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Boggio Property Appraised at $247,000

Following an appraisal that valued the Boggio property at $247,000, the town will investigate if purchasing the property is feasible.

In April, the Board of Selectmen (BOS) unanimously voted to fund a $3,600 appraisal of the property. At a July 25 BOS meeting, Heidi Wallace, the town’s environmental planner, said the appraisal had come back at $247,000.

That price is outside the scope of what the town has budgeted for land acquisition, though Wallace said she would investigate the availability of any grants that may help offset the cost. First Selectmen John Hall noted that the property is one the town’s Conservation Commission has been interested in purchasing, and the BOS would be “receptive” to purchasing the property if the financial situation could be solved.

Wallace told the board she would meet with the property owner on Monday, July 29 (after press time) to gauge the owner’s desired timeline for a sale and the next steps.

The Boggio property is a 29-acre lot off the undeveloped portion of Toby Hill Road near Toby Hill VIII.

“The property would be a valuable addition to the Toby Hill VIII trails. It would continue the corridor of protected forested open space from the Town of Westbrook into Essex,” Wallace said earlier this year.

Wallace noted there are several features that make the property special.

“The property is home to pristine vernal pools hosting a rich diversity of wildlife and the headwaters of Trout Brook,” Wallace said in April.

Should the town find a way to pay for the property and the property owners be agreeable, further BOS approval would be needed. Any purchase will also have to be approved by residents at a town meeting.