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| Articles |
| An
extraordinary coalition |
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Archived
Newsletters:
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queries or comments please contact
RikP@pobox.com
CCF
Directors
Alan Ankers
Barney Arnold
Liz Carpenter
Wayne Davis
Marjie Findlay
David Freedman
Peg Gladstone
Heidi Harring
Steve Hinton
Lori Jiménez
Jamie Klickstein
Lynn Knight
Jay Luby
Greg Peterson
Scott Simpson
Steve Spang
Sally Swift
Steve Tobin |
CCF
P.O. Box 300
Carlisle, MA 01741 |
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Canada
Geese enjoy the now-preserved Wang Coombs fields.
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Photo by Midge Eliassen
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An extraordinary coalition
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 Sometimes
the Carlisle Land Trust (CLT) acts quickly and quietly, working
with landowners out of the limelight to accomplish important conservation
objectives. Other times, CLT acts as a leader and catalyst, bringing
together diverse groups in a sustained and very public effort to
preserve land. Such was the case with the Wang-Coombs land, where
CLT spearheaded a broad-based community effort to preserve one of
Carlisle’s most-cherished vistas along Curve and Fiske Streets,
just west of the Cranberry Bog. With the town’s purchase last month,
36 of the original 44 acres, representing almost all of the land
in active agricultural use, were saved from residential development.
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The
sixteen-month long saga began in July 1998, when CLT first received
word that the landowner was in active negotiation with developers
at a total price tag of $2.925 million. An extraordinary coalition
rose to meet the challenge. A small working group of CLT Trustees
and neighbors near the cornfields worked with town officials to
devise a plan whereby the town would assign its Right of Refusal
to CLT which could then exercise the purchase option before the
120-day deadline. The spring ‘99 Town Meeting would vote whether
to acquire the major portion of the land while CLT would sell two
residential lots to help defray the overall purchase price. Groups
of neighbors worked with CLT to raise funds to cover the legal and
engineering project expenses and to educate Carlisleans about the
land, its history and what was at stake. Twelve individuals from
throughout Carlisle collectively guaranteed a $250,000 deposit to
secure the land contract for CLT. Others devoted time and energy
to the ultimately successful effort to secure a $320,000 grant from
the State Agricultural Preservation Program. The Board of Selectmen,
Planning Board, Conservation Commission, and Trails Committee all
endorsed the plan. |
The
benefits of this open, broad-based approach became evident with
the overwhelming 331 to 27 vote at Spring Town Meeting to authorize
the $2.15M purchase. But the challenge was far from over. CLT still
had to find buyers for the two residential lots and raise additional
donations so that it could contribute $100,000 to the town’s purchase.
These challenges, too, were met, and finally, on November 29, 1999,
the town’s land purchase closed. |
What
has been preserved? 36 acres of some of Carlisle’s most fertile
agricultural land and one of Carlisle’s most scenic vistas. |
What
has been accomplished? A community came together to preserve a treasured
part of Carlisle’s heritage. |
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Wayne Davis
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