LYNNFIELD — The town is inching closer toward permanent protection of 20 acres of forested land known as Richardson Green.
While the Select Board has yet to vote on whether or not to assign the right to purchase the 20-acre property located on upper Main Street to Essex County Greenbelt on advice of counsel, Select Board Chair Dick Dalton made it clear where the board stands.
“The board has previously indicated its intention to assign the right of purchasing the property to (Essex County) Greenbelt,” he said during Monday night’s public hearing, adding Wednesday that “It is my intention to have Richardson Green on the agenda for our next meeting on Nov. 29 and I anticipate having a positive vote on it.”
The Richardson Green parcel is classified as forestry land under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 61. Under Massachusetts Chapter 61B — the state’s right-of-first-refusal law — the town can either purchase the land for conservation, at a price of $2.7 million, or it can assign that right to a nonprofit organization, such as Essex County Greenbelt.
Essex County Greenbelt conserves farmland, wildlife habitat, and scenic landscapes in the 34 cities and towns of Essex County. Greenbelt protects natural land and working farms to help conserve ecosystems, clean water, local food supplies, and scenic landscapes.
Greenbelt’s Director of Land Conservation Chris LaPointe shared his optimism at the meeting.
“We are incredibly grateful for the partnership with Lynnfield,” LaPointe told the board. “We see that there is a path forward with funding sources and a funding plan that is fiscally responsible. If successful, Greenbelt will own the property and be responsible for managing it and maintaining it going forward.”
The only resident who spoke during the public hearing was Pat Campbell. She urged the board to “please give this a positive vote.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to do something wonderful,” Campbell said. “There are 3,000 trees on these 20 acres. We have had a terrible history in the last 10 years. Fifty acres of trees have been destroyed.”
Campbell referred to the purchase price as a “super bargain,” adding the project will increase “climate resilience … prevent flooding, protect wildlife” and will be an excellent example for young people of the need to respect planet Earth.
Dalton expressed his gratitude for Greenbelt’s “many hours of working diligently with the town.”
In September, the Baker-Polito administration awarded Lynnfield a $1.63 million grant to help the town purchase the Richardson Green property. In addition to the $1.63 million grant, the town’s Conservation Commission voted last year to allocate $200,000 from its Conservation Fund for the property. The Essex County Greenbelt Association has also committed to raising $300,000 for the land purchase.
Campbell urged the community to make a donation to Greenbelt.
“I hope people will contribute,” she said. “I have and I challenge you to do so.”
