The Town of Guilford entered into an easement agreement with the Guilford Land Conservation Trust to bar any kind of development as well as certain uses of Peddler’s Park, the 30-acre town property off Peddler’s Road that serves as a northern access point for many hiking and walking trails in Guilford.

The trust paid Guilford $25,000 for the easement.

Recently a source of controversy after the town approved the construction of a disc golf course on the property, Peddler’s Park will now be maintained essentially as-is indefinitely, First Selectman Matt Hoey said.

Hoey said that the agreement was reached after working with Parks & Recreation officials as well as lawyers to determine the best use for the property. He said the trust had been “very concerned” about any development of Peddler’s Park, as they have maintained trails in the park for “many years.”

“[The trust] did not have an interest in [an] outright purchase of the entire thing, but they were very much interested in the conservation easement,” Hoey told The Guilford Courier.

After residents protested construction on the property, citing disruption of trails and danger caused by a potential influx of cars parking along to road, the disc golf course was eventually moved to Bittner Park, opening late this summer to much fanfare.

The agreement disallows any type of construction in Peddler’s Park, from tennis courts to radio antennae. Also banned is the creation of additional parking spaces or adding fencing, trash receptacles, or billboards on the property.

Usage of any type of mechanized vehicles, from hang gliders to snowmobiles, are also banned, according to the agreement, though town officials clarified at a Dec. 2 Board of Selectmen meeting that bicycles were still allowed.

The town maintains responsibility for upkeep on current parking accommodations off Peddler’s Road, according to the agreement.

The agreement also disallows disruption of the natural features of Peddler’s Park, including all types of disturbances to soil or water. Hoey said part of the reason for entering into the easement agreement was potential environmental issues with the park, which had come to light during the disc golf controversy.

Peddler’s Park was originally a dump site, Hoey said, and the exact areas and extent of contamination to the property are unknown. Any type of development or construction could put the town in the position of potentially having to take responsibility for the damage caused by the dumping.

“If certain things are discovered, then you have a responsibility to do something, Hoey said. “So it was determined that it was probably not appropriate to disrupt the portions of [Peddler’s Park].”

Hoey clarified that neither the town nor the trust can modify the agreement or allow any other uses of Peddler’s Park without first renegotiating. Though Hoey said that the trust has the opportunity to expand trails on the property, the agreement currently bans “construction, improvement, or upgrading of roads, trails, or footpaths,” though it does allow for trails to be moved “in the event conditions at the property so warrant.”