ALT's Update on the Proposal for The Glen Property in Portsmouth

It was with a heavy heart that on September 24, the ALT Board of Trustees voted to withdraw ALT’s offer to the Town of Portsmouth to pay 1.5 million dollars for a conservation easement on the Glen Farm (including major portions of Glen Fields/Seveney Sports Complex, Glen Park and Elmhurst School property). While discussions about the conservation easements on the Glen go back many years, the talks on the current proposal began in 2012. Numerous Town committees and organizations supported ALT's proposal such as the following: the Newport County Chamber of Commerce; the Elmhurst Planning Committee; the Portsmouth Open Space Committee; the Glen Park Working Authority; the Glen Manor House Authority; the Portsmouth Conservation Commission; the Lower Glen Farm Preservation Committee; the Agriculture Committee; Preserve Portsmouth; Friends of the Glen Manor House; the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission; Portsmouth Youth Soccer Association; Portsmouth Youth Lacrosse; Portsmouth Youth Sailing; Friends of the Brown House; the Portsmouth Historical Society; and the Portsmouth Garden Club. On June 19, 2012, ALT submitted to the Town, for its review, a draft Agreement and Conservation Easement for ALT's proposal to conserve and enhance the Glen.
 
 In a letter to the Town Administrator dated October 9, 2013 Executive Director, Charles Allott stated, "While ALT is still firmly committed to pursuing the perpetual conservation of this vital community parkland, in light of the Town Council's recent vote of rejection of our proposal we do not believe any further discussions regarding alternatives to our current proposal would be fruitful at this point in time." Also he noted that, ALT has many other properties to conserve where eminent development is a real threat.
 
 While the current Town Council seems committed to the idea that the property should remain parkland, it is ALT's hope that future town leaders will be as rational and vigilant as our present leaders in the self-protection of this invaluable community resource.
 
 ALT would like to thank the Town Council, Portsmouth Open Space Committee and all the various supporting committees and groups for all of their efforts in trying to forge a council consensus to match what ALT believes was the community–wide consensus towards the perpetual conservation of this vital community asset. It is nice to know that we have conservation- minded supporters in Portsmouth.
 
 
 
 ALT's time-sensitive mission is to conserve Aquidneck Island's open spaces and natural character for the lasting benefit of our community. The organization has conserved 2,429.60 acres on 69 properties across Aquidneck Island since its founding in 1990. ALT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and the first land trust in Rhode Island to have received national accreditation. For more information, visit www.AquidneckLandTrust.org