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Sheltering Palms offers $200,000 to buy out small conservation easement; council asks staff for mitigation policy
Summary
A buyer (Sheltering Palms Foundation) offered $200,000 to release a 2.12‑acre conservation easement on a 20‑acre parcel and to contribute $4,000 toward a code lien; council asked staff to return with an arborist‑based mitigation analysis and a policy that ties release options to restoration, mitigation cost, or land‑swap solutions.
Sheltering Palms Foundation presented an offer to the town to resolve uncertainty over a 2.12‑acre conservation easement and an associated code‑enforcement lien. The foundation offered $200,000 total — staff advised that $196,000 would correspond to the town’s appraisal for the easement and $4,000 would be applied to reduce a lien associated with an adjacent parcel. Town appraisals and the applicant’s appraisal were circulated and staff also reported on an arborist review of conservation parcels in town.
Council members and residents pushed for a careful policy: several said accepting payments to remove a conservation easement could set a precedent and urged that any monies be dedicated to a tree‑mitigation or land‑acquisition fund rather than general revenue. Staff recommended determining the greater of (a) an appraisal‑based payment or (b) a mitigation cost based on the town arborist’s estimate (and also allowing replanting or dedicated land as alternatives). Residents urged the town to prioritize conserving or restoring habitat rather than accepting cash for easement release.
Council directed staff to return with a clear policy and a mitigation cost estimate based on arborist review and to show how funds would be applied to tree mitigation or town‑owned conservation acquisitions.
