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Region 4 BOE discusses sale, gift or hosting fee for Falls Landing parcel
Summary
At a May 27 special meeting, Region 4 Board of Education members and town leaders reviewed the history of the Falls Landing parcel, discussed options to sell or gift the land, and asked Deep River officials to consult town counsel and prepare a formal presentation on a proposed hosting fee.
Region 4 Board of Education Chair Kate Sandmann opened a special meeting May 27 at the JWMS Library to discuss the future of a Region 4–owned parcel commonly called Falls Landing.
First Selectperson Carol Jones of Deep River told the board that “the town decided to tax the Region 4 owned property in 2023,” and said she would consult the town’s attorney and the Deep River selectmen to determine whether the town is interested in acquiring the parcel. Any sale or gift, Sanders and other board members noted, would require voter approval in all three towns at a Region 4 district meeting.
Richard Strauss, who served on the Region 4 Grounds Committee at the time of the original transaction, summarized the property’s history. He said Region 4 arranged a 1989 swap with Winston Scott to resolve a safety problem created when access to Scott’s Orchard required travel across the Valley Regional High School driveway. Strauss said the swap extinguished competing rights of way, reconfigured parcels and “ended up resulting in the Falls Landing subdivision which allowed an additional 21 houses to be built in Deep River.”
Board members discussed two options for the parcel: listing it for sale or gifting it to the Town of Deep River. Board members emphasized that either path would require formal approval by district voters representing all three towns before any transfer could occur.
Deep River Selectperson Duane Gates suggested the district explore a Region 4 “hosting fee” to compensate a town that would take responsibility for the parcel; Gates described the fee as one Chester and Essex could pay if Deep River hosted the property. Chester First Selectperson Cindy Lignar asked that Deep River prepare a formal presentation on the hosting-fee proposal so the other towns would have a factual basis for discussion.
No sale or transfer decision was made at the meeting. The board instead directed Deep River leaders to consult their attorney and report back with more information; the board adjourned at approximately 5:20 p.m. on a unanimous vote.
