By Andreas Yilma Citizen’s News
BEACON FALLS — The Charles Edwards estate is looking to swap some land at the end of Lorraine Drive for easier access to their property.
The Board of Selectmen had a special meeting on June 27 to approve a land swap that was supposed to head to a town meeting on June 29.
The estate is looking to swap half an acre it owns at 30 Lorraine Drive, composed of 28 acres, with 6,367 square feet, or 0.146 acres, at 21 Lorraine Drive. Both properties are located at the street’s dead end. The estate is looking to subdivide the land it owns at 30 Lorraine Drive. The swap allows the estate a way to build a driveway, according to Selectman Michael Krenesky.
Krenesky said the town currently owns the land at 21 Lorraine Drive, which is just vacant land at the end of the cul-de-sac.
“We took it over in a foreclosure. The property was just sitting there idle,” Krenesky said.
“It wasn’t something that the town was actively maintaining.”
The land swap will allow the estate to have enough frontage to develop the property, which would include subdividing the acreage into five building lots.
The Charles Edwards estate is looking to build five homes while donating to the town 4 acres to preserve as open space.
The estate’s parcels would range from the largest at seven acres to the smallest at about four acres, according to Krenesky.
“It gives them what they need to subdivide the property,” Krenesky said.
Correction and information: The BOS (Selectmen Krenesky & Betkoski) approved sending the land exchange proposal to a Town Meeting on Wednesday July 6th, 6PM in the Town Hall Assembly Room. The decision to approve or deny the transfer falls to the legislative body, the taxpayers of the Town of Beacon Falls, and not the BOS itself as noted in an opinion provided by the Town’s Land Use Atty.
1st Selectman Smith recused himself from the discussions and eventual motion to send to a Town Meeting because he is an abutting land owner to the Edwards Estate. Speaking for myself, I support approval of the transfer. A positive decision to the proposed motion will send the transfer to the Town’s Land Use Atty to prepare the land transfer and allows the Edwards Estate to proceed with required land permits for their proposed development project.