Conservation Commission backs Case Estates Parcel 9 as water tank land swap candidate

WESTON -- March 14, 2023, Weston Conservation Commission signals support for Case Estates Parcel 9 as the primary land swap for the town's three-site water tank replacement project. Wright Pierce engineer Amy outlined the Article 97 process at the March 14 meeting, noting that roughly four and a half acres of protected conservation land at Paines Hill, Cat Rock, and Doublet Hill would need to be swapped for land of equal or greater value, requiring a unanimous Conservation Commission vote, a two-thirds town meeting vote, and a two-thirds vote of the state legislature. A former selectman identified in the meeting only as Michael provided history on Parcel 9, a 10.6-acre Case Estates parcel the town purchased for $13,740,200 after years of contamination remediation, with a current town cost basis of approximately $3.33 million; he noted the parcel could support up to six single-family homes if not permanently protected. Staff coordinator Jordan noted that protecting Parcel 9 has been listed in the commission's own Open Space and Recreation Plan since 2017, and commissioners broadly described the swap as "give up four acres and get 10."