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Partnering with Landowners-Conservation Northampton- brochureConservation and recreation open space is an important part of 1RUWKDPSWRQ·VOHJDF\2XUFRPPXQLW\LVMXVWLILDEO\IDPRXVIRULWVZRQGHUIXOGRZQWRZQLWVFRPPXQLW\VHUYLQJYLOODJHVDQGLWVRSHQVSDFHDQGUHFUHDWLRQCConservation NorthamptonNorthampton Planning SustainabilityPartnering with LandownersIntroductionThe City can help:0DQ\RIWKH&LW\·VRSHQVSDFHGHDOVDUHGLUHFWILQDQFLDOWUDQVDFWLRQVWKDWVHUYHWKHQHHGVRIEX\HUDQGVHOOHU0DQ\RIWKHEHVWRSHQVSDFHSURMHFWVKRZHYHUKDSSHQHGEHFDXVHRIWKHGHGLFDWLRQRIODQGRZQHUVZKRKDYHDYLVLRQDQGDUHZLOOLQJWRKHOS7KHVHDUHWKHLUVWRULHV 1RUWKDPSWRQKDVEXLOWDFRQVHUYDWLRQOHJDF\ZLWKDWZRVWHSDSSURDFK(QFRXUDJHUHVLGHQWLDOGHYHORSPHQWLQVXVWDLQDEOHORFDWLRQVXUEDQQHLJKERUKRRGVZDONLQJdistance ofFRPPHULFDODQGPL[HGXVHYLOODJHVDndFHQWHUVandZLWKLQRSHQVSDFHUHVLGHQWLDOSURMHFWVFOXVWHUV7KLVKHOSVFUHDWHHQRXJKLQYHQWRU\WRDYRLGDUWLILFDOO\LQIODWLQJKRVXLQJSULFHVDQGNHHSRXUWD[UROOVVWURQJ5HJXODWRU\DFWLRQVDQGLQYHVWPHQWLQIUDVWUXFWXUHJUDQWVKDYHPDGHWKLVDUHDOLW\3UHVHUYLQJRSHQVSDFHIRUconservation and recreation to serve WKHFRPPXQLW\DQGSURWHFWRXUOHJDF\RIWKHFRPPXQLW\LVQRZSHUPDQHQWO\SURWHFWHGRSHQVSDFHIRUZLOGOLIHKDELWDWDJULFXOWXUHDQGUHFUHDWLRQ&RPPXQLW\VXSSRUWWKH&RPPXQLW\3UHVHUYDWLRQ$FWGHGLFDWHGVWDIIDQGERDUGVDQGJUHDWODQGRZQHUSDUWQHUVKDYHPDGHWKLVDVXFFHVVPlaPlaPlaPPPanniiinnininninningnggngnggSuSSSuuSutstastastastastasinaiinanabillbilbbibiiityitytyy210210021021021001MMMaMMaMaMaiin in innnSSt.StSt.SStS,,,CitCititCCity Hy Hy HyHHallallallallNorNorooNorothathahathamptmptmptmpon,on,on,MAMAMMA01010106000600606yyIf you want to join us, please contact Northampton Planning & Sustainability and we can work with you to meet your needs.wfeiden@northamptonma.gov Since zoning laws allow virtually no development rights, most of the meadows is protected from ownership by the City, the state, the federal government, and Massachusetts Audubon Society. However, the majority of the meadows was privately owned with little protection against misuse. Charles Jasinski provided the firstagriculture preservation restriction in the meadows, providing a guarantee of permanent protection of privately owned working farmland.When Charles Jasinski’s father, William Jasinski, died, Charles inherited about 100 acres of farmland that supports him as a full-time farmer. Charles decided that he wanted to create an open space legacy and offered to donate a portion of that land to Sheldon Field Recreation Area. However he still needed the farmland to continue support his farming operation. Charles Jasinski worked with the City of Northampton to make a deal whereby he could continue to farm the land until his planned retirement, but the land would go to the City and be guaranteed for future recreation uses. The transaction was confidence building, and Charles agreed to acquire a small piece of surplus farmland from the city and place an agriculture preservation restriction on all of his farmland to build a permanent agricultural legacy and get some immediate income.When evaluating land, the City always works with the seller to consider what uses might be appropriate for the land in addition to open space. Projects have included market rate housing, multi-use trails, recreation, and other uses. On several projects, the City wanted to create one or more affordable housing, but the opportunities were too limited to attract most affordable housing developers.The Pioneer Valley Habit for Humanity has been willing to