23 May 2005

Dear Members of the Board of Selectmen,

We are writing to explain why it is very important to the whole town of Simsbury, and not just to the adjacent neighborhoods, that the 450 acres of woods and wetlands on the Ethel Walker property be preserved as a natural undeveloped area.  (We, ourselves, are longtime Simsbury residents who do not live adjacent to the School.)

In its current undeveloped state, this land is a haven for both people and wildlife in a part of town that is already thickly developed.  It is a wonderful place for walking, jogging, cross-country skiing, biking, birdwatching, botanizing, and nature study in general.  The overall shape and substantial acreage of this parcel (which constitutes a significant fraction of undeveloped land in Simsbury) afford a more enjoyable natural setting and peaceful nature experience than is possible in smaller or narrower strips of forest.  It is a refuge not only for people, but for wildlife driven from surrounding areas as these areas were turned into housing developments.  The fact that it connects with other open areas makes this land even more valuable as a refuge because of the corridors it provides to larger wildlife, thereby reducing the necessity for such animals to cross residential back yards and gardens and disturb personal property.

Converting this beautiful area of woods and wetlands into yet another housing development, with 122 luxury homes and probably 400 to 500 people, will have a far-reaching adverse impact on the quality of life of all Simsbury residents:

(1) It will greatly strain the Simsbury schools, which are already struggling to accommodate the current school population. 

(2) It will place large extra burdens on the fire and police departments. 

(3) It will add enormously to traffic congestion, especially in the already congested area of Bushy Hill where the access is planned, perhaps requiring either the widening of Bushy Hill and/or addition of another traffic light.  

(4) Particularly serious is the potential damage to the aquifer from which many Simsbury homes draw their water.  Oil and salt from the new roads spreading throughout the area, wastewater from the houses, and noxious chemicals from lawns and swimming pools (herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, chlorine, etc.) will end up in the wetlands and water supply. 

(5) There will be no economic gain for Simsbury.   The additional tax revenues from these homes will never pay for the additional town services they will require.   This outcome has been demonstrated countless times elsewhere throughout the United States where towns like Simsbury, faced with a similar issue, have opted for development and overpopulation rather than the preservation of irreplaceable open lands and natural ecosystems. We, the current residents, will be paying increased taxes to support this development for as long as we live here.

It is a virtual certainty that Ethel Walker's plan to be "environmentally sensitive" will not work.  Although their representative said the School intends to "minimize lawns" and have "strict controls over cutting, grading, and pesticides", there is no way this can be enforced.  Homeowners who have bought million-dollar homes will want beautiful lawns and will do whatever it takes to have them.   Who would even know when trees are being cut or chemicals applied?   Who would stop it?  Ethel Walker will have no control over this property once it is sold.  Any regulations that were established in the beginning could easily be changed or ignored by the homeowners' association.

Ethel Walker's development planners have included in their plans numerous small "open spaces", in the mistaken belief that this would preserve the natural qualities that make this land so important to the town.  However, fragmentation of a large open space into many small ones effectively destroys the most important quality of that space, namely, the protection afforded by its size.  Every part of the natural areas will now be close to houses and roads and all the accompanying disturbances:  noise (cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers, chain saws, leaf blowers, snowblowers, radios, kids, dogs, and other human activities),  lights (streetlights, car lights, yard lights, home lights), pollution (oil, salt, motor exhaust fumes, wastewater, noxious lawn and home chemicals), and, especially for animals, the danger of being hit by motor vehicles or killed by dogs and cats belonging to the residents.

As a quiet, peaceful place where people can find some respite and solace in their busy lives, 450 acres of woods and wetlands is infinitely preferable to walkways through a housing development.  For wildlife, maintaining the integrity of the original land area is essential; many species cannot live in small fragmented parcels of land.

Moreover, it is essential to bear in mind the obvious major dislocations associated with the construction process:  truck traffic, noise, heavy earthmoving equipment, extensive logging and road building, and erosion, to cite but a few.    Simsbury residents would be living with these bone-jarring disturbances for at least 10 years, according to the Ethel Walker plan calling for construction of 12-15 homes per year.  More likely, the construction will last longer because the implementation of large-scale projects invariably takes longer than planned.

As undeveloped land continues to disappear around us, this tract of forest and wetland becomes ever more precious as a natural area.  To judge from the planning map, this is the last undeveloped area of its size in Simsbury; once it is gone, it is gone forever.  We believe it is of the utmost importance for the town to do everything possible to prevent the development of this property.   Ideally, the town should try to purchase this land, hopefully with aid from other sources (the State?  The Nature Conservancy?  Other granting/funding agencies?)  The Nature Conservancy may also be able to provide  advice and expertise.   Keeping the land as a natural area, rather than as a housing development, is beneficial to Ethel Walker as well, for their students would still have full access to the entire 450 acres for recreation, inspiration, and nature study-—as would we all.

In another 50 years, no one will be saying how lucky Simsbury is to have (yet another) luxury housing development.  But, if this land is saved, they definitely will be saying what an amazing and wonderful thing it is to have 450 acres of woods and wetlands in the middle of this town for everyone to enjoy.  Many of us have, in fact, been saying it for years.

Sincerely,

Dr. Susan B. Brachwitz 
Dr. Mark P. Silverman