Towns Struggle to Conserve Open Space

IN 1988, DAVID CEDARHOLM WAS A GRADUATE STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. HE AND HIS WIFE WERE LOOKING FOR A NICE PLACE TO BUY A HOME. THEY SETTLED ON THE TOWN OF LEE.

TAPE DAVID CEDARHOLM 340 really, it was the rural character, and a lot of friendly folks. :04

CEDARHOLM IS NOW A GEOLOGICAL ENGINEER. HE AND HIS WIFE HAVE TWO SCHOOL-AGE GIRLS. CEDARHOLM CHAIRS LEE'S WATER RESOURCES COMMITTEE. HE KNOWS THAT MANY OF THE LARGE TRACTS OF LAND IN LEE ARE OWNED BY OLDER PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM ARE LOOKING FOR A NEST EGG FOR THEIR RETIREMENT. CEDARHOLM KNOWS, AS WELL AS ANYONE IN TOWN, THAT LEE'S RURAL CHARACTER IS UNDER SIEGE.

TAPE DAVID CEDARHOLM 346 I understand that people that do have pieces of undeveloped land are getting a lot of pressure from developers. They're getting flyers weekly or monthly or phone calls regularly.

HOWEVER, CEDARHOLM ALSO SERVES AS SPOKESMAN FOR A RECENTLY FORMED GROUP CALLED "CONCERNED LEE CITIZENS" – A GROUP THAT OPPOSES A 5 MILLION DOLLAR BOND FOR LAND CONSERVATION.

TAPE DAVID CEDARHOLM 382 I'm a big proponent of conservation easements /// but I don't believe that borrowing a huge sum of money, at least at this point, is a good idea for our town. :11
WHILE CEDARHOLM LIKES THE CONCEPT – HE SAYS HE AND OTHER RESIDENTS OF LEE SIMPLY CAN'T AFFORD THE ADDITIONAL TAXES.

TAPE DAVID CEDARHOLM Our taxes went up between 20 and 50 percent this past year -- we are anticipating a significant increase in taxes again from the school district this year. So I'm concerned that borrowing 5 million dollars is just going to put too much of a strain on working families and residents on fixed incomes. Right now it's too much too soon. :25

CEDARHOLM SAYS MANY OF THE OWNERS OF THE LARGE TRACTS OF LAND IN TOWN WANT TO SEE THAT LAND CONSERVED JUST AS MUCH AS THE TOWNSPEOPLE DO.

TAPE DAVID CEDARHOLM 411 So I would ask them to be a little patient, and continue to work with the town as they are currently, and allow us to obtain those easements without borrowing a huge sum of money.

DWIGHT BARNEY MOVED TO LEE WITH HIS WIFE IN 1971. THEIR CHILDREN ARE GROWN NOW, BUT THE COUPLE STILL KEEP 50-SHEEP ON THEIR 30-ACRES. BARNEY HAS BEEN A SELECTMAN IN LEE FOR 16-YEARS. HE TOO, IS WELL AWARE OF THE PRESSURE ON LEE TO GROW.

TAPE DWIGHT BARNEY 181 when we moved to lee in '71, /// if you heard a vehicle drive down the road, you rushed to the window to see who it was. Today, it's not unusual to see 8, 10, 12 vehicles go by every 15 or 20 minutes between 6 and 8 am every morning and 3 to 5 pm in the afternoon.

LEE HAS MORE THAN 42-HUNDRED RESIDENTS TODAY – THREE-TIMES AS MANY AS IT HAD IN 1970. MORE PEOPLE NEEDING MORE SERVICES. MORE CHILDREN TO EDUCATE. BARNEY SAYS THE COST OF EDUCATING EACH CHILD IS ABOUT 10,300 DOLLARS – FAR MORE THAN THE AVERAGE TAXES PAID BY THE AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD. BARNEY SAYS LEE HAS ROOM FOR ABOUT 15-HUNDRED MORE HOUSEHOLDS.

TAPE DWIGHT BARNEY 254 we can't stop growth. What we're trying to do is to control the growth so that we will have the ability to pay the taxes -- that we're not going to drive the people out on fixed incomes.

LIKE MANY TOWNS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, LEE HAS FOUND THAT IT COSTS THE TOWN LESS TO PRESERVE OPEN SPACE THAN TO SEE IT DEVELOPED.
FOR YEARS, LEE HAS EMPLOYED A STRATEGY OF ESTABLISHING GREEN BELTS IN TOWN – WORKING TO CONSERVE CONTIGUOUS CORRIDORS OF OPEN SPACE. IT USED TO BE THAT WHEN A PARTICULARLY DESIRABLE TRACT OF LAND BECAME AVAILABLE, TOWN LEADERS WENT BEFORE VOTERS AT TOWN MEETING TO ASK IF THEY WANTED TO CONSERVE THE PROPERTY. BARNEY SAYS THAT STRATEGY DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE.

