45 acres of linked preserved property secured
The Town Board Monday night unanimously approved the purchase of a 6.2 acre site on Cobbetts Lane using Community Preservation Funds. The purchase price is $2.5 million.
While the parcel is small, when combined with the Mildred Flower Hird Preserve east and west acquisitions and Lima Bean Field, the Town will own 45 contiguous acres of land, CPF Chairman Twoey Brayson said.
Preservation money will also be used to pay costs attendant to the purchase, including a survey of the site, title transfer, prorated tax and recording costs.
The site approved Monday night has long been the focus of the CPF, Mr. Brayson said. Town officials began speaking about it years ago when Jim Dougherty was still supervisor,
It took work by this Town Board to make changes to zoning that would enable the purchase, Mr. Brayson said, calling it “a very important acquisition.”
Early Monday morning, the CPF Advisory Board discussed use of the Josephson’s Head site. No decisions have been made about a number of plans others wanted at the property on Cartwright Road.
Moussa Drame, who operates his own tennis academy on the Island, was on hand to answer some questions raised previously about use of tennis courts on the property.
The existing courts would become “Har-Tru” courts at the site, a form of clay courts made from finely crushed, angular volcanic metabasalt stone blended with gypsum. During earlier discussions about potential use of the site, there were charges the court surfaces required using special chemicals to treat them.
Not the case, Mr. Drame told the CPF committee. He said he uses household vinegar to keep courts clear of moss buildups, while others use household bleach and water solution.
He also discussed plans he would undertake to renovate the courts.
If Mr. Drame is selected to use the courts on the property, he would be responsible for the costs of upgrading them, Chairman Brayson said, since CPF money can’t be used for that purpose, he said.
Mr. Drame said he would reach out for contributions and explore if the Town might be able to help fund necessary changes. There was also a brief discussion about community gardens at the site; neither the tennis courts nor gardens would affect the other.
In other business: With the resignation recently from the CPF Advisory Board of Kathleen Gerard, Mark Mobius was welcomed as her replacement.
Members discussed stewardship assignments this week of CPF sites. Stewards aren’t generally responsible for doing work at the sites, but check them out to report back to the full Board about what work is needed to keep hiking trails open to the public. Some of the sites Ms. Gerard had selected to handle stewardship responsibilities will go to Mr. Mobius. Others were reassigned to those interested in handling them in place of their previous assignments.
