Reporting by Dartmouth Week
Land being purchased for conservation as part of the proposed development at The Residences at Hawthorne would be protected through a permanent Conservation Restriction.
Mark Rasmussen, president of the Buzzards Bay Coalition, said the organization is seeking to conserve the land for four primary reasons: to guide growth away from sensitive natural resources, including the public water supply and Paskamansett River; to protect the river and drinking water; to preserve land identified as “Core Habitat” and “Critical Natural Landscape” by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program; and to expand the river’s conservation corridor.
The conserved property would eventually include public-access trails. Rasmussen said he hopes the Coalition will be able to connect those trails with other conserved land in the area.
The Coalition plans to develop the trails after construction of the residential development is complete, which is expected to take about two years. Because the trail construction itself is also expected to take approximately two years, the full timeline for the project could be about four years.
The estimated cost of the development property is $2 million, although the property has not yet been formally appraised. If the appraisal determines that the property is worth more, the Community Preservation Committee is scheduled to meet again on Wednesday, Oct. 14, to determine how much funding it will request at Town Meeting.
Before Town Meeting, the Buzzards Bay Coalition, the Town and The Residences at Hawthorne, LLC must obtain an appraisal of the property and finalize a Purchase and Sale Agreement. Rasmussen and Town Administrator Cody Haddad said they expect those documents to be completed in time for the Fall Town Meeting.
If the warrant is not approved at Town Meeting, the developers of The Residences at Hawthorne will return to their original plans to construct 138 residential units.
The Zoning Board of Appeals had officially approved The Residences at Hawthorne, a 138-unit development proposed for 970 Tucker Road, on Thursday, May 21.
