 Williamstown Con Comm OKs Waubeeka Repair, Rural Lands Parking LotThe new owner of Waubeeka Golf Links and the executive director of the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation were before the commission seeking negative determinations of applicability under the Wetlands Protection Act for activity on their lands. Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation Completes Purchase of FarmlandThe Trustees of Reservations will buy the development rights for the parcel from Rural Lands, placing a farm-forward conservation restriction on it, thereby preserving the land in perpetuity.  Williamstown Rural Lands to Purchase Oblong Road ParcelThe non-profit conservation trust succeeded in November in convincing the Select Board to assign the town's right of first refusal on the property, which has been conserved under the commonwealth's Chapter 61 program since the 1980s.  Letter: Save Valued Farmland in WilliamstownToday, less than 7 percent of the land in Williamstown is dedicated preserved farmland. Rural sprawl, such as proposed here, is one of the biggest causes of the loss of farmland. Williamstown Sets November Deadline on Conserved Land QuestionNo matter how many homes actually get built, the assessed value of the property — and subsequent tax revenue to the town — would go up significantly if the private sale goes through and the acreage is removed from the Chapter 61 program. |
