Open Space Commission - Minutes 11/1401

NEXT MEETING:     Wednesday, December 19, 2001, 7:30 PM, Great Valley Middle School

Commission Members Attending Meeting:

Andy Motel, Chair x, William Anderson x, Alexandra Coleman x, Frank Corcoran _, Priscilla Crowell _, Robert Davis x, Aliena Gerhard x, Mary Ellen Joos x, Bob Jones x, Kevin Kuhn x, Saul Kun _, Rosemary Philips x, Bob Roggio x, Sue Staas x, Ed Theurkauf, Planning Consultant x

Guests: Paul Hogan, Board of Supervisors, Rick Reis, Charlestown Twp. Planning Commission, John Goodall & Ann Orth, Brandywine Conservancy, Richard Ashenfelter, Tina Daly, Bob Fisher, Carl & Sharon Fisher, Chris Galbraith, Russ Hanscom, Robert Joos, Thom & Heather Korber, Debbie Kuhn, George Meyer, Tom & Marjorie Seibert, Marcia Solda, Chris Veno.

Speaker: Andy Johnson, Conservation Advisors, Inc.

I)     Andy Motel, Chair, convened the meeting and welcomed the guests. Because this meeting was organized as an information session for Open Space Commission members and Charlestown Twp. residents, all business including acceptance of the minutes of the last Commission meeting was deferred to the next business meeting.

II)   Andy Motel introduced Andy Johnson, Speaker for the evening. Andy Johnson is President of Conservation Advisors, a consulting practice founded in 1989 to provide property planning that is both economically rewarding and ecologically sensitive. Conservation Advisors serves the needs of major landowners who are concerned with preserving open space as well as with potential financial benefit derived from the disposition of their property. Clients of Conservation Advisors are often individual or families with extensive landholdings who must address estate tax problems, but who also want to insure that their lands are not ruined by over-development. Following is a synopsis of Mr. Johnson's talk.

A)   Landowners' needs are paramount. Mr. Johnson stated first and often that the needs of the landowners and their families must drive all considerations of open space and land preservation.

B)   Incentives for Landowners to consider land conservation include:

1)    Reduced Estate Taxes

2)    Tax Credits

3)    Real Estate Tax Reduction

4)    Regulatory Relief

5)    Opportunity to sell Development Rights

6)    Charitable Contributions (Tax relief)

7)    Limited Development = Income from land sale, plus 1-6 above

C)   Limited Development

1)    Multiple parcels and Combinations

·      a few large lots, plus land in Conservation Trust

·      Use of reserved life estate as part of combination.

·      Intense development on parcel plus large conservation area in Trust

D)   Open Space Conservation in a region:

1)    Ideal to work with multiple contiguous parcels which allow limited development that fits land contours and limitations, reduced infrastructure, and large areas of open space.

2)    Advantages to township

·      Reduced infrastructure

·      Fewer students

·      Fewer services

E)    How townships assist landowners' conservation efforts

1)    Townships offer expedited approval to developers who work with landowners and townships to develop land in consonance with ecological and open space preservation.

2)    Townships offer information and planning aid to landowners who are planning for ecological use of their land.

3)    Townships research and write grants to secure funds for land preservation.

III.           The meeting was adjourned about 10 PM. Attendees recommended a follow-up meeting for landowners to be held after the New Year.

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