Land Swap Ideas

As a follow-up to the land swap post on teh listserv from earlier today, Alison May succinctly summarizes some of the practical obstacles developing the fire/police property would face:

"Unfortunately, even if fire/police could move to Agway (probable total cost would be c.$2.5 million vs c$2 million to stay where they are), the land on which they are now situated, and which the town owns, is only 1.33 acres. Septic capacity in that area is dicey at best - there are pretty wet portions of the land. Whether they qualify as true wetlands I don't know. There have been real problems with septic in the swale that goes over to Carpenter Street. So I rather doubt, even though it would be wonderful, if more than a couple of units could be built."

Alison is probably right about the limited development potential of the fire/police 1.33 acres alone. As discussed on a broad email list in October 2005 when this idea was first really bandied about, the potential to co-develop these 1.33 acres with the Norwich Senior Housing and possibly adjoining parcel currently for sale could create a significant combined parcel capable of much higher density development. All of these questions would need to be resolved through in-depth investigation, but should not themselves dissuade us, as a town, from considering relocating emergency services to the Agway parcel.