step forward on several of these projects. In return for a lot for affordable housing, with that lot typically funded by federal Community Development Block Grants for Northampton Community Preservation Act funds, Pioneer Valley Habit has taken on the burden of creating home ownership for very low income families.The Connecticut River is an extremely important part of the City’s history and one of its biggest resources. But for many years, Northampton had less-than-ideal public river access for human powered boats. When the City and Northampton Community Rowing approached Lane Construction and asked them to donate land for a Connecticut River Greenway riverfront park for recreation and conservation purposes, Land Construction loved the idea of partnering, but were not in a position to donate the property. We were able to work out an agreement where the City obtained all the permits that Lane Construction needed to redevelop their property. This was a very small marginal cost to the City, but it added to the value of Lane Construction’s remaining land. Their comfort level of their future options increased, allowing them to donate both conservation and recreation land to the City. Lane Construction’s donation made this access possible, and dramatically increasednon-motorized public access to the river.Armand LaPalme approached the City because he wanted to create an open space legacy of the forest and agriculture land he had husbanded for many decades. However, that land needed to be part of his retirement formula. Mr. LaPalme discussed the project with his wife and children, and they were all amazingly supportive of his vision and the eventual outcome. Having a cheering section always helps.The City was able to work with the LaPalmes to carve out the LaPalme’s home and house lot to create two new building lots so that they become ecologically, scenically, and agriculturally important sections of the property. The City was also able to find a builder for the LaPalmes who paid top dollar for the lots, to purchase the rest of the property at a discount and still get immediate income from the majority value of the property. The LaPalmes are maintaining farming income and the rights for cord wood for a number of years. There was no Mineral Hills Conservation Area when Mr. LaPalme approached the city. His vision helped create the 85-acre LaPalme Section, which grew into a 1,000 acre Mineral Hills Conservation Area. When Carolyn Gray purchased her dream house lot in Northampton, she inherited a shared concern with the City about adjacent land that is ecologically, agriculturally, and scenically critical. She discussed with the City about various protection options and within their first year of ownership, Carolyn Gray and George Peppard donated a conservation restriction on some of their back land to the City. When a new parcel came on the market, the City worked with them to help their first refusal on the land, to place a permanent agriculture preservation restriction on the property, and to sell the residual land to Carolyn and George. They also donated money to the City to cover all costs, enabling the City to met its goal of protecting valuable farmland and the scenic view and partnering with IRS.What had been a small Parsons Brook Conservation Area and restrictions suddenly doubled and size and became the anchor for a key conservation story.Doug Kohl was very responsible and well respected developer. He also had a passion for open