IMPORTANT: Please be advised that this property currently remains closed to the public.
We are working towards opening the property, including the Line of March trail, for public access in the coming months. Visit this dedicated webpage regularly for updates, including an announcement when the property is officially open to the public.
In addition to the various water supply-specific benefits this parcel offers, it includes one of the last remaining unpaved segments of the Isaac Davis Trail still in existence (~2,200 feet), as well as areas of moderate to high archeological potential. Because the property is comprised of a mix of wetlands, multi-aged forest, open meadow, and two potential vernal pools, it affords the community a variety of environmental benefits including:
- Carbon sequestration
- Inland flood mitigation
- Supporting biodiversity
- Groundwater recharge
- Open space preservation
- Passive recreation
- Cooling shade
- Priority habitat of rare species
- Historical preservation
For final permitting and construction of Wells D and E to proceed and for potential additional future wells on the property, the District needs to own 549 Main Street. To that end, at the Annual District meeting on March 15, 2023, voters appropriated $4.9M, a below market value sale facilitated by the Conant family, to acquire the property. Shortly thereafter, voters unanimously approved Article 10 at the Town of Acton’s Annual Meeting on May 1, 2023; this article authorizes the Select Board to acquire a Conservation Restriction (CR) from the District on the property utilizing $1.0M from the Community Preservation Act Open Space Set aside fund. The property closing occurred on December 7, 2023. Efforts to finalize the CR and associated public access are ongoing and should be complete by the summer of 2024. Check back here often for updates!
Photos:
Rules & Regulations: Coming soon!
Trail Map: Coming soon!
Project Thank You’s:
There are many individuals, committees, and organizations that contributed to the success and funding of this project. First and foremost, we’d like to acknowledge the Board of Water Commissioners for supporting the project from its earliest stages. The team of staff, consultants, attorneys, regulators, and other partners was invaluable in making this project a reality. We are thankful to the voters of Acton, as this project truly could not have taken place without your support and various voter approvals. We are grateful to the many Town staff, committee, and Select Board members that have collaborated with the District on this project over the years, from identifying the high ranking of the property by the Open Space Committee, to presenting the CPA funding request, to navigating the many competing wishes when developing the Conservation Restriction (CR). We’d also like to thank the Conservation Commission and the Sudbury Valley Trustees for co-holding the CR, helping ensure this open space is preserved while facilitating public access and fulfilling our mission to provide water to the community. Thank you to the Acton Conservation Trust, whose outreach efforts raised awareness of and helped garner support for this project. The work in the background on this and many other land protection projects in Acton is invaluable!
The District is immensely grateful to the Commonwealth’s Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), which awarded just over $2.0M of grant funding in support of this project. The District was awarded $0.5M from EEA’s Drinking Water Supply Protection grant program, while just over $1.5M was awarded by EEA’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program (https://resilient.mass.gov/mvp/) as an Action Grant. This was the first year that special districts, like the Acton Water District, were eligible to apply for MVP grant funds. We are thankful to the Legislature and our local delegation for making this a viable funding option for this project. Together with the $1.0M contribution from the Town’s CPA fund, the ratepayers’ cost to permanently protect this land was significantly reduced while acknowledging the many benefits of this property.
Finally, the District would like to thank the Conant family for continuing to be a strong partner for open space and water supply development and protection through land transactions. And last but not least, the District would like to acknowledge Matthew Mostoller for his tireless efforts in seeing this project through from concept to completion!
