1. Notice of Proposed Land Transfer at the University of Connecticut in Storrs

Complete Address of Property: Moulton Road, Storrs Mansfield, CT 06268

Commonly used name of property or other identifying information: Portion of property located immediatley north of 4 Moulton Road

Number of acres to be transferred: 19,655 square feet (0.451 acre) (the "Premises")

Click to view an aerial photo of the property location.

Click to view a survey of the lot line revision for the proposed land transfer.

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 developed portion of the land includes a 19th-century barn structure in poor condition (the "Barn") and a paved parking area. The undeveloped portion of land is sloped woodland. In the 1960’s, the recipient’s family sold a parcel of land to the University consisting of approximately 120 acres. In the early 2000’s, the University divested/returned approximately 2.1 acres to the recipient, including his family home at 4 Moulton Road so it may be fully restored. The Barn situated on the 0.45-acre parcel within the Premises to be transferred was present on the property when University acquired the 120-acre parcel from the recipient’s family. The Barn was used by Facilities Operations for storage in the past, but at present is not in use and only has been minimally maintained.

The property to be transferred contains the following:

	Building(s) in use	x	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	x	Water Supply Unknown
	Served by sewers		On-site septic system	x	Waste Disposal Unknown

The property is in the following municipal zone(s): [place an"x" in the appropriate cells to the left of the text]

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

Special features of the property, if known: Premises and Barn were originally part of the recipient’s property and family home located at 4 Moulton Road, adjacent to the proposed land transfer.

Value of property, if known: $45,000.00

If checked, value is not known.

Links to other available information: N/A

Type of sale or transfer:

x	Sale or transfer of property in fee
	Sale or transfer of partial interest in the property (such as an easement). Description of interest:

Proposed recipient, if known: Quentin Kessel

Proposed use by property recipient, if known: Restoration and preservation of the Barn as well as personal use.

Is the agency imposing restrictions or conditions upon the transfer of the land or land interest?  Yes, that (1) the recipient, at his own expense and within 3 years, shall suitably restore the Barn in accordance with those standards set forth by the State Historic Preservation Office of the State of Connecticut and (2) impose on the Premises and his adjacent single-family house a “preservation restriction” as that term used in Section 47-42a(b) of the Connecticut General Statutes. 

Reason the state of Connecticut is proposing to transfer this property: The University has no programmatic or conservation need for the 0.45 acres on which the barn is located, can vacate the barn without interfering with University operations, and has no plans to rehabilitate or reuse the barn.

Comments from the public are welcome and will be accepted until the close of business on April 6, 2023.

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:

University of Connecticut

c/o Nathan P. LaVallee

Office of the General Counsel

343 Mansfield Road, Unit 1177, Storrs, CT 06269-1177

nathan.lavallee@uconn.edu

*E-Mail submissions are preferred. 

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.