Guilford Salt Meadow Sanctuary Osprey Platform

On October 25, 2009, a group of Menunkatuck members and friends installed an osprey platform in the marsh at the Guilford Salt Meadow Sanctuary. The platform was constructed by Guilford High School students Ryan and Megan as part of their capstone project.

Public Invited to Tour Former Griswold Airport Property

From the Town of Madison Board of Selectmen:

MADISON, CONN., October 12, 2009 - The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national land conservation nonprofit, recently announced that it had reached agreement to purchase 42 acres of land known as the Griswold Airport Property from Madison Landing Company, LLC, a subsidiary of Leyland Alliance, LLC. Town officials and TPL invite Madison residents to the first of two site tours of the property, to be held this Sunday, October 18th, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. The second tour of the property is scheduled for Saturday, November 7th, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

The tour will be structured as an "open house," with two guided walks offered at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. The walks will be guided by Patrick Comins, Audubon Connecticut's Director of Bird Conservation, and Heather Crawford, a member of the Madison Conservation Commission.

The 42-acre property, located on the Boston Post Road, is adjacent to Hammonasset State Park and includes prime wetland habitat, upland forest, and significant frontage along the Hammonasset River. The former airport property was sold to LeylandAlliance in 2007 and permits to construct 127 units of housing on the land were subsequently granted.

The conservation goals for the property are to maintain the land as natural open space with walking trails and viewing areas along the river, with the potential to restore a portion of the grasslands to accommodate a variety of birds. On the front portion of the property, closest to the Post Road, Town officials potentially envision several recreational fields for use by Town families and possibly a small area reserved for future commercial use compatible with a park.

"TPL is delighted to bring this opportunity to the voters of Madison, and we encourage families to come out and see all that this land has to offer. Conservation experts will be on hand to discuss the conservation values of this unique property," said Alicia Betty, Project Manager for The Trust for Public Land.

Under the terms of the agreement, the property would be purchased for $9.7 million, with a closing scheduled for April 1, 2010. Also under the agreement, the town has forty-five days to decide whether or not to offer Madison voters a referendum to authorize a bond to cover $8 million of the purchase price. The Town will likely add as much as $1 million to the $8 million bond to cover demolition and renovation costs which would fund the initial conversion of the airport into a park. Such a referendum is expected later this fall.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit organization which works with others to conserve land for people to enjoy as working landscapes, parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. TPL has protected over 6,000 acres of open space, watershed land, working farms and forestland, and historic resources in 40 communities across the state. For more information, please visit www.tpl.org/connecticut.

Other sources for more information are Stop Griswold OverDevelopment and the Save The Griswold Airport Property Facebook Group.

Photos from Save The Griswold Airport Property.