Notice of Proposed Land Transfer in Voluntown

Complete Address of Property: DEP Trail Road, Voluntown

Commonly used name of property or other identifying information: Town of Voluntown assessor's parcel MBL 052 001-00 0000.  Strip of land and access roadway off of Route 138 which leads to a larger portion of State Forest property.

Number of acres to be transferred: 0.35± Acres Fee Simple; 0.15± Acres Easement

Click to view map of property location

Description of Property

Below is some general information about the property. It should not be considered a complete description of the property and should not be relied upon for making decisions. If only a portion of a property is proposed for transfer, the description pertains only to the portion being transferred.

Brief description of historical and current uses: The area subject to the proposed transfer is primarily comprised of a paved road which leads to a portion of Pachaug State Forest. The road is used as egress and ingress to privately-owned residential properties. Transferring the roadway to the Town of Voluntown will effectively provide the private residences with legal frontage on a public local roadway. The road becomes unimproved just before reaching a gated, forked access road leading into the State Forest. A proposed transfer of easement area to the Town just before the gates will provide the Town with a turn-around area for snow plowing, school buses, and emergency service vehicles.

The property to be transferred contains the following: [place an "x" in the appropriate cells to the left of the text]

	Building(s) in use		Building(s) not in use		No Structures
	Other Features:	X	Paved areas	X	Wooded land
	Non agricultural fields		Active agriculture		Ponds, streams, other water, wetlands
	Public water supply		On-site well		Water Supply Unknown
	Served by sewers		On-site septic system		Waste Disposal Unknown

Click to view aerial view of property

Click to view photographs of property

Links to other available information: Preliminary Survey

The property is in the following municipal zone(s): 

	Zoned		Not zoned		Not known
X	Residential		Industrial		Commercial		Institutional
	Other:	[identify “other” zone]

Is the property in an aquifer protection area and/or a public water supply watershed? No

Is the property in an area identified by the Natural Diversity Data Base as containing state-listed species and/or significant natural communities? No

Is the property or any buildings on the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places or designated as a National Historic Landmark? No

Value of property, if known: 

X	If checked, value is not known.

Type of sale or transfer:

X	Sale or transfer of property in fee
X	Sale or transfer of partial interest in the property (such as an easement). Description of interest: 0.15 Acre area proposed to be granted to the Town of Voluntown for a turn-around area for snow plowing, school buses, and emergency service vehicles.

Proposed recipient, if known: Town of Voluntown

Proposed use by property recipient, if known: Public roadway and services including snow plowing, school transportation, and emergency services. 

Is the agency imposing restrictions or conditions upon the transfer of the land or land interest? If yes, describe: Yes, the transfers will be subject to such rights and easements as may appear of record and any state of facts which an accurate survey or inspection of the premises may show, and conditioned that the premises will be used for public purposes or else it shall revert to the State of Connecticut.

Reason the state of Connecticut is proposing to transfer this property: The Town of Voluntown approached the Department with a request for ownership of the roadway subject to this proposed transfer because there are private residences abutting the State road leading into the State Forest that do not have frontage or legal access to the state or local public highway system.  The transfer would provide these residences with legal frontage on a local road, as well as provide the Town with an easement area to perform maintenance and provide essential public services.

Comments from the public are welcome and will be accepted until the close of business on January 16, 2025.

Comments may include (but are not limited to) information you might have about significant natural resources or recreation resources on the property, as well as your recommendations for means to preserve such resources.

Written comments* about the proposed property transfer should be sent to:

Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management

c/o Paul F. Hinsch

Office of Policy and Management

Bureau of Assets Management

450 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106-1379

paul.hinsch@ct.gov

Please also send a copy of any comments and/or questions about the proposed property transfer to:

Name: Steven Perry

Agency: DEEP

Address: Land Acquisition and Management Unit, 79 Elm Street, 6th Floor

E-Mail: Steven.Perry@ct.gov

*E-Mail submissions are preferred.

Comments from state agencies must be on agency letterhead and signed by agency head.

What Happens Next:

When this comment period closes, the proposed land transfer can take one of three tracks:

1.    If no public comments are received, the sale or transfer can proceed with no further public comment and no further notices in the Environmental Monitor, unless the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) elects to conduct a review of the property (see #3).

2.   If public comments are received, the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) will respond to those comments. The comments and responses will be published in the Environmental Monitor.  Fifteen days after publication of the comments and responses, the proposed sale or transfer can proceed, unless DEEP elects to conduct a review of the property (see #3).

3.   If DEEP elects to conduct a further review of the property, it may submit to OPM a report with recommendations for preserving all or part of the property. The report and recommendations will be published in the Environmental Monitor, and there will be a 30-day public comment period. DEEP will publish its responses to any comments received and its final recommendation about the property in the Environmental Monitor. OPM will then make the final determination as to the ultimate disposition of the property, and will publish that determination in the Environmental Monitor. Fifteen days after publication of that final determination, the sale or transfer can proceed.

To find out if this proposed transfer is the subject of further notices, check future editions of the Environmental Monitor. Sign up for e-alerts to receive a reminder e-mail on Environmental Monitor publication dates.