Burlington Says It Wants New Britain Watershed Land For Conservation, Not Housing

The latest water dispute in New Britain centers on a move to sell 15 acres of city-owned watershed in Burlington.

Opponents are calling on the common council to vote down the idea, arguing that the city should be conserving water resources. They argue that Mayor Erin Stewart’s administration shouldn’t be selling environmentally sensitive land, and at least one said the deal is being promoted to help a housing developer.

But Stewart’s allies on the council say the sale would net New Britain more than $270,000 in exchange for unneeded property while saving more than $2,000 a year that it pays in property taxes.

The town of Burlington, meanwhile, is adamant that it is not planning a quick purchase so it can turn around and sell the land to a housing developer.

“We’re interested in this as a ‘buy and hold,’ ” First Selectman Ted Shafer said Monday afternoon. “It fits in with our conservation strategy.”

At a town meeting this past winter, Burlington voters approved buying the property 48-7. Burlington has right of first refusal, and Stewart notified Shafer after receiving two offers for it. A neighbor and a developer separately offered bids; the top one was $276,000.

“This land is on the edge of our central business district. It’s a beautiful wooded lot, it’s relatively flat and has some walking trails and beautiful views,” Shafer said. “We have no specific plan for it at this time.”

If the sale goes through, Burlington would pay for the land from its $340,000 reserve fund for property acquisition.

The Covey Road property was once categorized as Class 2 watershed, which is heavily protected by state law against development. But it has been downgraded to Class 3, leaving open the possibility of future housing. The tract is zoned for residential development.

Protect Our Watersheds Connecticut, an environmental group that has fought Stewart on other water-related issues, is opposing the sale. It contends that Stewart and her administration haven’t done enough to protect New Britain’s water department properties.

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