Many questions have been raised about 190 and protecting the land as open space: “What about all the other possible uses, such as affordable & senior housing, active recreation facilities, future town public works or municipal facilities?” These are great questions! There is no doubt there are and will be many diverse needs of the town and its residents, both now and in the future. However, the good news is that protecting open space at 190, does NOT mean that these other needs can’t be met at strategic locations appropriate for such uses!
What are the reasons this site is NOT suitable for development?
· 190 has poorly & very poorly drained soils, which means that the land will not likely sustain anything but a single family septic system. The storage building previously proposed had one bathroom. This means that the site would not sustain any large facility or housing units that would require a larger septic system, making it unsuitable for affordable or senior housing, large recreation facilities, town buildings or industrial and commercial type uses.
· Protecting this land will help keep our mill rate LOW!
· Open space land reduces & mitigates flooding. When we choose to protect wetland areas & adjacent land, we help protect our community against flooding and storm flows. The protected land itself provides infiltration and storage capacity, and choosing not to develop reduces impervious surfaces, thus aiding in flood mitigation. This land has water tables that fluctuate and includes and is adjacent to the FEMA 100 year flood zone, making it ideal for protection.
· Open space land creates passive recreation opportunities. This parcel is right next to land trust property, making it an ideal piece of property to connect and protect! Connecting the properties will help protect the watershed, allow public access, create partnership opportunities with local schools, and create a wildlife and recreation corridor.
· Open space land protects our wetlands and water quality. This site has 5+ acres of wetlands. Wetlands filter storm water and pollutants, aid in ground-water recharge for our wells, and so much more!
· By protecting this land, you can help protect 3 endangered species (the sedge wren, the hard stem bulrush and the bog willow), over 80 bird species and countless other wildlife species.
· Help prevent sprawl and keep development where it belongs – in our already developed areas! Furthermore, the population of Goshen is stable and has not shown significant growth over many decades.
Vote to Protect Open Space!
Attend the Town Meeting in person to cast your vote!
WHEN: MONDAY, JUNE 17th 2024, 8:00pm
WHERE: GOSHEN CENTER SCHOOL CAFETERIA
Vote YES to the following questions:
· To authorize the Board of Selectmen to move the STEAP Grant from 190 Sharon Turnpike to 38 Torrington Road, for construction of the new public works storage facility
· Petition Question: “Shall the Town of Goshen protect the property at 190 Sharon Turnpike as open space, in perpetuity, by either maintaining ownership of property and devoting the property to passive recreation use, or by selling the property to a nonprofit land trust or land protection agency for it’s fair market value?”