Tracey To Seek Grant, Preserve Sperry Lane Property If Elected

Submitted and written by GOP Mayoral candidate "Big" Steve Tracey,

Tracey To Seek Open Space Grant to Purchase, Preserve Sperry Lane Property If Elected

East Haven mayoral candidate, and District 4 Town Councilman "Big" Steve Tracey, announced today that if elected he would work with the Town's State delegation to leverage State open space grant monies to re-purchase the Sperry Lane property in East Haven to preserve the property as open space.

Tracey explained, "I am opposed to the current proposal, which threatens to overdevelop the area and which raises a number of traffic, safety, health, and quality of life concerns. However, unlike my opponent who is only seeking to use this proposal for political gain, I am thinking long term and also trying to ensure we never face this situation again. I believe we should continue resisting development of the parcel and, at the same time, should seek the help of our State delegation to purchase the property so that we can preserve it as open space for future generations."

Tracey added, "As Mayor, I would immediately instruct my staff to explore and apply for all grant options to purchase the property to re-purpose and preserve it as open space."

In making the announcement, Tracey indicated that members of his campaign staff reached out to the developer to inquire about purchasing the property and to State Senator Len Fasano to determine the availability of grant monies.

Tracey explained, "In my conversations I have had with the developer I believe he is keeping an open mind about the property and the State does have programs, administered by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, to promote the acquisition and preservation of land for open space."

In 2018 alone, the State of Connecticut approved $4.8 million dollars in funding to purchase 1,139 acres of land for fifteen projects in fourteen Connecticut towns with the goal of designating the acquired parcels as open space. According to DEEP, since the inception of the "Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition" grant program in 1998, more than $125 million in state funding has been used to assist in the purchase of over 36,400 acres of land in 139 towns across the State.

Tracey explained, "It's one thing to be opposed to a project. Anybody can stand up and express opposition. It's another thing to come with solutions and that's what my team and I have been doing and will do if I am elected."

Tracey concluded, "I remain opposed to the current project and will be at Wednesday's meeting to support the neighborhood's efforts to oppose this project. At the same time, and if elected, I will work to secure grant funding to repurchase the Sperry Lane property to ensure our community never has to deal with this issue again.