TAPE DWIGHT BARNEY 277 it doesn't work anymore because we have developers that realize that this is one of the fastest growing communities. They're coming in here trying to develop these large parcels. There is tremendous pressure on the owners to sell immediately. And if we don't have money in hand that we can purchase development rights or conservation easements, by the time we would go through town meeting to have the traditional method of conservation acquisition, the land has already been sold, and it's already in the developmental phase.

BARNEY ESTIMATES THAT AT ITS CURRENT RATE OF GROWTH – LEE COULD BE BUILT-OUT IN AS LITTLE AS FIVE TO TEN YEARS. HE SUPPORTS THE FIVE MILLION DOLLAR BOND, WHICH HE ESTIMATES WILL RAISE THE AVERAGE HOME'S TAX BILL BY 350-DOLLARS.
AT THE CENTER FOR LAND CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE, IT'S DIGIT TAYLOR'S JOB TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO TOWNS THAT WANT TO PROTECT OPEN SPACE. THE TYPE OF BOND THAT LEE IS CONSIDERING, SHE SAYS, IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR.

TAPE TAYLOR 046 starting in 2001, we saw the first towns passing general acquisition bonds for open space. We'd never seen that kind of bonding authority used for open space in NH until 2001. that year, 3 towns tried that, and we've seen an increasing number of towns going for large, general acquisition bonds for open space in the years since then.

IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, ABOUT 15-TOWNS, MOSTLY FAST-GROWING COMMUNITIES NEAR NEW HAMPSHIRE’S SEACOAST, HAVE ESTABLISHED LARGE FUNDS FOR CONSERVATION. VOTERS IN THESE TOWNS HAVE APPROVED AN AVERAGE OF 3-MILLION DOLLARS TO PROTECT OPEN SPACE. TAYLOR SAYS THE IDEA OF ASSUMING DEBT TO CONSERVE LAND MAKES SENSE FOR MANY TOWNS.

TAPE TAYLOR 126 you go into debt for other things that are important to your community as well. You take out bonds typically to buy fire trucks and things like that. And I think you can make a very strong case that the character of the community, the physical appearance that defines it is very important as well as fire trucks being important.

TAYLOR SAYS THROUGHOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWNS ARE SCRAMBLING FOR NEW SOURCES OF CONSERVATION FUNDS. OVER HALF THE TOWNS IN THE STATE USE THE LAND-USE CHANGE TAX AS A SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR CONSERVATION. 57- TOWNS ARE NOW CHARGING DEVELOPERS IMPACT FEES – FEES DESIGNED TO DEFRAY THE ADDITIONAL COSTS TO TOWNS CREATED BY NEW DEVELOPMENT. AND TAYLOR PREDICTS MORE TOWNS WILL BE ASKING VOTERS TO BOND LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY.

TAPE TAYLOR 109 I think that it's a very useful strategy. It's not the perfect solution for every town but in a town that feels able to set this kind of ///money aside, it gives them an option they didn't have before to work with. The hardest problem for anybody working on land conservation is New Hampshire is a lack of money.

IN THE TOWN OF LEE, THERE'S NOT MUCH DISAGREEMENT OVER THE NEED TO CONSERVE AT LEAST SOME OF THE TOWN'S REMAINING OPEN SPACE.
DAVID CEDARHOLM SAYS HE'D BE IN FAVOR OF THE FIVE MILLION DOLLAR BOND – INDEED, OF CONSERVING ALL OF THE DEVELOPABLE LAND IN TOWN-- IF HE HAD EXPENDABLE INCOME.

TAPE DAVID CEDARHOLM 549 but I don't. we've tightened up our purse strings as much as we possibly can. I don't have a cell phone. We don't have cable t-v. We drive used cars. I would love to be able to send my daughter to girl scout camp this summer. This tax increase is going to raise my taxes another 300 dollars. So do I not send my daughter, or one of my two daughters, to girl scout camp? Do I reduce the minimal amount of money I put into my 401K every month?

SELECTMAN DWIGHT BARNEY SAYS HE'S VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL INCREASED BURDEN ON TAXPAYERS. IT'S GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE, BARNEY SAYS, NO MATTER WHAT VOTERS DECIDE.

TAPE DWIGHT BARNEY 482 it's going to cost money for the bond. It will cost less money for the bond in the next 20 years than it might cost if the bond is defeated and we have houses on that same land. You're either paying some now, or you're paying a lot later on. I can sympathize, and I can agree 100 percent with a concern about cash flow and the ability or inability to pay taxes.

LEE HOLDS ITS TOWN MEETING THIS EVENING AT 7:30.

FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I'M DOUG MACPHERSON.