I serve on Plymouth’s Open Space Committee (OSC), and am an ardent supporter of increasing open space in Plymouth. I also work with a non-profit towards the same end. As a member of the OSC, I heard Mr. Sheridan describe what he would aim to do if he were to be the developer of the Landers property off Hedges Pond Rd. in Cedarville.
Frankly, if what he described came to pass I feel it would be a good win for Plymouth. Some of the key features in his pitch were that he would build homes that would be affordable by today’s standards. High costs of homes is a huge problem for Plymouth, and the proposal would help alleviate that.
A second key feature of Mr. Sheridan’s description was to preserve a substantial fraction of the property as open space. That offer could have been for the land that was already degraded, but instead it was for the best land (from my naturalist’s perspective) of the entire property. Yes, it did include some acreage of unbuildable wetland (great wildlife habitat), but also a substantial acreage of natural and relatively pristine upland. It also would help protect Plymouth’s water supply.
As for Selectboard discussions of real estate transactions in Executive Session, this has been standard procedure of the Selectboard for as long as I can remember. There is very good reason for that, and it is unrelated to making “backroom deals”! Of course I have no knowledge of the executive discussions in this case, but knowing some of the players, I bet they included balancing the needs for lower cost housing with those for open space. Equally important, I bet that the Selectboard also is aiming to engage with a developer who would be considerate of Plymouth’s landscapes and character. Goodness, we do not need another Oasis-type development!
– Brian Harrington