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Conservation land trust to negotiate for acreage (complete article from source)
Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette News, by Sandra Meindersma
June 26, 2007
PRINCETON— The Trust for Public Land has been authorized by the Board of Selectmen to negotiate with Fox Hill Builders to see if the trust can buy some or all of a 168-acre property on Gates Road for conservation purposes.
The Trust for Public Land is a nonprofit land-conservation organization that will purchase properties for conservation purposes while money is gathered to cover the cost of the land acquisition.
The Gates Road property was purchased in December by Fox Hill Builders. Plans to develop the property were filed soon after the purchase.
Deborah D. Cary, director of the Massachusetts Audubon’s Central Sanctuaries, including Princeton’s Wachusett Meadows, and a member of the town’s open space committee, said several organizations are interested in raising funds to preserve the site.
“The Four Corners Land Preservation Society, the Princeton Land Trust and Mass. Audubon are interested in helping to preserve the property,” Mrs. Cary said.
Mrs. Cary said the Trust for Public Place Land would act as a broker for the deal and would front the money until it has been raised.
“We’re hoping that Steve Gallo will accept a price that we can fundraise for,” Mrs. Cary said.
Craig A. MacDonnell, state director for the Trust for Public Land, said that negotiations with the Gallos are in the preliminary stages.
“I’ve been asked (by the Board of Selectmen) to investigate what’s possible,” Mr. MacDonnell said. “There’s a hope that the property can be largely conserved, but it’s still early in the discussions.”
Selectman Joseph H. O’Brien Jr. said at the Board of Selectmen’s meeting last night that he met recently with representatives of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and the agency is considering helping to finance the purchase of the land.
The Board of Selectmen voted to write a letter to DCR officials urging them to use money from the land preservation account known as the Wachusett Mountain Fund for that purpose. The owners of Wachusett Mountain Ski Area contribute 1 percent of the ski area’s revenues to the fund annually, and the money is designated for the purchase and protection of land around the mountain.
Steven Gallo of Fox Hill Builders met with the Planning Board in March to discuss plans for 36 homes on the property. Those plans include a 13-home subdivision and 23 homes on Gates and Old Colony roads.
The property, which is home to at least two, possibly three endangered species, is required to have an environmental impact report filed with the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs before the project can be started.
Despite the March 8 order, Fox Hill Builders had been proceeding with its plans. Richard E. McCowan, vice chairman of the Planning Board, said that the Planning Board has accepted Fox Hill Builders’ preliminary plans and that the next step would be for definitive plans to be developed.
Mr. McCowan also said that the builder’s engineer, Julian Votruba, indicated in May that plans for the 13-lot subdivision are on hold and will be re-submitted at a later date.
Mark E. Ellis of the Telegram & Gazette Staff contributed to this report.
Click here for complete article from Worcester Telegram & Gazette News
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