Jones Mountain preserved! Click here to read more!
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HELP PROTECT JONES
MOUNTAIN
(Trust for Public Land mailing to New Hartford
residents 12/21/05)
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Click here to view a PDF version of this document
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Project overview
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The citizens of New Hartford have an unprecedented
opportunity to protect Jones Mountain, a signature
landscape defining the history and character of our
fast-developing community. This 166-acre parcel,
located off Steele Road, includes the summit of
Jones Mountain and provides the visual backdrop for
the downtown village. Its preservation will provide
recreational opportunities and protect natural
resources for the enjoyment of generations to come.
Act now and do your part. This opportunity will not
come again.
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View from the "Bare Spot"
(click on photo for larger image)
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Property Description:
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The 166-acre Jones Mountain parcel is covered with
rugged mature forest interspersed with meadows
and intermittent streams. The property is traversed
by existing hiking trails and a beautifully maintained
and historic carriage road, lined by old stone walls
and culverts built by Irish stonemasons of
generations past. The carriage road encircles the
summit of Jones Mountain, and provides access to
the “bare spot” with spectacular views of the
downtown village, Farmington River Valley, and
surrounding forests.
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On the Carriage Road
(click on photo for larger image)
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The parcel has been designated in the Town and the State Plans of Conservation and Development as a
priority conservation area. The property drains into the East Mountain Brook, a tributary to the Farmington
River, and is contiguous to 343 acres of undeveloped land held by the Kingdom Game Club. Preserving this
land will help protect the Farmington, one of Connecticut’s most pristine waterways, and will help support a
large area of continuous forest habitat for our treasured wildlife.
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Project Status:
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New Hartford’s Open Space Preservation Commission (OSPC) has identified the Jones Mountain property
as one of the Town’s highest open space priorities. Two years ago, OSPC asked the Trust for Public Land
(TPL), a national non-profit conservation organization, to negotiate with the Jones family to purchase the
property and keep it off the market, pending preservation by the Town.
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TPL negotiated and recently signed an agreement with the Jones family to purchase the property for
$1,575,000. Thanks to the generosity of the family and their desire to preserve the land for others to enjoy,
this price is significantly less than Fair Market Value. TPL applied for a State Open Space and Watershed
Land Acquisition Grant, and the State recently awarded TPL a grant of $450,000 for this purchase. The
agreement between TPL and the Jones family requires that the Town approve the purchase of the property
by January 15, 2005, and that the sale be closed by February 28, 2006. TPL is paying for title, survey, and
other items to help defray the acquisition costs of the Town.
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Project Funding
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Like similar projects involving State funds, the Town will need to bond the full cost of project, including the
share to be reimbursed by the State. Combined with the Goula project, this amounts to $1,500,000 in
originally authorized bonding capacity ($554,000 for Goula, $946,000 for Jones Mountain) and $900,000 to
be reimbursed by State grants ($450,000 for each project), for a total of $2,400,000. OSPC and the Boards
of Selectmen and Finance have agreed to include an additional $55,000 in bond capacity just in case this is
needed to cover legal fees and interest on short-term borrowing pending receipt of the State grant funds.
Therefore, to create the mechanism to purchase the Jones Mountain property, voters at Town Meeting will be
asked to increase the total bonding capacity to $2,455,000. Only $1,500,000 of this will be used for
long-term (20-year) bonding.
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As a result of the State grant, the portion of the purchase price to be funded by the Town and other sources is
$1,125,000. In June 2004, residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing the town to bond
$1,500,000 for open space preservation. This month, voters approved expenditure of $554,000 from these
funds to purchase the Goula property on Cotton Hill. The OSPC, Board of Selectmen, and Board of Finance
have unanimously approved the expenditure of the remaining $946,000 to purchase the Jones Mountain
property, leaving $179,000 to be funded from other sources. The Town’s Land Preservation Fund will cover
$60,000, and the New Hartford Land Trust (NHLT) has committed to raising the remaining $119,000 from
private charitable donations.
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To create the mechanism for closing the purchase,
the Town will appropriate $119,000 from the surplus
account to be paid back by charitable donations
collected by NHLT. The Land Trust recognizes that
this project is critical to the quality of our life in town.
NHLT launched a fundraising campaign to pay back
the full $119,000.
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Summary of Project Funding
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In the first 2 weeks of the campaign, more than half
of the funds have been raised. The goal is to raise
the full amount and reimburse the town by April 1,
2006. If necessary, some of this appropriation may
also be offset by non-tax revenues from the Town’s
Land Preservation Fund, which collects fees in lieu
of open space from developers, PA 490 penalties,
and revenues from the sale of Town-owned land.
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Project Benefits:
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Recreational Opportunities - Once purchased, the
Town will own the property and be able to use it for
passive recreation. For their contributions to the
purchase, the State and the New Hartford Land Trust
will be given easements to protect and manage the
property. Protection of the property will create a park
that will be easily accessible from downtown New
Hartford. A new trail from Steele Road to existing
trails is proposed, along with a small trailhead
parking area. Existing trails, the old carriage road,
and new trails will be open to the public for passive
recreation providing a wonderful place to walk, hike,
cross-country ski, wildlife watch, and take in the view.
The pristine forest and watershed resources will
provide environmental education and research
opportunities for visitors, researchers, and school
children.
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Open Space Connections - Jones Mountain is
contiguous to a 343-acre undeveloped property
owned and managed by the Kingdom Game
Club. Though the Game Club land has not been
permanently protected, it is currently managed as
an open area. South of Kingdom Game Club, but
not abutting, lies the 1400-acre Nepaug State
Forest.
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Economic Benefits - The New Hartford Land Use
Office estimates that 48 homes could be built on
this property if not preserved. Based on analyses
conducted by OSPC, the net cost to taxpayers to
provide Town services to these homes would far
exceed the costs of bonding $946,000 for 20
years to acquire and preserve the property.
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Natural Resources - Jones Mountain is a primarily
unfragmented, closed-canopy healthy forest with
aspen, white ash, oak hemlock, maple and white
pine. The property contains intermittent and
perennial streams and associated wetlands. The
property drains into East Mountain Brook which is a
tributary to the Farmington River. In addition, the
property is upgradient of the Town’s public water
supply aquifer. Preservation of this intact forest will
protect against the potentially adverse impacts of
development on the Farmington River watershed,
drinking water, inland waterways, and wildlife.
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Historical Resources - The Jones family traces its
roots to one of New Hartford’s first residents,
Deacon Abraham Merrill, born in 1670. Jones
Mountain was purchased by the great-grandfather
of the current landowners by acquiring 700 acres
of woodlots on which to build the family
homestead, “The Woodlands”. The property has
since been owned by his family and passed down
through subsequent generations. The Jones
family has used the property for enjoying outdoor
activities and has diligently maintained the old
carriage road that climbs to and encircles the
summit.
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