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Seymour residents press board to halt Prospect Street sale; board tables matter and orders appraisal
Summary
Residents urged the Board of Selectpersons not to sell town‑owned land identified in the GIS as 100 Prospect Street, citing wells, runoff, wildlife and historic concerns. After extensive public comment the board voted to table the sale for due diligence and authorized an appraisal for a related parcel.
Residents packed public comment to press the Board of Selectpersons to halt a proposed sale of town‑owned land the GIS lists as 100 Prospect Street, raising concerns about water wells, runoff, blasting and possible historic or archaeological sites.
At the meeting the chair opened the record for public comment and multiple speakers described the parcel as a vital natural buffer. “There are private wells in the area,” said Deborah Zimowick, a neighbor, who warned that removing the woods would make wells “susceptible to contamination from runoff of development.” Ken Gagney of Swan Avenue told the board that many houses there are “well over a 100 years old” with fieldstone foundations that could be damaged by blasting, and asked that the town not “sell out your residents until you can tell them what you’re selling them out to.”
Other residents raised mapping and address confusion that they said has confused the public record: “Prospect Street does not come near that property,” said Mary Lou Ellen, who said the town has referenced Prospect Avenue in past meetings. Multiple commenters urged the board to commission environmental and archaeological studies before any sale. Peter Grama recommended a site visit and calling in a state archaeologist “to make sure that there’s nothing there.”
After the public comment period, the board entered and then exited an executive session to discuss potential sales. Returning to open session, selectpersons voted to table the Prospect Street sale to allow the town to complete due diligence and consider the public feedback heard that evening. The motion to table — described by the chair as a way to “allow the town to conduct due diligence and consider the public comments we’ve heard tonight” — carried with the chair voting aye; one abstention was recorded on follow‑up votes.
The board separately authorized an appraisal for the related parcel at the corner of 35 Cogwheel Lane and 136 New Haven Road to further inform valuation and negotiation options. The chair noted the appraisal was tied to ensuring the town has accurate information on acreage and market value before any final disposition.
The board did not adopt any land sale at the meeting; the town will commission the appraisal and said it will continue evaluating environmental and access issues before any negotiated sale proceeds.
