June 6, 2005

Mr. Thomas Vincent
First Selectman
Town of Simsbury
933 Hopmeadow Street
Simsbury, CT 06070

Dear Mr. Vincent:

I am writing you to encourage you to call The Trust for Public Land and get them involved in negotiating a preservation deal with the Ethel Walker School.  The New Haven Office phone number is (203) 777-7367.  I have spoken with Melissa Spear and Tim Northrop of the TPL and both are able and willing to get involved.  

I see these advantages in engaging the TPL:
1)	The TPL may be able to draw upon multiple funding sources (including town open space funds) to reach a figure to which the school can agree. 
2)	It unburdens the town (e.g. you) from dealing with all of the logistics of the deal.
3)	It will satisfy Simsbury voters who feel that the town has not yet done all it can to save these acres from development.  If the First Selectman calls upon the TPL and the TPL negotiations fail, no one can fault the First Selectman for not trying all viable avenues available to him for preservation.
4)	The TPL is willing to do the due diligence on all aspects of the risks and rewards involved in developing the Ethel Walker property and can effectively present the case for preservation to The Ethel Walker School to balance the information they have been fed from Landquest. 

Thank you for reading this letter.  I hope that you will agree that involving the TPL is an appropriate action to take.

					Sincerely,

David Galt