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Planning commission unanimously backs donation of ~28.54 acres around Frasch Pond to town
Summary
Stratford’s Planning Commission unanimously recommended that the Town Council accept an offered donation of about 28.54 acres around Frasch Pond and an access road, noting the parcel lies partly in an AE 100-year flood zone and that the donor placed no specific use restrictions in the offer.
The Stratford Planning Commission unanimously voted on July 16 to forward a favorable recommendation to the Town Council to accept a donation of an approximately 28.54-acre parcel that includes Frasch Pond and an access road.
Town staff reported the parcel was offered by Stratford Land Development Company Limited Partnership as a gift to the town. The town planner said GIS and deed records show some adjacent strips along Access Road may be listed to a different company and recommended staff review whether supplementary adjacent parcels should be included. The planner noted the parcel sits largely in an AE 100-year flood zone, contains wetlands in places, and is relatively low-lying; staff did not present a definitive plan for recreational development or conservation uses.
Town Attorney Bruce Jackson said the donation came with no specific limitations in the materials presented and reiterated that the 8-24 referral required commission review before the town takes title. Commissioners discussed potential recreational uses—pond access and fishing were mentioned—and asked whether the parcel might be used for natural flood-buffer strategies, such as a berm. The planner said the parcel could be helpful for such measures but that detailed flood-mitigation decisions would follow further study and engineering review.
A commissioner moved to return a favorable report to the Town Council recommending acquisition of Frasch Pond and the access road parcel; the motion was seconded and the commission voted unanimously to forward the recommendation.
Next steps recorded in the meeting include that staff will forward the recommendation to the Town Council and clarify title/GIS discrepancies before final Council consideration.
