Phase 1 Closed! See the press release here.
Phase 2 information here.
Get a map of the Ethel Walker Woods.
Highlands Conservation Act - Ethel Walker Request (PDF 1.7 MB)
SIMSBURY VOTES YES on 2!
Town Referendum Passes! See Press Release Here.
See election results here (PDF).
Hear an Earthday 2007 Midnight Recording from the EWS woods!
An Opportunity for Preservation
The Town of Simsbury has the opportunity to protect
424 acres of land now owned by the Ethel Walker School (EWS). Under an
agreement (see the press
release)
reached by The Trust for Public Land (TPL), the school's
remarkable forests, fields, trails, and wetlands would forever be
preserved as open space.
Why Preserve the Ethel Walker Woods?
- Preserving this land is essential to Simsbury's drinking water quality.
The Ethel Walker property recharges the
invaluable Stratton Brook Aquifer, which supplies 73% of town drinking
water. It is also the sole source for numerous private
wells. Development of the land above the
aquifer poses a risk to the town's water quality. The CT Department of
Public Health has strongly recommended that the town support the
acquisition of
open space in this area to protect its water supply.
- Preserving this land will help retain the scenic, rural character of Simsbury.
The Ethel Walker Woods provides an
outstanding scenic vista along a major town road. The property is the
largest remaining tract of unprotected open space in Simsbury, and is
at the heart of an important regional network of undeveloped land.
Preserving the Ethel Walker Woods is a long-lasting investment in the
quality of life in Simsbury for present and future generations.
- Preserving this land will guarantee public access to the land and
its trails.
The property's extensive trail system
provides numerous educational and recreational opportunities, such as
birdwatching, hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. The
property also supports over 300 plants and animal species in a diverse
set of habitats. Protecting the Ethel Walker Woods from development
will permanently safeguard this important resource for future
generations.
Questions and Answers about the Ethel Walker Woods
- How will the Ethel Walker Woods be preserved?
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has
negotiated an agreement that would allow the Town of Simsbury to
purchase the Ethel Walker Woods and place a conservation easement on
it, ensuring that
the land remains in its natural state and guaranteeing public access to
the property for recreational purposes. Simsbury voters have approved
appropriating funds necessary to preserve the Ethel Walker Woods in two
separate votes. Private donations are
still required to complete the agreement.
- What is the cost to the town of preserving the Ethel Walker property?
The total cost of the property's
development rights is $13.85 million. TPL has committed to raising
$2.75 million in private donations to support the purchase. Therefore,
the town's share of the acquisition price is $11.1 million spread over
5 to 7 years. However,
the net cost to the town after the application of state and federal
grants is
expected to be less than $10 million. The town could receive up
to 60% of the purchase price from government funding.
- What is the cost to the average homeowner?
The town will finance the
acquisition through a combination of reserves, grants and a bond,
subject to the approval of the voters of
Simsbury. The bond is expect to result in an approximate 0.8 % tax
increase. Thus
the cost to an owner of a median-priced home (approximately $300, 000
in Simsbury) would be approximately $40 a year for ten years (the life
of the bond). However the alternative, which is development of
the Ethel Walker land, would increase municipal costs (for example
by adding to the school population) thus increasing the burden for the
town's taxpayers.
- What will happen to the Ethel Walker land if it is NOT preserved?
In May 2005, the Ethel Walker School
submitted preliminary plans for subdivision
of this property to the
Simsbury Planning Commission. The plan would create 122 house lots
throughout the Ethel Walker land. Although Simsbury voters have
approved appropriating funds for this open space purchase, private
money is still required. If the funds necessary to complete the
agreement cannot be raised privately, School officials have stated that
they
will pursue the option to develop the property.
What can I do to help preserve the Ethel Walker Woods?
- Make a donation! The Trust for Public
Land is accepting
contributions toward the $2.75 million private fundraising
goal. Donations to TPL are tax deductible.
- Contact Simsbury Town Officials and thank them for moving this forward to Town referendum.
- If you are an EWS alumna, please contact EWS
Board Members and thank them for approving the new terms.
- Get involved in the project! Contact one of the organizations
listed below to help.
- Keep the Woods, 860-760-6281, keepthewoods@gmail.com
- The Trust for Public Land, Melissa Spear, 203-777-7367 ext. 2, melissa.spear@tpl.org
The
424 acre Ethel Walker property is the centerpiece of approximately 1400
acres of open space in and around Simsbury. Phase 1
Acquisition also includes less than 20 acres NOT shown in the figure
above. This image is an approximation based on maps available at
Simsbury Town Hall and the USGS.
