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Historically, the Hamden Journal has favored such deals, for
a number of reasons. These include economics, education and
quality of life. In a community like Hamden, which is among
the most developed in the state, preservation of undeveloped
land makes even more sense.
This parcel has been a target of developers for years. In
2002, owner Joseph Kelly proposed construction of 86
single-family homes in subdivisions called Brooksvale
Estates North and Brooksvale Estates South. Last year, the
Inland Wetlands Commission denied Kelly's application.
Following the denial, Kelly sued the town, appealing the
commission's decision. The town and Kelly will settle the
suit as part of the sale.
Starting in September of 2003, Assistant Town
Attorney Timothy Lee and Mayor Carl Amento began negotiating
for the town to acquire the property and maintain it as open
space.
Throughout the process, the town held the option to take the
property by eminent domain, with the courts determining fair
market value. Such an action likely would have resulted in a
greater cost to the town, because the DEP only approves
grants for voluntary sales of property. Also, the town would
have incurred significant additional legal costs for the
eminent domain proceedings.
According to town estimates, development of the property
would have resulted in substantial additional expense to the
town. Such expenses include education for children who move
into the neighborhood; police and fire protection; trash and
recycling pickup; leaf pickup and street cleaning; snow
removal, etc. Amento estimates the additional costs would
far exceed the yearly debt payments the town will incur as a
result of this purchase.
True, the new residents who moved into the sub-developments
would have paid property taxes on their new homes. However,
the added costs of services would have more than offset any
additions to the Grand List. For example, the average new
house in Hamden brings in $7,900 per year in property tax,
assuming the new homes would have had a selling price around
$300,000. The average cost of educating one child in town is
$10,600. Statistics show that new, multi-bedroom houses
usually attract families with at least one or two children.
Therefore, while each of those 86 new homes that Kelly
proposed would have generated tax revenue, they also would
have cost the town about $2,700 each just for schooling.
Of course families with children won't move into every home,
some families will send their children to private schools
and many will remain in their homes after their children
graduate. Still, even this rough estimate shows how quickly
costs can mount.
From our perspective, the biggest incentive
to the town was the chance to secure nearly 200
acres of open space and add the land to Brooksvale
Park. Hamden residents have few recreational areas. The new
parkland, added to other recreational areas like the
Farmington Canal Greenway and the proposed Town Center Park,
will do much to increase the quality of life
in town.
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