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- Category: Past Issues
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
POMFRET --- Town officials anticipate having all the recently town-meeting approved open space/farmland protection projects buttoned up by June, but those are by no means the end of the town's effort to protect as much land as possible.
Jim Rivers, Pomfret's first selectman, said the meeting OK'd using the rest of the $4 million pledged by the town some three years ago, plus some grant money.
He said he anticipates having the $4 million available by Feb. 1 and the town will commence the closings on properties approved for protection. "Some closings will happen quickly. Some may hit snags, so it will probably take until June for all of them to be closed," he said.
But looking forward, while the town plans a "more measured approach," the land protection effort will continue. There are "probably a half dozen" property owners the town has either already had discussions with or would like to connect with regarding protection of prime farmland. "Some we just never put a deal together, some weren't ready, some asked about it late," he said. "I don't think we're done and we're also keeping our eyes open."
He added there were "other properties out there" that would be important to protect. "We will work on them and bring them to the people," he said.
The parcels approved Dec. 15 for protection include: About 149 acres of Tyrone Farm property; Louis Terricciano property on Chase Road totaling 66 acres; Nora Johnson property on River Road totaling 37 acres; James Carter property on Babbitt Hill Road totaling 106 acres; Blackmore property on Jericho Road totaling 27 acres; and Sandra and David Flath property on Hampton Road totaling about 26 acres.