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Tamworth Select Board holds public hearing on donated 12-acre parcel at 374 Tamworth Road
Summary
At a public hearing the Select Board heard residents and town staff discuss a proposed donation of more than 12 acres at 374 Tamworth Road (Map 202, Lot 35). Speakers flagged possible historical contamination, tax implications of a gift and a range of possible future uses, while the conservation commission urged accepting the parcel to enable public-funded assessments and cleanup.
The Tamworth Select Board opened a public hearing to consider a donation of more than 12 acres located at 374 Tamworth Road (Map 202, Lot 35). Town staff said the owners are offering the land to the town as an unrestricted gift and that the town would forgo approximately $4,400 a year in property tax revenue if it accepts the parcel.
Town staff (Speaker 6) told the board they have done a preliminary, historic-record review and informal engineering consultations but have not yet completed soil or water testing. "The gift is being given to the town with no strings attached," Speaker 6 said, adding that federal funding could be used for environmental assessment and cleanup if contaminants are discovered.
Residents and longtime town volunteers described the parcel's industrial past and potential municipal uses. Jim Bowles, speaking from institutional memory of past planning efforts, urged acceptance and noted the parcel sits within a radius that could suit a relocated central fire station. Another resident, Mark, asked if the town had checked for contamination; town staff said only historical research and interviews have been completed so far and that soil and downstream water sampling would be performed after the town takes ownership. "We have not had site testing done yet," Speaker 6 said.
The Tamworth Conservation Commission, which reviewed the proposal, recommended the town consider taking the parcel because public ownership would unlock funding streams that private owners would not qualify for. "Taking on the property means that if there is contamination there, it will be evaluated and a cleanup will actually happen," a conservation commission representative (Speaker 12) said.
Speakers discussed a range of possible interim and long-term uses. Suggestions included conserving riverfront portions, creating a Riverside Park, siting a municipal safety or fire facility, or developing a small solar farm to generate interim revenue. Town staff and residents emphasized that no formal plan exists and that any substantial development would follow a committee process, public meetings, and would likely require voter consideration for major capital outlays.
Board members noted the state requirement for two public hearings on this disposition; this meeting was the first. Town staff said a second hearing has been scheduled for November 26 and the Select Board cannot make a final decision until after that second hearing.
The public hearing was closed by motion later in the meeting; the board will revisit the item after the required second hearing and any additional environmental assessment work.
What's next: The Select Board holds the second statutorily required hearing on the parcel on November 26; staff said formal environmental testing would be undertaken if the town accepts ownership, and federal/state remediation grants may be available to offset cleanup costs.
