Bethel To Vote On Purchase Of 108-Acre Property

BETHEL, CT — Bethel residents will consider a proposal next week involving the purchase and preservation of 108 acres off Codfish Hill Road, a property advocates say could create one of the largest interconnected trail networks in the area.

A special town meeting on the proposed purchase of the Menegay property is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m. at Bethel Middle School.

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The Bethel Land Trust described the Menegay property as one of the last two large parcels of unprotected land remaining in private hands in town.

"Our goal is to work with the Bethel Land Trust to obtain grants to purchase the property from the town," the town said.

The property is surrounded by protected open space, and its preservation could connect existing preserves and create an interconnected system encompassing about 20 miles of trails, according to a video released by the land trust.

The property would connect the approximately 96-acre Wolfpits Preserve with the roughly 1,000-acre Collis P. Huntington State Park, linking the three properties into a larger corridor of protected open space.

In addition to hiking and mountain biking, the land trust said the property could offer opportunities for agricultural use, wildlife viewing and a community garden while preserving a significant portion of Bethel's landscape.

"This is more than an opportunity to protect open space," the Bethel Land Trust said in its video. "It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to preserve a remarkable part of Bethel's heritage before it's lost forever."

The town encouraged residents to attend the special town meeting and pointed residents to a video from the Bethel Land Trust with additional information about the property.

What: Special Town Meeting on proposed purchase of 108 acres off Codfish Road
When: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 7 p.m.
Where: Bethel Middle School