A Canton senator has unveiled a proposed constitutional amendment to protect open space in Connecticut and put stronger restrictions on the sale of preserved land.
State Sen. Kevin Witkos, R-Canton, said the amendment is necessary to protect against land being sold too easily.
He said in a statement, “A constitutional amendment will ensure that environmental protection always remains a top priority. It will also address the need for strengthened protections to ensure that any preserved land sale is sufficiently weighed and considered by lawmakers and the public, and is balanced with the acquisition of new protected land.”
A spokeswoman for Witkos said a scuttled deal in Haddam in which developers attempted to swap 17 acres of prime real estate along the Connecticut River for 82 acres elsewhere helped inspire the proposed amendment, as did a proposed attempt by Milford to take control of a portion of Silver Sands State Park for parking.
The draft language would prohibit the state from selling open space unless the three requirements were met:
- There must be a 2/3 vote by each chamber in favor of selling the space;
- Any legislation allowing for the sale of an open space property must be a standalone bill. This will prevent sales from being incorporated into much larger conveyance or implementer bills, which are often rushed through the legislature; and,
- All money received for any transfer, sale or conversion of land must be used solely to replace it with similar land to be used for open space, parks, forests or farms. This will preserve the amount of open space currently owned by the state. The new land acquired by the state must be similar in conservation, recreation, or agricultural value to the land being sold. It also must be in as close proximity as possible. In addition, the fair market value of any land sold must be appropriated in the same bill that authorizes the sale to pay for the state’s acquisition of similar open space.
Witkos’ proposal follows a recent call by the state’s Council on Environmental Quality for the state to quicken the pace at which it acquires and preserves land.
