Schmidt Snip Symbolically Seals New Open Space Acquisition

Above, members of the Schmidt family share the ribbon cutting honors Friday morning. 

Friday, officials, activists, and residents celebrated the town's acquisition of the Schmidt farm property on Prospect Street with some speechifying, a ribbon cutting, donuts, camaraderie, and in the case of one patient individual, an inaugural kite flight.

The event began just after 11 am with a few dozen attendees. Town Council Chair Tom Mercer kicked of the ceremony with brief remarks, noting how vital it had been for the town to pass the Community Preservation Act in the midst of a pandemic. Councilor Melanie Hamblen echoed some of those remarks and noted that she had spoken to some people who had opposed the CPA but believed acquisitions such as Schmidt would eventually change their minds.

State Rep. Jeff Roy was also in attendance along with most of the members of the Community Preservation Committee and members of the Town Council.

Above, a local resident waited patiently

for the speeches to end, before using the large

field to launch her kite, below...

Backstory

In October of 2022, armed largely with a robust new revenue stream from the local adoption of the Community Preservation Act, the Town Council acted decisively to secure the property which was held by the Schmidt family under the Chapter 61A program, which offers a lower tax rate for open land and agricultural land. Under the program, the town is granted a “right of first refusal” to purchase the property at “fair market value.”

The town had a 120 day Right of First Refusal after a project has been permitted, which was the case with the Maple Hill property purchased a year earlier. With the Schmidt Farm, the 120 days Right of First Refusal kicked in after the property has been declared for a change of use and properly appraised through a statutory process.

Based on a theoretical build out of several dozen homes, the town voted to secure the 100 plus acres of rolling fields and forested area at an expected price of $3.8 million, with a 20-year borrowing using Community Preservation funds. 

The Schmidt family has retained about two acres from the property where they are in the process of completing a family home. At present, the town plans to demolish the old house on the property and retain and improve the barn for  community uses.