Talcottville Road Parcel Comes off the Table and Onto the Floor at Town Hall

The 10-acre parcel at 129 Talcottville Rd.- state Route 83 - is a weird mixture of commercial uses, a river, a hiking trail, a slope, and wetlands.

How weird?

It took one Town Council member laying on the floor, staring at a map for several minutes to figure it out.

But the council has to do something about it. The land sits on the foreclosure list, seized in lieu of back taxes. It is tricky to market to a commercial developer because of the complexities surrounding it.

To make matters worse, several confused and frustrated residents of the densely populated area that sits just beyond the Hockanum River showed up at Tuesday's meeting to implore the council for an idea of what will happen to the land.

The residents were so perplexed that the council yanked the issue out of executive session and discussed everything from its value to its potential sale in public session. 

Finally, after a a discussion that lasted about a hour, the council decided to explore selling the land while working around a conservation easement along the river and hiking corridor.

The land abuts Route 83 to the immediate north of the Taco Bell parking lot with a narrow strip, then loops behind the former Blockbuster land. It is the shape of a baseball field - triangular at home plate and rounded at the outfield fences.

The parcel can be accessed to its south by an easement down the Taco Bell-Blockbuster shared driveway.

Neighbors expressed concern that any development could ruin the hiking trail, and encroach on the flood zone, which slopes their way. They also wanted assurance of some type of buffer zone.

The Planning and Zoning Commission had already established a conservation easement  around the Hockanum River, reasoning that it would provide the buffer for the neighbors and protect the hiking trail and flood zone.

Ideas thrown on the council table included keeping it all as open space, sending it back to the PZC for further explanation and postponing any decision until and expert can come in and explain what sort of development would fit the footprint of the land.

Council member Michael Winkler even laid on the floor to get a closer look at an electronic map. 

They all either were voted down or failed to get the required second for discussion.

The council finally voted to market the land, but with respect to the conservation easement.

It has been appraised at $318,000.

Mayor Jason McCoy said any use from any buyer would have to be cleared through the PZC.