Though the agenda was lengthy, a discussion of the White’s Farm property was the most contentious item of business — yet again — at the regular Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting held in Durham on Monday, July 11. Residents filled nearly every seat in the third floor meeting room, in attendance to speak on concerns about what’s next for White’s Farm as well as concerns about the Request For a Proposal (RFP) of the surplus property on Birch Mill Road. There was to be a special town meeting at the close of the regularly scheduled meeting to vote on the funding for the salt shed and the Fire building maintenance, also a heated subject. Due to the amount of passionate discussion on the aforementioned topics, the regular meeting was paused for the voting process and resumed afterwards.

Senator Ed Meyer was in attendance urging the board to “consider the White family’s offer very seriously,” which is to legally transfer the property back to the family due to the opinion that the farm has been neglected under the town’s stewardship. The reasons Meyer gave in support of their proposal were that it would give local farmers the ability to be involved in a co-op opportunity; there would be a public-private enterprise that would give the town water supply, fire protection and parking for the fair; and that the White family has made a commitment to putting the brook back in its original banks. Selectman Jim McLaughlin said that he believes the town is capable and willing to do all those things locally without putting the burden back on the White family.

At the beginning of the meeting, First Selectman Laura Francis asked the crowd to listen to both proposals that they had before them on how to get the farm back to working order. Francis said, “Why the town has fallen short on some of these properties, I don’t know, but this board is willing to work with the Conservation Committee closely on the open space properties.” Francis confirmed that the flooding is so bad that the town is unable to use the farm in the way it was meant to be used.

The first proposal is for the town to act as a general contractor for the project and hire contractors to clear out and maintain the brook routinely on an annually or biannually basis. The town feels if they complete a very conservative 100 feet a day, they can do it in about a four- or five-week period. They would muck out the stream and plant appropriate vegetation that would stabilize the streambed. The approximate figure for this project is $75,000. If the costs stay under $100,000, the project can be voted on at a town meeting. If it is estimated to be above $100,000, it would need to go to referendum; the residents will have a vote either way. Francis said, “We would have to be aggressive with the approval process to get it down this year. We probably won’t be able to get it dried out for parking for the fair this year, but I’m not sure.”

McLaughlin stated that he is 100 percent in support of this proposal. “When people ask if I favor the idea of giving it back to the Whites, I do not,” he said. “I consider it an insult to Ted White and his family that we didn’t take care of this property.” McLaughlin felt that the town should act on this and not wait for the state.

Kurt Bober of Public Works gave a short presentation on what the conditions are on the property and what the town can do to complete the project. He said that the water is now flowing to the south, filling the field with about six to eight inches of water. In some sections along the bend there are pools of water that are eight-feet deep. The town would create sediment basins in the area close to Maple Avenue and remove the fallen tree debris and sediment throughout the stream, putting it back in its bed. Bober said, “We have the technology, we have the techniques. We can do it; we are ready to move forward.”
Sue White gave her opinion on the plan the board proposed: “This is too little too late. Over the last 40 years you just about killed that property with apathy, arrogance and ignorance.” She stated that she has not received one official phone call to further discuss the second proposal, submitted by the White family (see below).
McLaughlin asked Sue White if the town were able to meet the promise, would she be happy about it? She stated, “I think the credibility of the town is gone.” Francis invited the White family to come back on July 27 at the next BOS meeting to discuss the particulars of their proposal at a public forum, and she agreed.

