Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Goss Farm Swallow And Leases topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Residents urge Rye Conservation Commission to reconsider closing Goss Farm barn to swallows as commission approves wetland surveys and lease negotiations
Summary
Residents pressed the commission to explain its decision to exclude barn swallows from the Goss Farm barn and questioned whether alternate nesting structures will work. The commission authorized wetland‑delineation contracts and directed members to finalize farm leases.
The Rye Conservation Commission on April 9 discussed ongoing plans for Goss Farm — including new nesting structures for barn swallows, proposed agricultural leases and contracts to delineate wetlands — and heard more than a half‑dozen public comments urging the commission to reconsider its decision to keep swallows out of the barn.
Secretary/Clerk Hugh Lee said the commission has constructed alternative nesting structures and that proposed agricultural leases for Kvitka Farm LLC and North Pole Xmas Trees are available for members to review on SharePoint. He moved that the leases be presented to those prospective tenants and that Joe Martilla, Victor Odryna and Lee undertake negotiations and finalize the lease documents for RCC approval; the motion passed unanimously.
On wetlands work, Lee presented competing proposals and recommended either: (a) accepting the Haley Ward proposal dated April 9, 2026 for survey services related to wetland delineation at Goss Farm for $3,250 together with West Environmental identification services for $780 (timing‑dependent), or (b) accepting Haley Ward’s April 1, 2026 proposal for $4,650 (which includes $1,500 for wetlands identification by others). The commission voted to authorize the Chair to sign the chosen proposals so the delineation can proceed promptly.
During the public‑comment period, residents pressed the commission for clearer, science‑based reasoning behind the policy to close the barn to nesting swallows. Alex Herlihy, 55 Lang Road, asked the commission to "reconsider their vote" and read a letter from his wife arguing for allowing the birds to remain. Susan Shepcaro read a letter from Mark Epply and said experts she consulted found "no evidence" that separate nesting structures will reliably attract barn swallows, warning the colony could be lost if the barn is closed. Karen Oliver asked the commission to provide a "rational, science based reason" for the decision and whether staff had considered impacts on a purple martin colony that is present on the property.
Several commenters linked the swallow decision to broader access and trails concerns. Patrick (961 Washington Road) described the trails as "remarkable town assets" that follow old farm roads and said limiting public access would be "the wrong direction" for the commission. Sam Demarco, who said he has cared for the abutting conservation land for 37 years, offered to take people who cannot walk the trails into the parcel in a soft‑tire golf cart so they can see the land.
Commission members did not reverse prior direction during the meeting; they approved contracting for wetland delineation and authorized lease negotiations. The next procedural steps are finalizing the metes and bounds and recording documents related to the Town Forest boundary (reported separately during the meeting) and completing the wetland delineation so any planting or lease decisions can proceed with mapped wetland limits.
The commission did not take a formal vote during public comment to reopen the barn for nesting. The matter and the new nesting structures remain under the commission’s ongoing review.
