Bethel Boosts Newtown’s Open Space

By Kendra Bobowick

On a mild January day they stood in an open field amid roughly 72 acres of what was once the Franc family farm in Bethel. Looking at sapling evergreens struggling through overgrown grass, Newtown Forest Association President Robert Eckenrode and Bethel Land Trust Treasurer John O’Neill admired the patch of open space that Bethel recently purchased.

Reaching for the boughs of a six-foot cedar, Mr Eckenrode said, “There is some thought to manage this as a meadow…”

“There is so little of it around,” replied Mr O’Neill.

“It’s in such little supply,” Mr Eckenrode said.

“Very,” the treasurer answered.

The fir tree was a good omen. “These cedars are the first sign of a successional meadow, and perfect bird cover,” said Mr Eckenrode. A successional meadow means that the area is reverting slowly back to forest, Mr Eckenrode explained. The Franc property on Plumtrees Road leading from Newtown into Bethel abuts Newtown’s 76-acre Bruno Preserve on Taunton Hill Road. The two combined open spaces of nearly 150 acres share a 2,500-foot border. As the two conservationists talked about future planning for the adjoining parcels, Mr Eckenrode glanced at maps of Bruno preserve’s trails, then looked around the Franc property’s stonewalls and sloping field. “This is so magic,” he said.

 “Absolutely,” Mr O’Neill agreed.

The Franc Property

Roughly 72 acres of Bethel land — a parcel at one time eyed for a 26-home development — bordering more than 70 acres of the Newtown Forest Association’s (NFA) Bruno Preserve will remain open space. Bethel’s recent Franc property purchase “was a great coup” for open space and wildlife, said Mr Eckenrode.

The neighboring properties add up to 144 acres of open space, “which is pretty amazing,” Mr Eckenrode said. “Rarely does opportunity like this come along.” He said, “Those opportunities are a gift, and few and far between.”

Pleased with Bethel’s decision to spend $855,000, with $95,000 paid from an open space fund, Mr Eckenrode added, “If the opportunity is there and not taken, it’s a lost opportunity for future generations.” Instead, the Franc parcel and NFA preserves combined will remain “a natural resource that maintains the rural character of our towns and provide passive recreation for our community.”

Representing the NFA, Mr Eckenrode had lent his support recently to Bethel during a January town meeting where those in attendance overwhelmingly favored the purchase. “I reached out as a neighbor to them, congratulated them and offered help and assistance for plans for management for open recreation, for example.”

The ability to create a larger open space between the towns “was like a door opening. It’s truly magic when the door presents itself, and you have to walk thorough and make it happen,” Mr Eckenrode said. “How often does 72 acres of valuable natural resource property present itself?”

Bethel First Selectman Matthew Knikerbocker took office in December of 2009 with several initiatives in mind, including the town’s natural resources.

“This property purchase is something I have been hoping to accomplish,” he said. “I am so happy the Franc family worked with us to preserve this land.” Noting that the purchase “is in the town’s best interest,” he said, “It’s a wonderful opportunity.”

Mr Knickerbocker said he is a “big fan” of passive recreation and “preserving open spaces in their natural form.”

Most of the residents who attended the recent meeting to vote for the Franc property purchase feel the same way, he said. The vote was 200 to one in favor of preserving the land. “I think we can see from the results that a lot of people in town are thinking along those lines, so I’m very happy to know that.”

He will be establishing an open space committee to formalize the deed to property, describing what it can be used for, and to conserve in its current condition. He said, “I would be delighted to have that group work with other towns” on trails, etc.

 

A Bigger Picture

“This, tied in with the regional open space puzzle we’re working on with other towns, is an example of how well things can go,” Mr Eckenrode said.

The forest association, along with towns including Bethel, is part of the Western Fairfield County Regional Conservation Partnership, hosted by Highstead, a nonprofit organization in Redding that works to preserve forested landscapes.

The Highstead’s Regional Conservationist Bill Labich, also with the Fairfield County Regional Conservation Partnership, said, “This was the prefect example” of a regional accomplishment. He hopes that land trusts look at neighboring towns to identify “larger blocks of land that could be conserved.” The nearly 150 acres of combined land between Newtown and Bethel “is amazing,” he said.

The Bruno Preserve and Franc parcel “parlays with what the regional partnership is doing…open space is a big puzzle, so we are trying to see what we have in common,” Mr Eckenrode said.

Newtown’s Deputy Director of Planning and Land Use Rob Sibley said, “The NFA and Bethel have done a good job” of land preservation in that area. He opened computerized maps this week and noted parcels of open space in the area in both Newtown and Bethel. Regionally, he said, “Town lines and roads should not stop you. It’s about connectivity.” A regional approach to conservation is “something we’ve adopted. We are seeing beyond town lines to see what other towns are doing.”

His department is continually identifying properties throughout town that could potentially be preserved or add to already existing open spaces, but preservation takes money, Mr Sibley agreed. “Yes, it does.”

The Bruno preserve off Taunton Hill Rd is 72 acres of open space including trails and wildlife habitat. This parcel can now be linked with the Franc property.