By: Charles Stannard
CHESTER— Voters in a referendum Tuesday rejected funding for proposed town acquisition of 4.6-acres of riverfront land at the end of Parker’s Point Road.
All five questions related to the proposed land purchase failed in the day-long voting. All of the questions needed to pass for the land buy to win final voter approval. A total of 1,075 of the town’s 2,563 registered voters turned out for the referendum.
The main question, whether to authorize up to $1 million in bonding to fund the acquisition, failed on a 696-378 vote. A question authorizing a town acquisition of the parcel failed on a 690-383 vote.
The town would have bonded only about $455,000 over ten years, with the remainder of the purchase price to be covered by a combination of grant funding and private donations. But the three questions on accepting funding assistance were also rejected by the voters.
A question on whether to accept a $464,520 state open space acquisition grant failed on a 689-383 vote. A question on whether to accept a $50,000 grant from the Connecticut River Gateway Commission failed on a 679-390 vote. A question on whether to accept a $30,000 contribution from the Chester Land Trust Inc. for the proposed acquisition failed on a 679-391 vote.
First Selectman Tom Marsh, who had supported the proposed open space land purchase, said he was “personally disappointed” by the result, but pleased with the turnout for the referendum “The margin sent a clear message of what the interest of the community was,” he said.
By: Charles Stannard
CHESTER— A recount conducted Monday has confirmed that Republican Pamela Christman was elected to the town’s Region 4 Board of Education seat over Democrat Lori Ann Clymas.
The recount produced no change from the result recorded last week on election night, with Christman receiving 585 votes to 579 votes for Clymas. Christman, who joins the nine-member regional school board, had been serving as chairwoman of the Chester Board of Education.
In an election related correction, John DeLaura Jr., elected to the zoning board of appeals last week, is a Democrat. A report of election results incorrectly listed him as a Republican.
Polls on the second floor of town hall will be open again Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m,. for the referendum on bonding up to $1 million for the town acquisition of a 4.6-acre parcel on Parker’s Point Road. A combination of grants and a donation will cover about half of the purchase price for the parcel, with the town actually expected to bond $455,00 over ten years for the purchase. All five referendum ballot questiions, including three questions on acceptance of the grants and donation, must pass for the purchase to receive final voter approval.
By Charles Stannard
CHESTER–The proposed town purchase of 4.6-acres of riverfront land on Parker’s Point Road drew a mixed response from residents at a town meeting Tuesday night.
Nearly 100 residents turned out for the informational town meeting where no votes were taken on any resolutions related to the proposed acquisition. All resolutions, presented in five separate ballot questions, have been referred to a Nov. 10 referendum. Residents at the town meeting extended the referendum hours to the same hours as a regular elecion or party primary, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the town hall polling place.
The purchase price for the property, which was acquired by David and Maria Otfinoski in January 2005, is $948,000. Two funding grants, including $464,520 from the state Department of Environmental Protection and $50,000 from the Connecticut River Gateway Commission, along with a $30,000 donation from the Chester Land Trust, would reduce the net cost to town taxpayers to about $400,000.
Voters will be asked to authorize up to $1 million in bonding for the purchase. But with inclusion of the grant funding and donation, the actual amount to be covered through bonding would be $455,000 including expenses related to selling the bonds.
The bond would be paid off over ten years at a total net expenses to taxpayers of $529,400 that includes an anticipated $74,400 in interest on the bond. The annual payments would range from a maximum of $63,650 in 2011 down to $46,350 with the final payment in 2020.
First Selectman Tom Marsh said the parcel had an assessed value of $1.1 million and generates about $16,000 in property tax to the town. It has about 600-feet of frontage on the Connecticut River.
Amy Paterson, a representative of the non-profit Trust For Public Land, said two appraisals were done last year and reviewed by the state Department of Environmental Protection before the determination of the $948,000 purchase price. Paterson said the TPL helped facilitate negotiations for the purchase.
During more than hour of discussion, some residents contended the price was too high, and questioned the broader public access that would be allowed if the town accepts state funding assistance for the purchase. Others questioned parking for the property, which would be available at an abutting town-owned boat launch area.
But other residents noted that acquiring additional access to the Connecticut River has always been a priority in the town plan of conservation and development. Proponents contended the town has a unique opportunity to acquire riverfront land with substantial funding assistance from other sources.
“We will never have a chance to get grants like this again,” said Claudia Van Ness, who lives nearby on Parker’s Point Road. “As far as riverfront, this is it,” she said.
Marsh said each of the five ballot questions, one on the bonding, one on the land acquisition and three on accepting the grants and donation, must pass on Nov. 10 for the purchase to go forward.
By Charles Stannard
CHESTER— Tuesday’s town meeting on the proposed purchase of 4.6-acres of riverfront land on Parkers Point Road will be for discussion and information only, with no votes taken on resolutions related to the proposed acquisition.
First Selectman Tom Marsh said the town meeting, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Chester Meeting House, would be a public information session on the proposed $1 million bonding authorization for the purchase that will be presented to town voters in a Nov. 10 referendum. The town meeting was initially expected to include voting on resolutions related to town acceptance of two grants and a donation from the Chester Land Trust intended defray some of the costs of the purchase.
