One More Time - Tell Governor Malloy You Oppose the Haddam Land Swap

 

The "Haddam land swap," one of this year's most controversial pieces of legislation, passed in Bill 1196 on the last day of the legislative session, but Governor Malloy's approval is not guaranteed.  This was the third consecutive year in which the Haddam land swap was proposed.  It has been rejected twice as a very bad precedent. Please take some time today to call or email the Governor's Office to make your reasoned opposition to the swap is clearly heard.  Tell the Governor that you think process is important for good government. All we ask is that the swap be vetted through a process set up by the Department of Environmental Protection. For straight talk on claims and facts about the Haddam land swap, see RiversAlliance.org. Following is general background information you may wish to use to explain your position: The State of Connecticut bought the 17.4-acre parcel for $1.35 million on June 11, 2003 for conservation purposes.* A fundamental duty of the courts in interpreting conveyances of real estate is to carry into effect the true intent of the parties.   Does the Governor really want to back the legislature in overriding sellers' and buyers' clearly stated intent when it is legitimately expressed in the land transfer deed? Further, the legislature entirely disregarded DEP guidelines for disposing of conservation land under its care. Does the Governor really want to encourage the legislature to disrespect guidelines of the administrative branch of government? See DEP Directive, Manual Code 2214 (scroll to page 8), establishing policy and procedures to be followed for exchanging land or interests in land under the custody or control of the Department of Environmental Protection (June 2008). Further still, the Government Administration & Elections Committee's public hearing on the land swap drew overwhelming opposition to the proposal. Of the 65 written comments submitted on the bill, only 16 (three of which were the separate comments of three Riverhouse Properties partners) favored the Haddam land swap; 43 comments (66%) opposed the swap; 6 comments addressed other sections of bill 1196. Read the written testimony here. Finally, there seems to have been no analysis of the permanent easement that appears to be owned by a spring water bottling company on the 87-acre tract to be swapped to the state, or the impact of the easement on that land's value.  See page 6 of this 1998 appraisal report. ................................................................................ To Tell Governor Malloy You Oppose the Haddam Land Swap: Call 860-566-4840 (Toll-Free 1-800-406-1527)  or email Governor Malloy.     ................................................................................ * Note:  after the Commissioner of Environmental Protection (then Arthur Rocque) determined, as he was duly authorized under Conn. Gen. Stat. §23-75, that the land in question "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..."  See Warranty Deed, Volume 263 page 219 of the Haddam land records, published at http://www.landswap.org/Deed.html.