space, therefore he partnered with the City on several projects. He owned land that he had planned to build a housing proj-ect on, but with the City building its Mineral Hills Conservation Area, he decided to help convert his land to conservation space. First, he donated a pedestrian right-of-way across his property to link two city-owned conservation parcels thereby make the City eligible for more grant funding. Later he decided to sell his land to the City, but Doug had a partner who was not in a position to bargain sell the property. Doug and the City reached an agreement whereby the City payed the full market price for the land and Doug made a $50,000 tax deductible contribution the Northampton Conservation Endowment Fund at the CommunityFoundation of Western Massachusetts to help the City build a permanent endowment for all of its conservation land. Doug Kohl passed at much too early an age, but his work will forever be remembered and honored. We maintain active partnerships with many other groups who have been incredible partners including Regional non-profit, Local non-profit, Recreation State Government, and Recreation, Division of Fisheries & Wildlife Partners:Kestrel Land Trust, Massachusetts Audubon Society, and The Trustees of Reservations, Broad Brook Coalition, Meadows City Conservation Coalition, and Friends of Northampton, Dept. of Agriculture Resources, Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, and Division of Conservation Services, and US Fish and Wildlife ServiceNorthampton Planning & Sustainability can helpOur goal is to make sure that at signing, at closing, and decades after closing, the property owner and other partners are happy and proud of what they accomplished, and that all of their needs have been met.)UHTXHQWO\$VNHG4XHVWLRQV:KDWULJKWVLIDQ\GRHVWKHODQGRZQHUZDQWWRUHWDLQRQWKHSURSHUW\HJULJKWWRIDUPFXWWLPEHU":KDWLVWKHULJKWWLPHIRUDWUDQVDFWLRQQRZLQWKHQHDUIXWXUHDVSDUWRIDQHYHQWXDOHVWDWH"'RHVWKHODQGRZQHURUGRQRUKDYHVSHFLILFOLPLWDWLRQVRQIXWXUHPDQDJHPHQW":KDWDUHWKHFRQVHUYDWLRQUHFUHDWLRQDQGDJULFXOWXUDOYDOXHVRIWKHODQG":KDWLVWKHILQDQFLDOVLWXDWLRQDQGQHHGVRIWKHSURSHUW\RZQHURUGRQRU":KDWDUHWKHQHHGVDQGZLVKHVRIWKHODQGRZQHU·VIDPLO\":KDWDUHWKHODQGRZQHURUGRQRU·VJRDOVIRUWKHODQG":KDWDUHWKHXQLTXHIHDWXUHVRIWKHSURSHUW\"/HWXVNQRZKRZWRKHOS :RUNZLWKDODQGRZQHURQDYLVLRQIRUWKHLUSURSHUW\DQGSXWWRJHWKHUDOLPLWHGGHYHORSPHQWGHDOZKHQneeded0DNHGRQDWLRQVILQDQFLDOO\YLDEOHIRUdonors0HHWILQDQFLDOQHHGVE\FUHDWLYHVXSSRUWDQGPDLQWDLQIDUPODQGincome3URWHFWWKHIRUHVWIDUPODQGUHFUHDWLRQODQGDQGIDPLO\OHJDFLHV+ROGILGXFLDU\GXW\WRPDLQWDLQLQJopen space and conservation$GGUHVVODQGRZQHUV·QHHGVDQGFKDOOHQJHVZKLOHVXSSRUWLQJRSHQspace)LQGSDUWQHUVWRVROYHFULWLFDOQHHGVDQGODQGRZQHUSULRULWLHV)LUVWZHOLVWHQWRZKDWWKHSURSHUW\RZQHUDQGGRQRUVZDQWWRDFKLHYH7KHUHLVQRIRUPXODIRUKRZODQGSUHVHUYDWLRQGHDOVKDYHWRZRUN:H FXVWRPL]HRXUDSSURDFKWRPHHWODQGRZQHUV·QHHGVVKRUWWHUPLQFRPHOHJDF\ORQJWHUPXVHRIWKHODQGEULQJLQJLQWKH,56DVDSDUWQHUHWF:KHWKHUWKHYLVLRQLVFRQVHUYDWLRQUHFUHDWLRQOLPLWHGGHYHORSPHQWDQGZKHWKHULWLVDWUDGLWLRQDODSSURDFKVHOOWKHODQGRULQWHUHVWVLQWKHODQGRUDQRQWUDGLWLRQDODSSURDFKUHWDLQLQJVRPHULJKWVWRWKHODQGIURPWLPEHUULJKWVWREXULDOULJKWVZHZDQWWRZRUNZLWK\RXDQGLGHQWLI\DQGVXSSRUW\RXUQHHGVDQG\RXUYLVLRQ:HZRUNZLWKWKHSURSHUW\RZQHUWREXLOGDGHDOZKHWKHULWLVDQLPPHGLDWHGHDORUDQHYHQWXDOHVWDWHWKDWZRUNVIRUWKHPWKH&LW\DQGDQ\RIDQXPEHURISDUWQHUVZHEULQJLQWRWKHGHDOWWehelp envision future needs and resources to make a complete package ensures a permanent leegacy. Planning & Sustainability is a different kind of partner