Structure
of the Deal
The original deal negotiated by TPL with EWS (see press release here) was blessed by Simsbury's Board of Selectmen (see story here) but turned down by Simsbury's Board of Finance (see story here). A modified deal proposed by the Board of Selectmen (see story here) has been accepted by the Board of Finance (see story here). This modified deal has been approved by the Board of Trustees of EWS. Simsbury voters approved the Phase I appropriation on November 7, 2006 (see story here). They approved the Phase II down payment in Town Meeting on October 17, 2006 (see story here). For the deal to move forward, 2.75 Million needs to be raised privately to close on Phase I. These funds have been raised and Phase I has closed (see story here and here).
The terms of the modified deal spread the appropriation of funds and the acquisition of land over time. The final purchase price for the 424 acres is still $13.85 million dollars and the portion paid by the town (to be defrayed by state, federal, and private grants) is still $11.1 million. The final outcome is still preservation of the entire parcel of land for all time. The terms of the modified proposal are outlined below.
- Phase I:
- March 2007 closing date
- Approximately 334 acres for $9.75 million
- $2.75 million (of the $9.75 million sum) is to be raised privately by TPL and its partners
- $2 million (of the $9.75 million sum) to be appropriated from Town reserves
- $5 million (of the $9.75 million sum) to be bonded (defrayed
by State and Federal grants)
- $1 million deposit will be paid from Town
reserves to secure the additional acreage (approximately 90 acres)
which will be purchased over 5 - 7 years in Phases II and III for a
total additional $3.1 million.
- Phase II:
- On or before April 2012
- Three options:
- Not buy the remaining acres and forfeit the $1 million deposit
- Buy the remaining 90 acres for an additional $3.1 million
- Buy half of the remaining acres for an additional $2 million with an option to buy the other half within 2 years
- Phase III:
- On or before April 2014
- If only half of the Phase II acres were purchased in Phase II,
the
remaining 45 acres could be purchased for an additional $1.1 million or
the Town would forfeit its
$1 million deposit.
- Town Meeting on October 17, 2006
- Discussed the $2 million reserves + $5 million bonding that
then went automatically to Town Referendum on the November 7, 2006
ballot.
- Voted to approve taking $1 million from reserves for the
deposit
on Phase II and III (see story here).
- Town Referendum on November 7, 2006
- Voted to approve the $2 million from reserves + $5 million
bonding to fund
Phase I (see story here).
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Prior to the agreement between EWS and TPL, our home page included the information below...
Preserve the Ethel Walker Land
The Ethel Walker
School,
based in
Simsbury, CT, offers
an exceptional 620 acre campus loved by current
students, alumnae, and the surrounding community. A
subset of the Ethel Walker School campus is a critical
parcel of connected open space consisting of pristine
woodlands, wetlands and wildlife habitats. Its
environmental, recreational and educational value is enjoyed and
appreciated by both the school and surrounding
community. At this time the Ethel Walker School feels
it has a fiduciary responsibility to maximize the yield
of this asset to enhance their future. Currently they
are considering a plan to sub-divide and
develop this parcel. Negotiating the sale of
the development rights to open space groups, however, could yield them
similar
financial benefits while preserving the land in its current state.
Selling
the
development rights of this property would present a
historic opportunity for the Town of Simsbury and many
other local, state and national partners interested in
targeted land preservation.
The Town of Simsbury maintains a long-standing interest and successful track record in preserving critical parcels of land when opportunities arise. Given the educational, environmental, and recreational value of the Ethel Walker School property, community support for its preservation is overwhelming. Amicably reaching an agreement on the purchase of the woodlands on the west side of Bushy Hill Road for wholesale preservation rather than development exemplifies the Ethel Walker School’s goals of innovation, creativity, and community. In addition, it fulfills the first goal of the Simsbury Plan of Development: “The retention and preservation of open space”.
As stated in the Plan,
“While our land and natural beauty are a part of Simsbury’s heritage, the responsibility for maintaining the quality of the community as a place to work and live rests finally with the citizens of this town.”
We are a diverse, large, and growing group of citizens with a common interest in working toward this preservation effort. The Ethel Walker property represents a major purchase, with multiple sources of financing needed. As such we are seeking funding from a variety of local, state and national sources. We acknowledge and appreciate the wonderful relationship that the Ethel Walker School and the Town of Simsbury have enjoyed for many years, and we aim to negotiate an offer such that Ethel Walker realizes fair financial benefits, comparable to developing the property, and continues to enjoy the priceless resource of their exceptional campus. In this win-win scenario, the Ethel Walker School responsibly realizes the full financial potential of this asset yet retains this outstanding asset for their advertising, education, and recreation. Most importantly, this environmentally sensitive and critical piece of habitat, connected to other pieces of preserved land, will be enjoyed by many future generations in the community and at the Ethel Walker School.
Browse though this website if you would like to see our work on specific topics as they pertain to this preservation project.
Join our e-mail list if you would like to be informed of neighborhood meetings and receive general updates via e-mail.
Submit any information, feedback or comments for posting by filling out the electronic forms.
Check out “What you can do”
Most of all: Thank you for you interest!!
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