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Residents urge redirecting $250,000 boardwalk funds to buy Birch Pond parcel
Summary
Two residents told the Board of Finance the proposed $250,000 boardwalk line item should instead be used to purchase a Birch Pond parcel being offered for sale, citing environmental and geological value and offering volunteer help to repair the boardwalk later.
Members of the public urged the Board of Finance to use a proposed $250,000 boardwalk appropriation to buy a parcel around Birch Pond instead of funding boardwalk repairs.
Michael Simmons, treasurer of the Friends of the Hoppers Charity, told the board the group believes the builder has inflated the asking price and that the organization is prepared to help repair the boardwalk with the town's consent. "We propose that these monies be applied towards the purchase of the Birch Pond parcel of land that the builder has offered to sell," Simmons said during the public participation period.
Jan Gutierrez, a Southington resident, echoed those concerns and stressed the site's ecological value: "The land is so valuable and for so many reasons…once that's destroyed, you know, it's done," he said, urging the board to prioritize acquisition now and defer boardwalk work.
The remarks were made during the meeting's public comment period; no formal action on reallocating the boardwalk appropriation was recorded in the transcript. The Board of Finance heard the comments as part of the evening's agenda before the scheduled public works and police technology presentations.
