'm very unhappy with what I see in front of me," said an elected member, arguing the town should not give up decision-making authority over land previously acquired for local conservation. Board members discussed options including negotiating narrower covenants with the Land for Maine Future Board, accepting a smaller grant with fewer restrictions, or buying the parcel outright from town land-bank funds to avoid covenants.

The board moved to schedule a public hearing on Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. in the Littlefield Meeting Room to frame a ballot question that would authorize the town to accept the grant and set which covenants would attach to the parcel. The motion was seconded and passed 4–0.

Background and next steps: If the board places the question on the November special town meeting ballot and voters approve, the town could accept the grant and the accompanying covenants as specified. If voters do not approve, the town could still pursue purchase through local funds before the purchase-and-sale agreement deadline in early December, staff said. Staff also plans to meet with the Land for Maine Future representatives and the Conservation Commission and to refine proposed covenant language before the public hearing.

Provenance: Topic begins with staff presentation and discussion at SEG 333 and concludes with the motion and vote at SEG 948.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article are drawn from the meeting record; direct quotes are attributed to the staff member who presented the memo (Mike) and to unnamed board members where speakers did not identify themselves by full name in the transcript.