Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Conservation commission will seek vote to rename Skladaney parcel 'Village Forest' and take management
Summary
The Temple Conservation Commission voted Jan. 14 to submit a warrant article asking voters to rename the town-owned Skladaney parcel 'Village Forest' and to give the commission management responsibility for the 65-acre property; the motion passed unanimously and the lot number (Lot 7-36) will be inserted before submission.
The Temple Conservation Commission voted on Jan. 14 to submit a warrant article asking town voters whether they will rename the town-owned Skladaney parcel “Village Forest” and give the Conservation Commission management responsibility for the 65-acre property.
The proposal followed a presentation by guest Gail Cromwell, who reviewed a 2010 survey produced by Marty Connolly that considered the property for an elderly-housing neighborhood and civic center. Cromwell said conserving the land now would be premature because the community has not yet decided how the land might be used. Commission members and guests recalled that the town purchased the parcel in 2003 amid a divisive local debate and said the town paid about $500,000 at the time.
During discussion, Bruce Kullgren proposed building trails for hikers and horses and suggested renaming the parcel the "Village Forest"; he offered the use of his equipment to build trails and discussed using the nearby Holt property as a trailhead with parking, picnic tables, and a water source for horses. Kent Perry cautioned that a conservation designation would limit future uses, while Ken Caisse and Clay Lennartz noted that responsibly logging a portion of the property could recoup some acquisition costs and that creating a few housing lots along General Miller Highway had been discussed previously.
Clay Lennartz moved to submit a warrant article that would ask voters to rename the Skladaney property "Village Forest" and give the Conservation Commission management responsibility for the 65-acre parcel; Sean Radcliffe seconded the motion and the commission approved it "All in favor." Cathy Joly agreed to insert the lot number (Lot 7-36, editor's note) into the warrant language and send the text to Carole for processing; Sean Radcliffe said he will speak to the article at Town Meeting.
Next steps: the commission will finalize the warrant language (including the lot number) and submit it for inclusion on the Town Meeting warrant; Sean Radcliffe will represent the commission at Town Meeting.