Transfer of White’s Farm open space from town of Durham to the White family
Below please find the White Family’s proposal for a mutually-beneficial resolution to the environmental issues and ongoing maintenance challenges faced by the town of Durham as owner and steward of the White Farm open space.
Over the past five years there has been much public discussion about the devastating decline of this once healthy and productive prime agricultural space in the heart of Durham. What was intended to be open space for the enjoyment of town residents has become a liability and an embarrassment to Durham — a town known for its farming history.
The financial investment required by the town of Durham to rectify and restore this open space would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, along with a dedicated annual maintenance budget. The results of the town’s current “hands-off” approach to land management and the reliance on volunteer work parties due to inadequate funding has led to serious environmental conditions. Tax increases on town residents to rectify this liability would be met with resistance.
The following proposal would reverse this negative situation, restore this open space, increase farming and agriculture in Durham and demonstrate a public-private partnership that can be a model for the state of Connecticut. This can be achieved at no cost to the town of Durham and result in additional tax revenue to the town.
The proposal includes the legal transfer of the deed of the White Farm open space from the town of Durham back to the White Family. The private ownership of this parcel would provide new opportunities to secure grant funding for property restoration and the eventual reuse for agriculture while maintaining its availability for public recreation and enjoyment.
This plan honors the vision of the original owners and original Durham Conservation Commission without any financial burden on Durham taxpayers. The land transfer includes a commitment by the White Family to reverse flooding and pollution of Allyn Brook.
1. The Allyn Brook channel will be reestablished in its original footprint based on the 1934 and 1965 aerial maps. The feasibility of a silt pond will be determined for future channel protection. Consideration will be given to providing habitats for fish and other freshwater species.
2. The next phase, to make the fields agriculturally viable, will require soil sampling to ascertain current composition and identify types of grasses and legumes for optimal growth. We will be looking to partner with a local organization to help refurbish the fields and highlight these efforts and our agricultural heritage to the public.
3. Fields will eventually be offered to local farmers.
4. When feasible for survival, hedgerows of trees and wildlife habitats will be recreated and protected. We will look to public volunteers to identify species of wildlife that utilize the property to create appropriate vegetation.
5. The brook will be constantly monitored and maintained.
6. The White Family will work with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Connecticut State Department of Agriculture, Connecticut Farm Bureau Association and Connecticut Forestry and Fisheries Divisions. We will include public volunteers and corporate enterprises as well as Durham’s officials and local governing boards.
7. During and after this process, the current activities will continue; e.g. passive recreation, Durham Fair parking, town water source and the arboretum.
8. We will investigate the reestablishment of a fire pond, a water source for fire protection.
9. Re-creation of Durham’s Fishing Derby eventually would be possible. For this we would partner with a group with interest and expertise in this area.
This will be a documented commitment to reverse the pollution of a stream that eventually reaches Long Island Sound. It will also help the town and Conservation Commission’s reputation going forward to show commitment for the betterment of our open spaces. This proposal will allow the Durham Conservation Commission to provide maintenance of other properties under its jurisdiction and future procurement.
We strongly believe that this plan will be successful as the White family is very passionate about this property and our family farming heritage.
We are requesting the Board of Selectmen seriously consider this plan. It is a way to reverse deterioration of this property without burdening taxpayers or local government. In conjunction with area properties, it will create a hub of agriculturally-viable land in Durham’s center. It will free the town of liability associated with use of this property.

Birch Mill Road property
Another topic of concern was the town’s RFP for the property on Birch Mill Road; it is a 2.56 acre property that the town was looking for ideas on how to possibly proceed to sell in the future. Resident Joe Pasquale stated that the deed, which he presented a copy of to the board, stated the that donating family’s intent was for the property to be conserved for open space. “To me the intent in the deed is very clear,” he said. Pasquale felt that the sale of the property was not in the best interest of the town. The owners of Time Out Tavern, who had been interested in leasing the property, called McLaughlin that day and again expressed interest in leasing the property. Francis and McLaughlin were happy to look into it further.

Special Town Meeting
The vote was tabled by Francis on the transfer of up to $750,000 from Undesignated Fund Balance to Public Works project for the replacement of the Public Works salt shed with additional construction for vehicle maintenance and storage as recommended by the Board of Finance (BOF) at their June 21, 2011 meeting. On July 19 there will be a special town meeting to determine if the town should go to referendum.

A vote passed on the transfer of $7,130 from Reserve for Fire Trustees-Building Maintenance to CIP-Fire Department Building Maintenance for painting at the Fire Department in conjunction with the Air Handling project as recommended by the BOF.