Land Research 2014

Editor’s Note: Milford Town Meeting voted May 19, 2014 to approve the transfer of land in the sensitive area by Louisa Lake to Milford’s Conservation Commission. Because the ultimate transfer of land to the Trustees of Reservations had been removed from Article 17 by the Board of Selectmen prior to Town Meeting, that option was not up for vote. However, several Town Meeting members urged the town to consider transferring the land to the Trustees at a later date.

Milford Town Meeting voted last night to approve the transfer of land in the sensitive area by Louisa Lake to Milford’s Conservation Commission. Because the ultimate transfer of land to the Trustees of Reservations had been removed from the article by the Board of Selectmen prior to Town Meeting, that option was not up for vote. However, several Town Meeting members urged the town to consider transferring the land to the Trustees at a later date. – See more at: http://citizensformilford.com/#sthash.in9Eg7XM.dpuf

Among the 32 articles included in the warrant to be discussed and voted on at Milford’s May 19th Town Meeting is Article 17, which addresses the conservation of approximately 200 acres of land at Louisa Lake, including what is referred to as the “Consigli property.” In order for the transfer to proceed, Town Meeting must vote by two-thirds to approve the article.

ARTICLE 17: To see if the Town will vote pursuant to M.G.L. c. 40 § 15 to transfer the care, custody and jurisdiction of the following five Town-owned parcels to the Milford Conservation Commission: (Click here to download the warrant and read the list of parcels, or scroll down to see a map.)

AND IN ADDITION to authorize the Board of Selectmen or Conservation Commission as appropriate, to enter a Conservation Restriction Agreement pursuant to G.L. c. 184 §§ 31-33 on behalf of the Town with the Trusties of Reservations, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established under Chapter 352 of the Acts of 1891, with an address of 572 Essex Street, Beverly, Massachusetts 01915, or other appropriate charitable corporation or trust, in relation to the following eight Town-owned parcels: (Click here to download the warrant and read the list of parcels, or scroll down to see a map.), the total area of which comprise approximately 200.11 acres, the purpose of said Conservation Restriction being to preserve said parcels exclusively for conservation purposes in perpetuity.

AND FURTHER, to see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds, a sum of money, to be utilized by the Town for costs associated with establishing said Conservation Restriction, or take any other action in relation thereto.

(Board of Selectmen/Conservation Commission)

NOTE: Milford’s Board of Selectmen voted Monday, May 12 to remove all references to transferring land to the Trustees of Reservations from Article 17, which is included in the warrant to be voted on at Town Meeting on May 19. Instead, Article 17 will now only seek to transfer the town-owned parcels of land in question to the Milford Conservation Commission.

The benefits of entering into the requested conservation restriction requested in this article, as well as other details (such as prohibited uses and reserved rights), are currently being worked out in a separate document. Read the current draft of this document. The Board of Selectmen will discuss this document at their meeting on April 28th.