Did you know that back in the 70s, and later, developers were given the option to donate a piece of land in lieu of development fees? As a result of this practice there are some odd parcels of land in Gardiner that are owned by the Town of Gardiner and, therefore, by us all. Land owned by Gardiner was also acquired in other ways, by the leadership of town government, mostly notably George Majestic as supervisor in the 1960s.
A list of town-owned parcels can be found below. It is hard to imagine a use for some of this land, like the three quarters of an acre behind a residential house on Guilford Schoolhouse Road. It is this question, as well as other questions, that has prompted Town Board Member Warren Wiegand to ascertain what the people of Gardiner want to do with their public land via the survey inserted in this issue of the Gazette.
Until now, most of our energy for town-owned land has been put into Majestic Park and The Rail Trail, both of which are wonderful places to re-create, to build and enjoy community, and to take pride in our town. The Parks and Recreation Committee, led by Mike Gagliardi, has been working on a Master Plan for Majestic Park.
But what about our other land, most notable the 86 acres of river frontage and beautiful woods with mountain views (“The Jewel In Gardiner’s Crown,” Gardiner Gazette issue #8, October, 2010)? Could that be a park, too, for us all to enjoy? Perhaps we could set out by kayak, canoe or tube from our new launch at Farmer’s Turnpike and end up for a picnic at the 86 acres off Steve’s Lane.
What about funding all these wonderful ideas? Could we sell the small pieces and use the money to develop the larger piece? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg of a project to consolidate and make use of our town-owned land.
Please fill out the questionnaire inserted in this issue and mail or bring it to Town Hall and, if this project interests you further, email Warren Wiegand at wwiegand@earthlink.net. He will add you to an information list.