Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Landlocked Parcel

The landlocked parcel issue has come up in our local news. At the May
12th town meeting, a warrant article was put on the agenda to convince the town that a development proposal by Patriot Partners is beneficial to Burlington. This warrant article was only supported by two of our five selectman but, unfortunately, 57 town meeting members supported it. Patriot Partners holds a first right of refusal in the event the town wishes to sell the property.

Just so you don't think you missed something, the property is *not for sale*. The sale of the landlocked parcel needs a majority vote from the selectman, as well as a two-thirds vote from town meeting to trigger the option. Further, a two-thirds vote from our legislators is needed to remove Article 97, a water resource protection article, along with town dept approvals. Only after these steps are taken could a sale be executed.

The selectman are the trustees of this property. If you do not think selling 247 acres of beautiful Burlington property is in the best interests of the community, you should speak up. Contact your selectman and town meeting representatives. A list of elected officials and information on the landlocked parcel can be found at http://www.burlington.org/LLPC.htm. The site includes information on the option for Patriot Partners plus information on the land transaction in 1985. The next town meeting is September 22nd. Please let your voice be heard. I'm a supporter of open space. I'm happy to listen so feel free to contact me.