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Select Board moves Vondell purchase-and-sale to VHCB grant review
Summary
The Woodstock Select Board voted to accept a purchase-and-sale agreement that allows the town to seek a Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) grant to place conservation easements on most of the Vondell Cobb Reservoir property; acceptance is conditioned on private fundraising and later approvals.
The Woodstock Select Board voted to accept a purchase-and-sale agreement that will allow the town to submit an application to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) to secure a conservation easement on most of the Vondell Cobb Reservoir property.
Chair Susan Ford framed the vote as a procedural step: "This is just 1 step," she said, emphasizing that the board is not yet accepting any grant funds or permanently conserving the land until the terms are finalized and private fundraising targets are met. The agreement the board approved sends the project to VHCB for grant consideration and includes a condition tied to $400,000 in private fundraising the board has asked be raised in addition to the VHCB grant offer.
Residents and conservation advocates addressed the board during the public comment period. Matt Stout, who identified himself as founder and president of the Woodstock Area Mountain Bites Association, said the easement aligns with voters’ intent to preserve the water system and maintain public recreational uses. Conservation biologist Ken McFarland described the property as a regional "crown jewel" for rare plants, wetlands and wildlife and urged the board to move forward.
Donna Foster of the Vermont Land Trust clarified that any conservation easement would be co-held with VHCB and that easement language — including exceptions for future water use, parking and trail agreements — would be negotiated during drafting and legal review. The Select Board also voted to delegate signature authority on the purchase-and-sale agreement to the municipal manager so the town can meet grant deadline timelines.
The VHCB was scheduled to consider the town's grant application at its May meeting; the board and residents said decisions about how any funds would be used (for example, to pay down a bond or support other town priorities) would be taken up separately if and when the grant is awarded.
