The state reached a settlement with a family estate that preserves as open space 230 acres in Connecticut’s northeast corner, authorities say.
The governor’s and state attorney general’s offices announced Wednesday the pact extinguishes more than $420,000 in state liens on the acreage stradding the towns of Sprague and Franklin.
The land is part of the Watson Estate, a large expanse of agricultural fields, streams and wooded areas that abuts the Shetucket River. The public will have walking access to the new acquisition, state officials said.
Through the agreement, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) will award Sprague a $276,000 land acquisition grant to buy the property. The town will kick in an extra $18,000 to pay the full $294,000 purchase price, officials said.
The property’s 2010 appraisal listed a fair market value between $517,000 and $551,000, they said.
Watson family relatives will retain a small portion of the property that includes a house in which they live.
The Sprague board of selectmen and a probate judge approved the deal earlier this week.
The Watson Estate borders the 270-acre Sprague Land Preserve, which was also purchased with a state land acquisition grant in 2005. Together, the preserved property totals about 500 acres, the state said.
Counting this deal, Connecticut says it is now 73 percent toward its goal of designating 21 percent, or 673,210 acres of land, as open space by 2023.
