Hamden Adds 40 Acres To Brooksvale Park

Hikers in Hamden looking for a respite in the woods of Hamden’s Brooksvale Park will soon have about 40 more acres through which to walk on their socially distanced outings.

The Hamden Legislative Council voted unanimously Monday night to buy a 40-acre plot of land abutting the town’s iconic Brooksvale Park, using mostly grant funding from the state.

Judith Beers, who currently owns the property, is selling it to the town for $665,000 so that it will be preserved as a part of the park forever.

“For all of us, it’s a dream come true,” Beers told the Independent. ​“It’s what we all wanted.”

The council first took up the purchase of the land at 370 Brooksvale Ave. Rear in February, when the council’s Economic Development Committee voted on it, advancing it to the full council. If the town had not ended up buying the property, it Beers would likely have been forced to sell it to someone who might develop it, destroying 40 acres of forest. If she did not sell it this summer, she said, it would have put her in a tough financial position.

Residents submitted about 100 pages of public comments Monday urging the council to think about the long-term benefits of buying the land, despite the relatively small expenditure it takes in the short term in a time of fiscal crisis.

The town will purchase the property using a few funding sources. It expects a $432,500 grant from the state’s Open Space and Watershed Acquisition Program, which will cover the bulk of the acquisition. The town will also use $250,000 of capital funds from an account that was originally supposed to pay for the construction of an animal shelter. The council also voted Monday to apply for $250,000 in Local Capital Improvement Project (LoCIP) grant funds to replenish the animal shelter account so that project can still continue. LoCIP could not be used to buy the Brooksvale property.

“Expanding Brooksvale Park, two-thirds funded by a state open space grant Hamden was awarded, is a huge value add,” Mayor Curt Leng wrote to the Independent. ​“I’m really proud we were able to cover the town’s share without borrowing any additional money.”

The town also entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Hamden Land Conservation Trust to allow the trust to fundraise for the project. The trust anticipates contributing $30,000.

Purchasing the property is not the only cost associated with the acquisition. There are a few structures — the house Beers’ parents built — that must be demolished and a pool that needs to be filled in for the project to be eligible for the state grant. In total, the town estimates the project will cost between $721,062 and $771,062. When the council first took up the issue in Feburary, the purchase price was $676,000 (down from the $845,100 at which the property is appraised). The purchase price has since been reduced by $11,000 to $665,000. Additional costs, on top of the purchase, include surveys, inspections, demolition, and a contingency factor.

$462,500 will come from the state grant and the land trust donation. The council also authorized up to $300,000 from capital accounts. $250,000 of that is from the animal shelter account, and the town can find up to $50,000 more from other capital accounts if need be. A project summary estimates that the town will also contribute $8,562 from its operating budget.

Despite confusion about the funding streams at the February committee meeting, when it came down to the final vote Monday, council members agreed the purchase would be a good idea despite the town’s precarious fiscal position.

As Councilwoman and town Energy Efficiency Coordinator Kathleen Schomaker put it, adding the land to Brooksvale Park is an opportunity to grow Hamden’s ​“ecological and environmental grand list.” Undisturbed forest helps sustain the town’s environment and provides a value that far exceeds the few thousand dollars required to buy the property, she said.