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Land Issue To Be Discussed

Board To Consider November Vote

By DANIEL P. JONES
Courant Staff Writer

August 26 2006

SIMSBURY –The board of selectmen will meet in a special session Monday to discuss the town’s stance on the Ethel Walker School property.

Board members met Friday afternoon in a closed-door session but took no action.

Those who support preserving more than 400 acres of the school property as open space are hopeful that the issue can be put before voters on the November ballot.

“I’m looking forward to a resolution of this,” said Diane Nash, a founding member of Keep the Woods, a grass-roots group formed to support preservation of the Ethel Walker School property.

The school, with the Trust for Public Land, negotiated an agreement to sell to the town the development rights on the property for $13.85 million. The trust has committed to raise about $2.75 million, leaving the town’s share about $11.1 million.

The town’s board of finance recently defeated a proposal to appropriate $11.1 million toward the acquisition.

First Selectman Thomas Vincent has stated he’s confident that town boards and commissions can work out arrangements to put the issue on the November ballot so voters can decide.

To get the question on the ballot, the board of selectmen must approve a recommendation that would go to the board of finance, which would then review it. The finance board could then reject, modify or approve the recommendation. All of this must be done by Sept. 6.

The board of selectmen’s meeting on Monday will be at 6 p.m. at Eno Memorial Hall on Hopmeadow Street.

Contact Daniel P. Jones at dpjones@courant.com.

Copyright 2006, Hartford Courant