Ridgefield approves purchase of Pine Mountain parcel
RIDGEFIELD — Residents this week gave permission to the Conservation Commission to purchase 15 acres of land in the Pine Mountain area of town.
The commission will spend approximately $124,000 of its own funds to acquire the property and convert it into open space in perpetuity, which could lead to more trails in the area.
The deal also includes the donation of a 42-acre parcel that abuts the smaller 15-acre parcel. The properties are located at the Ridgefield-Danbury border, and were acquired from the Boy Scouts of America’s Connecticut Yankee Council, the previous owners.
During a town meeting Wednesday night, Commission Chairman James Coyle and member Matt Sharp displayed maps to attendants to demonstrate where the land is located and provide a brief history.
In 1974, the Tuccio family donated the 42-acre parcel to the council to be used for scouting purposes. The deed provides that if the land went unused, the council would convey ownership to the town.
Because of this, the commission has historically counted it towards the town’s open space total, Coyle said. Open space is land a town conserves for the sake of maintaining biodiversity, scenic beauty and a place for outdoor activities.
The scouts later purchased the abutting 15-acre parcel in the early 2000s, Coyle said. Unlike the larger parcel, the smaller parcel is not deed restricted, which means the council owns it outright.
“We spent a long time getting here, as this property has been eyed by the commission for decades,” Coyle said. “It was very important to (the Boy Scouts) that it remain (as) open space in perpetuity, and we were 1,000 percent in agreement with that.”
The total 58 acres will provide a continuation of open space that already exists on the north end of town.
Last year, Ridgefield received a $42,000 grant from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to tack on additional terrain to its Bear Mountain preserve. A portion of the grant was used to partially fund the purchase of a 14-acre parcel adjacent to Hemlock Hills, connecting a 3-acre parcel of town-owned space to the 386acre Hemlock Hills lot in the Bear Mountain area.
“What we do gain is an opportunity for folks like Matt to go in there and enhance the trail system and the connection to Pine Mountain,” Coyle said.
Selectwoman Maureen Kozlark questioned how much the commission would have left in its coffers following the $124,000 purchase. Coyle estimated the remaining balance would be about $450,000.
Board of Finance member Greg Kabasakalian strongly encouraged voters to allow the commission to move forward with the acquisition.
“As a child, going through the woods with my dad was one of the greatest joys I had growing up in Ridgefield,” he said. “We are so blessed to have property like this. We need to keep it, we need to preserve it.”
The motion carried with a chorus of ayes, followed by a round of mild applause.