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Key Open Space final reportI ?LANNING AND DEVELOPMENT •CITY OF NORTHAMPTON _. __planning- conservation o. zoning housing partnership redevelopment _• - northampton GIS . - __ ___ . __.. _ economic development • community development • historic • community preservation • central business architecture I Wayne Feiden, FAICP, Director of Planning and Development • Wfeiden@NorthamptonMA.gov • 413 - 587 -1265 TO: Community Preservation Committee CC: Conservation Commission 4.0-0 FROM: Wayne Feiden, FAICP, Director of Planning and Development RE: Closeout CPA 2008 -2009 Key Open Space Acquisitions DATE: March 23, 2009 On behalf of the Conservation Commission, I am pleased to issue this final report for the $10,000 of Key Open Space Acquisitions CPA funding that the Community Preservation Committee provided. This funding was.used to purchase a critical 15 acre parcel of land in the Mineral Hills, the Bosworth purchase. The property abuts the Mineral Hills Conservation Area and shortens the gap between the two disconnected parcels in the Mineral Hills. Strategically, preserving this conservation area dramatically reduced the chance that someone would build a road or driveway from Turkey Hill Road to Sylvester Road, reducing the likelihood of development in one of the most sensitive areas of the city.. The funds were used to pay for a survey of the Mineral Hills (critical for this purchase and very useful for future purchases), pay for the required appraisal, and pay for almost 50% of the purchase price. The remainder of the purchase price was from contributions received for the purpose of building the Mineral Hills Conservation Area. With CPA funds going for this purchase, the Conservation Commission was able to use its remaining funds to pay for soft costs to preserve an addition of land in the Saw Mill Hills and preserve some farmland in the meadows. Those soft costs, in turn, have leveraged the necessary funds to actually purchase those two key parcels. With direct CPA funding and the indirect leveraging, we are able to purchase three parcels (Mineral Hills, Saw Mill Hills, and the Meadows). Thank you all for making this happen. Please let me know if you need any other information. i I City Hall • 210 Main Street, Room 11 • Northampton, MA 01060 • www.NorthamptonMa.gov • Fax 413 -587 -1264 original printed on recycled paper