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Commission reviews Vermont Land Trust notice on 527‑acre ‘Lost Meadow’ easement
Summary
The commission reviewed a Vermont Land Trust notice seeking comment on a proposal to place 527 acres of the Lost Meadow Land Cooperative into a conservation easement; members agreed to gather more information and invite landowners to discuss goals before issuing any response.
The Planning Commission reviewed correspondence from the Vermont Land Trust notifying the town about the Lost Meadow Land Cooperative’s effort to place 527 acres into a conservation easement. Chair (S2) summarized that the proposed easement would restrict subdivision and non‑forestry uses to keep the land available for farming and forestry in the future and asked the commission to identify any conflicts with the town plan.
Members raised practical concerns about how easements can limit future housing options on agricultural land, including farmworker housing adjacent to a farmhouse, and noted these restrictions are typically negotiated as part of the easement terms. One member said the commission should check whether an intended new three‑bedroom house flagged in an email appears inside the parcel proposed for the easement. The commission agreed that staff would contact Donna Foster (the Land Trust contact) and invite cooperative landowners to a future meeting so the commission can better understand their goals before issuing any formal comment.
