Jonah Center and Chamber of Commerce Take Opposing Views On Haddam Land Swap

The Jonah Center has called on its members and allies to oppose the transfer of 17 acres of open space in Haddam from the State Department of Environmental Protection to private commercial developers. This stand is in direct opposition to the position taken by Larry McHugh, of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, who has urged lawmakers to support the transfer.

The State acquired 17.4 acres of open space on the banks of the Connecticut River in Haddam for $1.4M. The deed for the land reads in part, “hereinafter described premises, being located on the Connecticut River, a prime natural feature of the Connecticut landscape, has high priority recreation, fishery, and conservation value, and is consistent with the state comprehensive plan for outdoor recreation and the state plan of conservation and development and should be retained in its natural scenic or open condition as park or public open space.”

The developers of the Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station, a banquet facility, wish to trade 87 acres of land bordering the Cockaponset State Forest for this preserved open space. Their forest land was purchased for $428,000.



Last year, when this land swap was considered, some in the business community, including Middlesex Chamber of Commerce President Larry McHugh, lobbied the Legislature and Governor Rell for support. McHugh this week again reiterated his forceful support for the land deal, writing on Monday in the Middletown Press, "The state has a chance to develop a 17-acre scrub, sand pit in a way that will create hundreds of jobs, and, equally important, will serve as a continuing source of tax revenue."

The Legislature removed the Haddam land from last year's annual land conveyance bill, after opposition from local residents and the State Department of Environmental Protection. An important factor in their decision was undoubtedly the column by Jon Lender of the Hartford Courant, in which he exposed factually incorrect claims made by the developer about the land.

In an email to supporters of the Jonah Center, John Hall wrote that if this land swap is approved, it would set a bad precedent for open space preservation, "It might endanger other land set aside as open space and it might discourage other individuals and families from conveying land to the state for open space or agricultural conservation."

The Connecticut River Gateway Commission, a land trust organization on the lower Connecticut River, points out, "to their knowledge, no other state-owned conservation land in Connecticut has ever been conveyed by legislative action to a developer for the purposes of private development. "

The Gateway Commission is not absolutely opposed to the deal, but they do not want any swap approved until there is more information on what would be developed on the riverfront parcel. According to Lender, the would-be developers have only said that they would build a "boutique hotel or inn," along with retail shops and an "entertainment venue".

More information about the proposed land swap is available at the Connecticut River Gateway Commission.