WHITMAN – The Select Board accepted a recommendation from the Camp Alice Carlton Committee to approach Rockland with the proposal to purchase part of the land on that side of the town line.
Assistant Town Administrator Kathleen Keefe updated the Board on the committee’s proposel at its Tuesday, Nov. 12 meeting. Keefe also serves as chair of the Camp Alice Carlton Committee, which has met several times over the past year.
“Initially, our goal was to have something to put forth to the [Select Board] before the last Town Meeting in May,” she said. “However, that did not happen.”
But she said the committee did vote during its last meeting this summer to recommend the Select Board that they entertain the possibility of selling the land within Rockland to the town of Rockland – with stipulation.
That stipulation would require the town of Rockland agreeing to permanently protect the 30 acres with a conservation restriction, and 10 acres on the Whitman side of the town line. Rockland would obtain an appraisal, come up with an offer, and the two select boards would negotiate a sales agreement.
The Nov. 12 meeting was the first step in that process, but entering the process does not signal the town is bound to it, Keefe said.
“There would be meetings all along the way,” she said.
Town Administrator Mary Beth Carter said any sale would have to go before Town Meeting.
Keefe said the committee has also consulted with town counsel Peter Sumners on the logistics of adhering to any procurement laws that may apply toward the sale of land.
“There is land in Rockland that is already under a conservation restriction, and it’s comparable to the size of the Whitman parcel,” she said.
Representatives from Wildlands Trust and the Rockland Open Space Committee have attended the committee’s meetings and expressed an interest in buying the land from Whitman, with the intention of keeping it as an open and conservation-type use, according to Keefe.
“Their plan for the land is exactly in line with the wishes of the Camp Alice Carlton Committee, and the folks who actually did deed the land to the town,” she said. “So, I guess the next step would be for the Select Board, if they so-choose, is to send a letter to the town of Rockland, expressing an interest in perhaps selling the land.”
After a good deal of discussion, the Select Board approved sending a letter to Rockland, which Keefe said would be ready for them to take further action on at the Tuesday, Nov. 26 meeting.
Select Board member Shawn Kain initially said, while noting he appreciated all the work the committee has done, and that it was helpful for them to do all the due diligence required but said he still does not feel comfortable selling off land.
“I know that there’s a small financial benefit, and I do really appreciate that it would be in the conservation land, that’s very important.” he said. “It still doesn’t feel quite right to sell off land that Whitman owns. I feel like we can take it upon ourselves to make sure it stays in conservation … I feel that the only difference is we keep control of that land, and it stays within Whitman’s property.”
Keefe reminded the board that still leaves 10 acres within Whitman’s side of the town line. Walking trails could lead into the Rockland conservation land and “sort of connect the towns.”
“Well, that sounds great to me,” Kain said.
Committee member John Galvin of High Street said they had a lot of conversations about developing that land as walking trails.
“The farm that Rockland has over there already has extensive trails,” he said, noting the committee had toured the property on both sides of the town line, but the Whitman side is overgrown and difficult to access, and the committee has discussed using proceeds of the sale to develop trails.
“The walking trails – that would be huge – and I’d strongly recommend that we go ahead and consider opening the discussions with Rockland and to get it done,” Galvin said, adding that the committee’s vote was unanimous.
“For all of us to be unanimous on it was quite a feat, I would say,” he said.
Select Board member Laura Howe agreed with Keefe and Galvin, especially about the condition of access to the property.
“I couldn’t get my horse through there 20 years ago, so it’s more than you think, taking it on,” she said. “I think their plan is amazing. It’s the best plan I can think of for that area, which is very near to my heart as it is to many people’s.”
Select Board member Justin Evans reported he has spoken to Rockland’s Open Space Committee a couple of years before the process they were discussing was established.
“They kind of laid out their vision for the green belt up along the border where they have McCarthy Farm would have, ideally, acquired the Camp Alice Carlton land – I think there’s a chunk of privately owned land, by a Whitman resident – in the same area that they’d like to acquire and basically work up toward Summer street,” he said. “This is part of a larger vision Rockland’s trying to develop that I think we could help support and maintain for Whitman residents using our 10 acres.”
Vice Chair Dan Salvucci asked which town would be doing the trail reclamation work after a sale.
Keefe suggested the towns could work together on contiguous trails, but Salvucci was concerned about the cost of that work.
“It’s not done cheap,” he said.
Keefe said both towns could use their Community Development funds on their own side of the town line.
Kain asked if Whitman could attain the same goal of creating a green belt without selling land to Rockland.
“Sure, we could, but it’s going to cost us about $8,000 a year,” Galvin said. “Because that’s how much we have to pay for payment in lieu of taxes.”
Keefe added that she was unsure of any advantage to Whitman’s keeping the land, and estimated that Whitman has paid about $60,000 in those payments in lieu of taxes over the past 10 years.
“We can’t do anything with Whitman’s finances because it’s Rockland’s town,” Galvin said. “This is achieving what everybody wants.”