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Conservation commission forwards comment letter on proposed Groton parcel sales, will present at P&Z hearing
Summary
The Groton Conservation Commission voted unanimously to forward a draft comment letter to the city regarding several parcels proposed for sale — including a 1.4-acre wetlands-adjacent parcel and four very small lots — and authorized member Tom Olsen to read the commission’s position at the Planning & Zoning public hearing on Aug. 3.
The Groton Conservation Commission voted unanimously to forward a draft comment letter about proposed sales of city/town parcels and to have member Tom Olsen read the commission’s position at the Planning & Zoning public hearing scheduled for Aug. 3. Tom Olsen moved to forward the draft as written; Michelle Fitzpatrick seconded and the motion carried without opposition.
Commission members discussed five parcels described in a three-page memo and a separate public notice. Tom Olsen said the four small vacant lots are each about 0.09–0.1 acres (roughly 50 by 80 feet) and that one larger parcel is about 1.4 acres and contains wetlands adjacent to the Shinnekasa property. Olsen also raised concerns about private encroachment onto town property and the deed/grant language that, according to the commission, triggers potential open-space status after certain time periods. "Is that we accept that we forward the, the draft letter as proposed, and and for me to read it to the, as part of the public hearing tonight, at for the, front of the, city of ground planning and zoning commission," Olsen said during the motion to forward the letter.
Members discussed process and timing: commission staff urged that the formal transmittal come from the commission chair, who agreed to sign and provide digital copies for P&Z and the town record. Staff noted the public notice allows the town 90 days after receipt to object and referenced an additional six-month notice of termination in the recorded materials, indicating opportunities for the town to respond before any sale would be finalized. The commission asked staff to deliver copies and to finalize date corrections to the draft before transmittal.
The commission did not adopt any binding land-use restrictions; the action was to forward the commission's comment as the commission’s position and to present that position at the P&Z public hearing. Next procedural steps are the P&Z hearing (Aug. 3) and any subsequent council or city action described in the public notice.
