SOUTHAMPTON – The town is closing on the sale of a property on Glendale Road on Thursday to preserve 85 acres of agricultural land and wildlife habitat.
The purchase of 84.75 acres at 111 Glendale Road by the town was made possible through a $400,000 state grant from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, combined with $320,000 from the Community Preservation Fund, according to Town Administrator Ed Gibson.
“It’s a wonderful acquisition,” Gibson said on Wednesday. “There are beautiful vistas from that area … It has existing trails for hikers and horseback riders.”
The town is purchasing the property from Denise, Christopher and David Wayne for a total of $720,000, according to Gibson. The Kestrel Land Trust and the Open Space Review Committee worked together in crafting the grant proposal to the state, according to vice chairwoman of the Select Board, Maureen Groden.
The parcel of land on Glendale Road is protected under a state law known as Chapter 61, which gives landowners a tax break as long as the property remains undeveloped. In return, the town received the right of first refusal on the property if the land was to be sold for conversion to residential, commercial, or industrial use. When a developer entered into a purchase and sale agreement last spring to buy the property, the town triggered its right of first refusal.
It took an “energized” group of residents to make clear that conserving this land was a priority, said Cindy Palmer, a member of three boards in Southampton — the Open Space Review Committee, the Master Plan Implementation Committee and the Planning Board.
“The town closing on the deal is the cumulative effort of many people,” Palmer said, “and speaks strongly to what the town has wanted, specifically to value the open space and natural preservation of our town.”
According to the town’s 2013 Master Plan, more than 82 percent of respondents said the town should work to preserve open space resources. In a two-page letter sent to the Gazette in March 2018, more than 80 people called on the Select Board to take action on the parcel.
One of those proponents, Diana Federman, a member of the Open Space Review Committee, said she and other residents wanted to make sure that the potential of the town using its right of first refusal was explored.
“We are very happy that this parcel was preserved and many people think it is a very nice bit of nature,” Federman said. “We are glad now people will have access to it and we hope it will be the nexus for more conservation.”
The town was recently awarded $10,700 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation to put toward a series of conservation events geared at landowners.
The events will host foresters and hydrologists to talk about Southampton’s environmental assets, as well as attorneys and financial planners to tackle topics such as estate planning.
“It’s a long-standing concern for preserving Southampton’s rural look and character,” Federman said. “We are trying to achieve a balance.”
Luis Fieldman can be reached at lfieldman@gazettenet.com