Scituate approves Land Trust purchases: Village of Hope parcel and 15‑acre Lawton Farm easement

The Scituate Town Council on Aug. 8 approved two Land Trust proposals to conserve local open space. Councilors authorized up to $90,000 from the town's open space fund toward purchase of Lot 117 in the Village of Hope and unanimously approved acquisition and expansion of a conservation easement covering 15 acres at Lawton Farm.

The Land Trust told the council Lot 117 (Scituate Assessor's Plot 10, 0.77 acres, asking price $119,900) would provide walkable access to adjacent protected trails and guard against development that could imperil nearby conserved land and river frontage. The Land Trust said it had raised $33,000 toward the acquisition and cited commitments from outside groups (Nature Conservancy $20,000; Fields Pond Foundation $10,000; Rhode Island Land Trust Council $3,000). The request to the town was for up to $90,000 from the open space reserve to complete the purchase; a council motion amended the authorization to make the purchase contingent on placing the property into public trust and the council approved the amended motion.

Separately, the Land Trust proposed taking title to two town‑owned parcels (Lot 272 on Scituate Tax Assessor Plot 9‑1 and Lot 14 on Cranston Plot 31) for $1 and extending an existing Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management conservation easement to cover an additional 15 acres. Speakers from the Land Trust and residents emphasized Lawton Farm’s value as publicly owned grassland and habitat for ground‑nesting birds. The council and the Land Trust trustees voted unanimously to approve the transaction and the public trust protection.

What happens next: The Land Trust will finalize purchase and public‑trust paperwork and the council directed staff to authorize funding from the open space reserve up to the approved limit; grant and private commitments cited by the Land Trust will be used to replenish the reserve over time.