Marsh said the board of selectmen voted unanimously last week to send all questions related to the bonding and land acquisition directly to a referendum vote after determining that a vote at the town meeting not to accept the grants and donation would block the actual referendum on the purchase. He added that some opponents of the land buy were preparing to vote against all resolutions at the town meeting as a way to prevent a full vote on the purchase because the acquisition would not go forward without the funding assistance from the grants and donation.
“Nobody wanted a town meeting vote to decide whether or not we buy the land,” Marsh said. “It would be unfair because you could not get approval to buy it from the town meeting but you could stop it at the town meeting.”
Marsh said during discussions over the past two months, members of the board of selectmen and board of finance, including some who oppose the purchase, were unanimous in feeling the deciding vote on the purchase should come through a referendum.
The town would be responsible for about $500,000 of the total $938,000 purchase price for the parcel. Funding assistance includes a grant from the state Department of Environmemal Protection, a smaller grant from the regional Connecticut River Gateway Commission, and the land trust donation. The total $1 million bonding authorization includes some funding for bonding expenses.
Links:
Prior Parker’s Point Stories
By Charles Stannard
CHESTER—The board of selectmen has scheduled a Nov. 10 referendum on the proposed purchase of a 4.6-acre parcel on Parker’s Point Road that has frontage on the Connecticut River.
The board, acting Thursday after a joint meeting with the board of finance, approved a ballot question that calls for up to $1 million in bonding to cover the total $948,000 purchase price of the property. But the actual net expense for Chester taxpayers if the purchase is approved would be around $500,000 because grant funding, including a state Department of Environmental Protection open space acquisition grant, a smaller grant from the Connecticut River Gateway Commission, and a $30,000 contribution from the Chester Land Trust, would reduce the town’s share of the purchase price to $398,000. The town would also be responsible for bonding costs estimated at about $50,000.
First Selectman Tom Marsh said bonding requirements and rules governing state grants require the town to commit for the entire purchase price in anticipation of reimbursement from grant funds. He said the purchase would not proceed if any of the funding compenents fall through.
Marsh had initially suggested consideration of a larger bond that would include an additional $500,000 for road improvement projects that are already on the town’s schedule for road projects. But finance board members, including chairwoman Jennifer Wislocki, declined to support additional bonding for road projects.
Marsh said the term of the bond would be determined later this month after the town’s financial advisor develops a prospective payment schedule for a ten, 15, or 20-year bond. Finance board members had previously expressed a preference for a longer pay-off period for the bond. The term of the bond would be set before the referendum vote.
The referendum will be preceded by at Oct. 27 town meeting where voters will be asked to formally accept the grant and gift funding for the purchase, and set the hours for the referendum. Selectmen had initially hoped to hold the referendum on the day of the Nov. 3 town election, but later learned that state election law requires a referendum question to be set at least 60 days in advance of the vote if the referendum is held simultaneously with a regularly scheduled election.
By: Charles Stannard
CHESTER–The board of finance has joined the board of selectmen in supporting a referendum vote this fall on an expenditure of $395,000 towards the purchase of a 4.6-acre parcel on Parker’s Point Road that has frontage on the Connecticut River.
But according to First Selectman Tom Marsh, officials have not reached a consensus on how to finance the town’s share of the proposed open space land acquisition. Marsh said there will be a joint meeting of the selectmen and finance board next week to discuss options for financing the expenditure.
The finance board endorsed a town vote on the proposed land purchase on a 4-2 vote at a Sept. 17 meeting. The selectmen had previously voted to bring the issue to a referendum vote.
The sale price for the parcel is $948,000. Grants from the state Department of Environmental Protection, the Connecticut River Gateway Commission, and some private fundraising would reduce the town’s share of the purchase to $395.000. If acquired by the town, the parcel would be preserved and possibly improved in to a small riverfront park and picnic area.
Marsh said the options for financing the purchase include a direct appropriation from the town’s undesignated fund balance that currently contains about $1.4 million, or a bond issue that could possibly include funding for some road improvement projects. The bond would be paid off over a period of years.
Marsh said he supports the proposed land purchase because it represents a rare opportunity to acquire riverfront property with help from grant funding that reduces the direct expense for the town.. But Marsh said he does not favor paying for the entire $395,000 expense from the fund balance. He noted that covering the entire $395,000 with a transfer from the fund balance would leave the undesignated fund below $1 million, and make it unlikely that any money from the fund balance could be used next spring to reduce any possible increase in the tax rate necessary to fund the 2010-2011 town budget.
Marsh said he favors a bond issue of about $1 million that would include the $395,000 for the land purchase, and additional funding for a handful of road improvement projects. He noted that using bond funds for the road projects would allow the improvements to be completed sooner, and without the need for an additional budget appropriation for the work.
Marsh noted that some of the fiunance board members who endorsed a town vote on funding for the land purchase also declared they would probably vote against the expenditure at the referendum. “There did not seem to be overwhelming support but people felt the residents should have a chance to vote on it,” he said.
The referendum on the land purchase is expected to be held on Nov. 3, the day of the town election, but with a separate ballot and voting area for the referendum question.
