602 Acres In Newtown—

DEP Wants To Purchase BHC Land

By Steve Bigham

The future of open space in Newtown looked a little brighter this week with news that the state was interested in purchasing 602 acres of land currently owned by BHC, formerly known as Bridgeport Hydraulic Company.

The future of the watershed land in southern Newtown had been uncertain ever since the utility company was sold last year. Newtown and several other surrounding towns expressed concern that this picturesque open space (nearly 20,000 acres in Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven counties) might eventually be sold to developers. However, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says it wants to use some of the land to create a greenway along the Aspetuck River and link land to the 883-acre Huntington State Park in Bethel and Redding.

David Leff of the DEP believes this is the kind of move that will have long lasting effects on the area.

“I really believe this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape the landscape our children and grandchildren deserve to have,” he told The Bee Tuesday. “We all know Fairfield County is rapidly developing. The woods and waters of old are now paved. There’s nothing wrong with development, but they’re not making any new land there.”

According to Mr Leff, the state would pay for the massive purchase using money from the newly created Charter Oak Open Space Trust Account and the Natural Heritage & Recreation Trust Fund. A price has not yet been disclosed.

Some of the BHC land in Newtown is deemed Class I land, which cannot be sold for development due to its close proximity to reservoirs, rivers and streams. However, there is some Class II and III land that could be sold for development. Newtown has far less to worry about than does Easton, which is home to 6,300 acres of BHC-owned land.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal this week admitted he was worried that the town might have to buy the property in order to protect it – a move Newtown has made on a number of occasions in recent years. The state’s interest in the property – for fisheries and parks – creates a much better scenario. The 602 acres of land in Newtown are home to the headwaters of the Aspetuck River. The land also abuts Huntington Park, making it valuable to the state.

“I certainly would not want to see major development going on there,” Mr Rosenthal said.

The property sits on either side of Hopewell Road and along Equestrian Ridge and Poverty Hollow Road.

That state has not expressed interest in an additional 44 acres of Class III land near the Newtown/Monroe border (off Swamp Road). This property is considered even more valuable to developers, though it includes wetlands. According to Mr Rosenthal, this land may end up being purchased by the town.

The British water company, Yorkshire, PLC, a subsidiary of Kelda Group, purchased the BHC land for $544 million this past year. Under pressure from state conservationists, the company agreed not to sell Class II lands, which border watersheds, for three years, and Class III lands, those removed from watersheds, for two years. Class I land, which immediately surrounds watersheds, cannot be sold

The voluntary moratorium gave state conservationists a chance to do a “portfolio-wide inspection” of the property. And, upon closer inspection, the DEP decided it wanted the land for itself.

The DEP is currently discussing its plan with area town officials and will eventually meet with residents. Those meetings are slated for this coming fall.