Windsor Parcel Approved For $1 Million Open Space Grant

WINDSOR, CT — A former privately-owned golf course situated in the shadow of Interstate 91 has been approved for a $1.086 million state grant to ensure it will be preserved as open space.

The 94-acre site at 100 Pigeon Hill Road, known for years as the Millbrook Golf Course and later the Tradition Golf Club, is one of 23 locations in Connecticut which will share $6.05 million in grants to support the purchase of 2,005 acres of land that will be preserved as open space, according to an announcement from Gov. Dannel Malloy.

“Connecticut’s tradition of preserving open space has helped define our landscape and preserve its important natural resources and geographical beauty,” Malloy said. “These grants continue our open space preservation legacy and will increase the availability of open space for our residents across our state.”

The Windsor project is currently undergoing reclamation into a varied mix of wet and upland meadow with high grass and low shrubs along with an early successional forest. The parcel lends itself for development and linkages for passive recreation areas and trails. It is part of the Mill Brook Greenway (4,000 feet of Mill Brook) corridor and connects with Fitch Park, less than a half mile from downtown Windsor.

Other towns awarded grants are Colebrook, Cornwall, East Haddam, Ellington, Essex, Hebron, Lyme, Madison, Mansfield, North Haven, North Stonington, Old Lyme, Preston, Sherman, Sprague, Stratford, Thompson, Washington, Watertown and Weston.

The grants are being awarded through the Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition program, which is administered by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and assists local governments, land trusts, and water companies in purchasing open space using funding from the Community Investment Act and state bond funds. This grant program requires match by the grant recipient and requires the open space land be protected by a conservation and public recreation easement, ensuring that the property is forever protected for public use and enjoyment.

Photo credit: Tim Jensen