Special Town Meeting 7:00 p.m. Thursday, March 7, 2019 Douglas Library Re: Horton Property Acquisition

Horton Property Purchase:

• On February 26, 2019, the Town of Hebron Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the purchase of the Horton property and concluded that it was consistent with the Plan of Conservation and Development Goals and Policies.
• The Planning Commission report and recommendation included the following:
  • Purchase of this parcel is consistent with a number of Goals and Policies in the 2014 Town of Hebron Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD), and specifically:
• The wetland corridors within the parcelare included within a Planned Greenway as shown on the Future Open Space map contained in the POCD;
• In the Municipal Infrastructure Chapter of the POCD, several sections of the POCD encourage the Town to seek out land and opportunities for potential future public building needs including a replacement for Co. #1 Fire Station, Police services, Town offices, and a Public Works facility;
• Purchase of the property is a large planning vision for Hebron Center; and, it demonstrates good, comprehensive, long-range planning to meet a variety of municipal needs including future municipal buildings and open space.
  • The Town Of Hebron Public Building Committee has unanimously recommended this parcel of land be purchased for municipal uses.
• The purchase is consistent with the report and recommendation of the Town of Hebron’s Open Space Land Acquisition Committee dated 1/16/19, and they specifically made the following findings:
  • The property abuts the Raymond Brook Preserve (town-owned open space), from which the Preserve’s trail system could be extended north into the Village Square District, a goal established in the Town’s 2014 Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD).
  • Planned extension of the Preserve’s existing trail system to the west and southeast could connect the Neighborhood Convenience District and Air Line Trail State Park, respectively, to the Village Square District, enhancing trail enjoyment and business opportunities
  • Wetlands, existing conservation easements (16.9 acres) and areas of potential conservation easements comprise approximately 40%, or 35 acres of the property.  The conservation easements provide a 50’ wetland protective buffer.

• Acquisition of the approximate 35 acres would provide protection to on-site wetlands and a tributary of Raymond Brook, a Class A watercourse.  This tributary is upstream of the town’s Groundwater Protection Zone (formerly named Aquifer Protection Zone) hence protecting this watercourse protects potential future Town drinking water supplies.

• Located within the Future Open Space Greenways Map (Raymond Brook Greenway) as depicted in the Town’s 2014 POCD

• Potential agricultural use of a portion of the property could be continued

• The Concept Plan includes an area for a “great lawn” (new Town Green), which could host community-wide activities and events

• Purchase of the property would permit a future coordinated and planned “Municipal Complex”, similar to what is envisioned on “Concept Master Plan, Town of Hebron, New Town Complex”, with sufficient land to accommodate present and future public building needs, all within walking distance of Main Street;
• Located in Village Square Zoning District (formerly named the Village Green Zoning District) where Municipal facilities, Community centers, and Civic buildings and uses are all currently permitted uses by the Zoning Regulations;
• Concept Plan for Phase II of Village Green District and the new Municipal Complex Concept Plan both show a mix of land uses:
• Concept Master Plan for Village Green District in the Phase II area showed up to 75,000 s.f. of either office or industrial space; 23,000 s.f. of retail or office space, and 48 apartments and a 1500 s.f. community building.  And, the Plan showed a new Town Hall in Phase I. 
• Municipal Complex plan shows potentially 75,000 s.f. in future municipal offices or community center, 50,000 in municipal non-office use (fire station / PW garage and storage), and 16-20 senior housing units.

LEGAL NOTICE
TOWN OF HEBRON
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2019 – 7:00 P.M.
DOUGLAS LIBRARY OF HEBRON – COMMUNITY ROOM

The electors and voters of the Town of Hebron are hereby given notice and warned that a Special Town Meeting will be convened on Thursday, March 7, 2019, at 7:00 p.m.  in the Community Room at the Douglas Library of Hebron, 22 Main Street, Hebron, Connecticut, to consider and act upon the following resolution:

Pursuant to Section 304 C of the Hebron Town Charter, to approve the purchase  and to authorize the Town Manager to enter into a purchase agreement with Gary J. Horton, James C. Horton and Gregory M. Horton for two parcels of land located in the Town of Hebron, County of Tolland and State of Connecticut located on Kinney Road and Church Street (Route 85), comprised of:

• First Parcel:

The parcel partially shown on sheet 5 of plans entitled “RECORD SUBDIVISION MAP VILLAGE GREEN SUBDIVISION-PHASE I PREPARED FOR O’CONNELL DEVELOPMENT GROUP HEBRON, CONN., dated 5-5-16, Scale 1” = 100’ sheets 1-10, map no. 17-16-1S, revised to 9-7-16 and prepared by Megson, Heagle and Friend, Civil Engineers & Land Surveyors, LLC, 81 Rankin Road, Glastonbury Conn. 06033 phone (860)-659-0587 ” (“Plans”) which Plans are on file or to be filed in the office of the Hebron Town Clerk, as “PHASE II REMAINING LAND AREA = 3,860341 S.F.=88.62 AC.” and partially shown on sheet 3 of the Plans as bounded on the west by land now or formerly of ST. PETER’S PARISH EPISCOPAL ECC. SOC, on the north by land now or formerly of DONALD J. AND RITA. F SIMONS, on the east and north by land now or formerly owned by 94 MAIN STREET ASSOC. LLC and on the east by land now or formerly owned by 94 MAIN STREET ASSOC. LLC, and partially shown on sheet 4 of the Plans and labeled as the parcel “N/F HORTON BROS., LLC,” which portion of the parcel is bounded on the east by a 9.48 acre lot labeled as lot 3 the Village Green Subdivision-Phase I and on the south by Kinney Road.

• Second Parcel:

The parcel identified as “PARCEL“A” AREA TO BE RETAINED BY JAMES C. GARY J. AND GREGORY M. HORTON FOR FUTURE REALIGNMENT OF KINNEY ROAD AREA EQUAL 30,085 S. F. 0.69 AC. On a certain plan entitled “PARCELS “A” & “B” KINNEY ROAD & CHURCH STREET (CONN. ROUTE 85 PREPARED FOR HORTON BROS. LLC HEBRON, CONN.”),” dated 3-24-10, scale 1”= 40’, sheet 2 of 2 map no. 18-10-1 and prepared by Megson, Heagle, Civil Engineers & Land Surveyors, LLC, 81 Rankin Road, Glastonbury Conn. 06033 phone (860)-659-0587”.

in the amount of $600,000.00 with funds to come from the Open Space Land Acquisition account in the amount of $160,000 and from the Unassigned Fund Balance in the amount of $440,000, as recommended and approved by the Hebron Board of Selectmen and Hebron Board of Finance. 

Dated at Hebron, Connecticut, this 21^st day of February, 2019.

                                                                                Hebron Board of Selectmen Daniel Larson, Chairman
Gail B. Richmond, Vice Chairman
                                                                               Brian D. O’Connell
                                                                                Clara O’Brien
                                                                                John B. Collins