WESTFIELD – The Conservation Commission voted Tuesday night to endorse the city’s right exercise the option of buying 13 acres of land off Northwest Road currently under Chapter 61-A open space protection.
The Conservation Commission has joined several other boards in supporting the purchase of the property under the 61-A provisions, joining the Planning Board that has sent a formal recommendation to Mayor Daniel M. Knapik and the City Council.
The property owner, John Pitoniak, is seeking to sell the land to an abutting property owner for $130,000. Land placed into Chapter 61-A status is taxed at a lower rate, providing financial relief and an incentive to land owners to preserve open space.
Chapter 61-A of the Massachusetts General Laws allows the city, which forfeited tax revenue by approving the lower tax rate, the right of first refusal or purchase when that property is being sold.
The Community Preservation Commission voted on July 11 to appropriate $157,500 as a contingency if no other municipal funding is available to acquire the 13.2 acres of land.
“The city may be interested in purchasing the property under the Chapter 61-A process,” Principal Planner Jay Vinskey said. “The purchase-sale agreement is for $130,000 and the city could match that offer.”
“You’d be making a recommendation to the mayor and City Council,” Vinskey said at a recent Planning Board meeting. “The CPC did authorize funding for this if no other department, such as the Water Department, has the resources for the purchase of the property.”
Vinskey said if Community Preservation Act funding is used the land acquisition, the property must be placed under a conservation restriction, which is the goal of the Conservation Commission. If other municipal funding is used for the purchase, there is no requirement to place that restriction.
“It would be protected depending on what money was used,” Vinskey said. “If it’s CPA money it has to remain as open space.”
Conservation Coordinator Karen Leigh said this morning that the commission decided Tuesday night to endorse acquisition of that property because it is significant open space that should be protected based upon the commission’s criterion for open space preservation.
“Is it next to property already under open space protection?” Leigh said. “It is.”
“Is it next to property already owned by the city? It is. It abuts Water Resource (Department) property. Does it have significant habitat features or diversity of habitat? It does,” Leigh said. “And is it consistent with the goals and objectives of the city’s open space plan? The commission felt that the purchase would provide those benefits.”
