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Cromwell Development Highlights State's Struggle To Preserve Farmland
(Hartford Courant, The (CT) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 28--CROMWELL -- The open expanse of land along the Rocky Hill border is primed for growth.
What kind depends on who you ask.
Although the town wants to develop about 300 acres on the eastern side of Shunpike Road into an industrial park, the state Department of Agriculture laments the loss of soil described as "prime" for agricultural uses.
The differing opinions won't halt the development of the land, which is zoned industrial and is privately owned. But the issue highlights the tug of war between economic development and land preservation: One side pushes development as a way to bring much-needed jobs to the town and state, while the other side fights to preserve the state's ever-shrinking farmland.
That push-pull was evident even in the state funding received by Cromwell for the industrial park. The state Department of Economic and Community Development gave the town $945,000 in grants for the project. But after the Department of Agriculture objected to supporting a project that would result in acres of lost farmland, the economic development department told the town it must find ways to preserve other farmland within its borders.
The Department of Agriculture became aware of the development during a review of the land for Cromwell's third grant application, for an additional $500,000. To receive all the funds, Cromwell must form a farmland preservation board to help other farmers in town preserve their land.
"They want to make sure the town of Cromwell is looking to preserve farmland and preserve open space and that we're not just looking to pave over everything," said Craig Stevenson, the town's economic development coordinator, who is overseeing the industrial park project.
The "prime farmland" makes up about half of the land town officials hope to develop as the second phase of the project, known informally as the "Northern Tier" project. The goal is to attract industrial and commercial businesses to the area to mirror a similar project across the Rocky Hill border. The state funding is helping the town build roads and extend utilities to encourage subdivision.
Benefit Of Development
On about 100 acres on the west side of Shunpike Road, the first phase of the 10-year project is becoming visible.
Three companies have moved into the park, bringing with them more than 50 jobs. And three Cromwell companies have moved their operations to the park. Stevenson estimated that at least 35 more jobs will be created by the six companies, with more businesses expected to move there as it is developed.
Stevenson said the project has already increased the grand list by $6 million and will bring in $100,000 a year in new tax revenue once tax incentive periods expire.
First Selectman Jeremy Shingleton said he envisions 800 to 1,000 new jobs by the time the park is finished. And he said he can't figure why the state would slow the project during hard economic times.
"It becomes very burdensome when you put these requirements on [the project], especially when you're talking about jobs that pay a comparable wage. We're hemorrhaging jobs overseas. We need to be competitive," Shingleton said. "There are ways to achieve the desired outcome in a way that's more accommodating to business."
Stevenson said the owners of the land on the east side of Shunpike Road are working with the town to develop the industrial park. The majority of the land is owned by Jack Gardner, the owner of Gardner's Nurseries. While Gardner wouldn't comment for this story, Stevenson said he was in line with the town's plan. Gardner has already sold some of his farmland in Rocky Hill, but Stevenson said it's a hard choice for Gardner.
"This is a difficult, personal thing for him," Stevenson said. "I don't think he's enthusiastic about it. I think he's resigned to the fact that the economy has changed and the industry has changed."
A Push To Save
It's the sale of farmland like Gardner's that the Department of Agriculture is trying to prevent. While Gardner's reasons for selling haven't been publicly stated, other farmers in the area cite hard times turning a profit, with costs of diesel fuel and fertilizer quickly increasing.
Meanwhile, the state is trying to preserve 130,000 acres of farmland using development easements that designate the land for only agriculture. The program helps farmers resist enticing offers to sell and gives farmers a one-time payment. So far the state has preserved about 32,000 acres; only half of that land is considered "prime" farmland, according to the Department of Agriculture.
So when the department discovered that half the land in the second phase of Cromwell's project was prime agricultural soil, which yields high crop levels year after year, and an additional 27 percent of the land was "important" farmland soil, it reacted.
The department originally recommended Cromwell save 4 acres for every acre of farmland developed, Stevenson said. But the agreement has since changed to require the creation of the farmland preservation board, said Peter Simmons, the executive director of the Department of Economic and Community Development responsible growth office.
Part of the reason for the change was Cromwell's existing program for saving open space. The program requires new developments to designate open space. And the town has recently bought a former town farm and has proposed a tax break for residents who have large tracts of undeveloped land, which is now in the initial drafting stages.
Cromwell, a 13-square-mile town with about 1,000 acres of registered farmland, will have to list its farms and prioritize which ones to save. The task has fallen to the conservation commission, which will begin discussions on the project at its August meeting. Chairman Laurene McEntire said it's still unclear how farmland might be preserved.
"We do still have a couple of acting farms in town, so I think it's worth it to look at it," McEntire said.
Michael Cannata, who owns more than 200 acres of farmland near the Connecticut River, welcomes the help. He said in the early 1990s he tried to sell the development rights on his farm to the state, but the application wasn't accepted because his property wasn't easily developable or being threatened.
"If either the town or the state is going to coordinate with willing land owners and purchase development rights, that can only be good," Cannata said.
Contact Jodie Mozdzer at jmozdzer@courant.com.
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Copyright (c) 2008, The Hartford Courant, Conn.
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