Contacts: Lisa Bassani, The Trust for Public Land, 203- 777-7367 ext 5

                Steve Wawruck, Town of Windsor Locks – 860-627-1444

                Maureen Westbrook, Connecticut Water Company – 860-669-8630 ext. 3055

Agreement Reached on Purchase of

“Water Works Brook” Land

Windsor Locks, CT –Windsor Locks officials announced they have reached an agreement with the Connecticut Water Company on a revised purchase price for the conservation easement on the land on South Center Street in Windsor Locks.  The discussions and the revised purchase price occurred after it was discovered during the survey of the property that the land, known as the “Water Works Brook” parcel, had less acreage than originally indicated on the deeds and town assessor’s records.  

The town has been working for several months with the Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national non-profit conservation organization, and the Connecticut Water Company, to structure a deal that would allow for the permanent preservation of the land in a way that minimized the cost to the Town.

The revised price that was arrived at yesterday is $2.00 million, which is $225,000 less than the average of the two appraisals for the property or a 10% reduction from the appraised value.    It is a reduction of $160,000 from the previously negotiated price of $2.16 million.  The Town’s costs will be further reduced by the grant of $490,000 from the DEP Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Grant program.   Under the terms of the agreement, the Town of Windsor Locks will purchase a conservation easement on the property which will permanently protect the property from development and will guarantee public access to the land for passive recreation. 

First Selectman, Steve Warwuck said, “We were pleased to be able to work with Connecticut Water and develop a mutually agreeable compromise when this new information on the acreage arose.”  He continued, “I felt a responsibility to taxpayers to further negotiate the purchase price once we had the new information about the acreage.  I knew, however, we had to be reasonable so that we could move forward with the deal.” 

Maureen Westbrook, Vice President of Customer and Regulatory Affairs for Connecticut Water indicated, “Connecticut Water came to the table to develop a reasonable compromise in the interest of maintaining our partnership with the community and ensuring this deal could move forward.”  She noted, “It was evident from the overwhelming support in the December referendum and the hundreds of people who walked the property before the vote that residents wanted the Town to secure this last significant piece of open space in town.” 

Lisa Bassani, Field Representative for The Trust for Public Land, said, “We are happy that we were able to reach agreement with Connecticut Water on a purchase price which is fair and reflects the new information on acreage. With this behind us, we can work cooperatively to bring this to a successful closing and ensure that this land remains in its natural state for generations to come.”

Officials hope to have the legal agreements finalized and signed by next week so that the water company can proceed with obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals, and TPL can coordinate next steps for the DEP grant.  

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The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit organization which works with others to conserve land for people to enjoy as working landscapes, parks, gardens, and natural areas, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. TPL has protected over 5,000 acres of open space, watershed land, working farms and forestland, and historic resources in 32 communities across the state.  For more information, please visit www.tpl.org/connecticut.

About The Connecticut Water Company: Connecticut Water Company serves nearly 300,000 people in 54 towns in Connecticut.  It is the largest subsidiary of Connecticut Water Service, Inc. (NASDAQ GS: CTWS), New England’s largest locally based investor owned water utility company.