Saratoga P.L.A.N. is currently in negotiations with the Sweeney family of Round Lake to purchase several parcels of property off Route 67 along the east side of Round Lake. The nonprofit organization recently asked the town of Malta to kick in $200,000 toward the $700,000 price tag for the approximately 88 acres.
At the March 5 town board meeting, the executive director of Saratoga P.L.A.N., Alane Ball Chinian, told the board members that expected funding from the Archaeological Conservancy fell through, leaving a gap in funding. The Malta Town Board had previously committed to providing $100,000 from its Open Space Reserve Fund for the project.
P.L.A.N., a nonprofit organization, seeks out donations of land or makes efforts to obtain grant money or private funding to purchase land to retain and preserve as open space. The town of Malta supported P.L.A.N. in its efforts to secure a variety of grants by drafting a resolution in May that indicated their commitment to the project.
We were successful in securing the maximum amount you could ask for, said Chinian.
The state grant of $350,000 is a matching grant requiring P.L.A.N. to come up with an additional $350,000. Saratoga County has also funded the project to the maximum allowable amount of $100,000, leaving another $250,000 to be raised. Additional funding was expected from the Archaeological Conservancy, which backed out of the project, said Chinian, when a parcel with similar features became available for a cheaper price in the western portion of the state.
P.L.A.N. has committed to providing $50,000 from its own coffers and asked the town board to increase its own commitment to the $200,000 mark. At the March 5 meeting, Chinian highlighted a section of the proposed preserve that included a significant amount of lake frontage. Chinian spoke about the site’s archaeological and ecological importance.
`This parcel has been identified in at least 10 different plans as important to protect,` said Chinian. Chinian was backed by Audrey Ball, director of parks and recreation.
`This particular project has been rated high for many years,` she said. `It will give us access to Round Lake.`
Currently, the only public access is off of Route 9.
`This is a true open space project, for 85 acres,` said Ball. `That’s a very small contribution.`
While board members did not dispute the project’s value, they expressed concern that the $700,000 price tag was simply to buy the property and additional funding would be needed for any road work, trail construction, or boat launches that might be included as the design plan for the property progresses. Ultimately, the board chose not to make a decision and agreed to table the matter to be discussed at a workshop.
The workshop, held on March 16, was attended by Town Supervisor Paul Sausville and board members Donna Gizzi, Cliff Lange and Jerry Winters. In addition, Town Attorney Tom Peterson, Director of Planning Heather Mallozzi, Ball, and Town Historian Teri Ulrich were on hand. Deputy Supervisor Glenn Rockwood, Town Clerk Flo Sickels, Comptroller Kevin King, and planning board chairman Peter Klotz also attended the workshop at which Laura Welles, conservation program manager for Saratoga P.L.A.N., further urged the board to move forward with funding for this project.
Mallozzi noted that the parcel in question has an approved plan that allows building on the parcel. While there do seem to be hurdles as it relates to the state historic preservation office, she said they can be overcome.
`I think regardless, it will get done,` said Mallozzi of the expensive archaeological work that would be required before SHPO would sign off on the necessary paperwork for building on the lots owned by Sweeney. `Whether it’s by the Sweeneys or another developer, it’s critical we preserve what we’ve got,` she said.
The board discussed the creation of a partnership in which the town would be able to have input into the parcel’s future use and to retain the parcel if Saratoga P.L.A.N. should be dissolved.
During these discussions, Welles mentioned that the larger portion of the parcel was owned by George and Leona Sweeney, and their son, Larry, owned the portion with waterfront access to Round Lake. She said that Larry Sweeney is seeking to retain use of the property for his and his wife’s lifetimes.
`He wants to retain a life estate there,` she said. `Public access during his life has not been discussed.`
Welles stated that there is an opportunity in negotiations to purchase the `life estate` for additional money beyond the $700,000 purchase price for the property. While Winters and Lange said the information about the younger Sweeney’s desire to maintain a life estate was recent news to them, Sausville and Gizzi said they were aware of the condition. Welles noted that retaining a life estate had been a condition of the purchase since the project’s inception.
Peterson suggested the discussion move into executive session so members of the group could talk feely about the negotiation process for the property. When the executive session ended, during which a vote was taken, Sausville and the other board members declined to discuss the vote or matters discussed during executive session.
`We are working with P.L.A.N. to move forward with a strategy to protect the Round Lake Preserve,` said Sausville, saying only that negotiations are ongoing with the landowner.
All money to be spent on this project, regardless of the amount, will come out of the Open Space Reserve Fund, said King. As a result, once the board passes a resolution approving the spending of the allocated money it will be subject to a permissive referendum. “