Town of Old Lyme
Open Space Commission
November 9, 2012
In Attendance: Chairman Diana Atwood Johnson, Amanda Blair, Peter Cable, Bill Dunbar, Bruce Baritz, Ted Kiritsis.
Meeting was called to order at 8:30. Amanda Blair recommended a surveyor for the boundaries we have been talking about recently, Jerry Mattern & Stefan Land Surveyors from .Preston, they did surveys for State open space.
Not heard back from Mike Sanders. Bonnie is going to send him a registered letter that we are going to survey.
Ames grant transfer has still not been completed because of duplicated meets and bounds on the Hendrik’s survey. Hendriks has been contacted. Nothing can go forward until the survey is accurate and satisfies the state surveyors so it can be forwarded to the Attorney General’s office.
Ted Zito offer of 3 acres on Rogers Lake still is hanging. We have not heard back regarding the encroachments from Mike Cronin or Ed Cassella. Amanda said some towns require title insurance and a title policy, to prevent accepting property with issues. The ball is in their court, to provide the details and assure us that the neighbors are aware of the issues. We need a title report, specifically outlining encroachments, rights of others, etc. Then we’ll review it.
Chairman Johnson brought up the subject of working towards making a grant application in the next grant round, next year, assuming there are still fund from CIA and left over bonding. Johnson brought up the remaining Ames land, There are 3 remaining lots. There is a private road between the lots. George had mentioned the Awwa lot adjacent to the small path into Lay and the Stone’s Ranch 40 acre lot. There is the Broad Brook subdivision., but seems appropriate that the State should purchase it.
The Commission needs to examine its priorities list that give the town a basis for the acquisition of lands to establish the list of properties that might have a high probability for acquisition. . Adding to the Greenways, own forest, connect existing trails, points of access to water, wildlife habitat, farmland, historic sites, aesthetic, scientific sites. Consider the Pedersen property? Blackhall Woods on Buttonball? Kus, Foster. Need to look at grant standards on application too. Need a willing seller, a purchase and sale agreement dependent on town approval, grant award, etc.
We will start this process at the next meeting, reviewing our list, figuring what we can get done in 6 months, in time to apply for grant, assuming they have a spring grant round. We need to establish the criteria for a property that would be able to meet the requirements of a grant round; timeliness, appraisal, probability, etc.
Diana will email out properties list, priorities list and the DEEP grant application.
Each committee member will review lists for their priorities. Ames, Kus, Foster, Blackhall seem likely. Federal money is available for bog turtle and New England cottontail habitat from the Federal Gov’m.
Peter reported that Ted Crosby has done a map on the deGerenday property.
No report from Old Lyme Land Trust.
Will be having a meeting with the AppGeo website folks soon.
Meeting adjourned @10:15.
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