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Ledyard Conservation Commission votes to draft letter urging town to retain 480 Shoeville Road
Summary
The Ledyard Conservation Commission voted to draft and submit a letter to the town council urging retention of the town-owned parcel identified in the record as 480 Shoeville Road, citing connected open-space, wetland and water-supply concerns; the motion passed unanimously and the chair will circulate a draft for comment.
The Ledyard Conservation Commission voted to draft and submit a letter to the town council urging the town to retain the parcel listed in the record as 480 Shoeville Road.
Commission chair (S1) said the parcel — described in the meeting materials as roughly 11.46 acres with an old pump house on it — sits adjacent to Woodford and Williams brooks and forms part of a connected open-space corridor the commission aims to protect. Members raised concerns that selling the parcel could sever wildlife connectivity, jeopardize critical habitat and remove an available local water resource for the town.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the parcel’s hydrologic connections and proximity to other town-owned open space make it strategically important for long-term conservation and town resilience. S1 and multiple members noted the town had previously declined an outside party’s request for some town parcels and that the town council had asked for more information rather than setting a public hearing.
At the meeting, S5 proposed the commission prepare a narrative and a map to show how the parcel links to neighboring conservation lands; S1 said the commission should submit a written statement before the council’s next meeting so the town record includes the commission’s position. S1 moved that the commission draft and submit a letter urging retention; the motion was seconded by S3 and passed with all present voting in favor. S1 agreed to prepare the draft, circulate it to commissioners for nonpublic comment (individually, not as a group), incorporate edits and submit the commission’s letter to the town council on behalf of the commission.
Numbers and constraints: During discussion S1 said the tentative sale price referenced in the materials was $50,000 and that the parcel would likely carry agricultural use limitations or other deed restrictions that affect its market value. Commissioners observed that an agricultural designation does not preclude future changes of use if ownership changes hands and therefore recommended deed restrictions or conservation easements be evaluated.
Next steps: The chair will draft the commission’s statement and provide it to commissioners for individual comment; the commission intends to submit the letter to the town council before the council’s next meeting and to present supporting maps and a narrative explaining the parcel’s role in town water and habitat connectivity.
Quote: “I can put it together and get it in,” S1 said when asked to prepare the commission draft and circulate it for approval.
Ending: The motion to draft and submit the letter carried unanimously; commissioners said they will follow up with a map and a short narrative to accompany the submission.
