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Litchfield, NH Community Message Board Forum Index -> General Forums -> Local Issues & Information -> Town Related -> Open Space Article
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User: Derek

Rank: Professional
Joined: 2007/11/15
Last Visit: 2010/08/30
Posts: 760
Location: Litchfield
PostOpen Space Article Posted: 2010/03/10 9:28am  Reply with quote
Quote:
Adopt a new Section 575, Conservation Open Space Development, to require proposed residential subdivision developments 20 acres or greater in size to be designed to preserve natural features and wildlife habitat. This ordinance will permit reduced lot size, setbacks, and frontage, so that building lots take up less area allowing equal building lot density as a conventional development while preserving open space. Open space will be owned and/or managed by the Town, land trust or association utilizing a conservation easement.


I was curious what exactly this means. I understood it to mean that instead of having (20) 1 acre lots in a 20 acre sub-division, you would instead have (20) 1\2 acre lots and 10 acres of conservation space - or something similar to that.

Is that interpretation correct?
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User: Frank Byron

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Joined: 2008/03/27
Last Visit: 2010/09/10
Posts: 433
Post Posted: 2010/03/10 9:46am  Reply with quote
Derek,

Yes. In a nutshell, that is the idea. It creates more open space and stops the one acre, cookie cutter approach we have today but still retains the same density of housing.

Regards,
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Frank
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User: Derek

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Post Posted: 2010/03/10 9:52am  Reply with quote
Gotcha - thanks Frank!

Are there any developments like this planned already?
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User: KBD

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Joined: 2009/04/06
Last Visit: 2010/09/10
Posts: 194
Post Posted: 2010/03/10 10:40am  Reply with quote
Will there be any cost associated with this? If the land is owned/managed by the Town (which I assume means the developer gives the land to the town), will the developer be required to establish a fund to cover the costs so taxes do not have to be raised to do so?
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User: Frank Byron

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Joined: 2008/03/27
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Posts: 433
Post Posted: 2010/03/10 11:45am  Reply with quote
Derek wrote:
Are there any developments like this planned already?


Derek, While I'm not on the Planning Board as the Selectmen's ex officio member I do not know of any pending developments coming into the Planning Board. This would be more of a future thing.

KBD wrote:
Will there be any cost associated with this? If the land is owned/managed by the Town (which I assume means the developer gives the land to the town), will the developer be required to establish a fund to cover the costs so taxes do not have to be raised to do so?


Kerri,

My understanding is that the property can be managed in one of three ways: transfer of ownership to the town, title held by a non-profit land trust or held by the owners of the development as a trust. This new ordinance makes no consideration for any funding of the property. I am assuming that you mean a fund to offset the loss of tax revenue.

The entire ordinance can be found here: http://www.litchfield-nh.gov/documents/planning/225I-xx_2010_LIT_ZN_Ord010510-COSD.pdf

Regards,
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Frank
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User: KBD

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Posts: 194
Post Posted: 2010/03/10 12:05pm  Reply with quote
I don't see that there should be much of an impact on removing the land from the tax rolls. If the land is currently undeveloped, the taxes on the land will be minimal. Taxes go sky high, though, once the land is developed. So, if half the land is removed from the tax rolls while the other half of the land is developed, then the property values on the land that is developed should be adjusted to account for the 'desirability' of living adjacent to an 'open space' that cannot be further developed.

My question has to do with the 'management' of this open space. The article states that the town could be responsible for 'management' of the open space. In my mind, management = money. If this is ever implemented and if the town is given land to comply with this article, then a part of the cost of the development should be setting up a fund that would cover the expenses the town may inherit as a part of accepting the land.
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