By Michelle Switzer
Lupine Field, the last 1.1 acre parcel of undeveloped land on the waterfront in Round Pond overlooks Round Pond Harbor. (Photo courtesy Kathy Kearney) |
The clock is ticking for members from the Round Pond community who hope to purchase and preserve the last undeveloped waterfront lot in Round Pond Harbor.
Over 50 community members attended an informational meeting jointly hosted by the Round Pond Village Improvement Society and the Medomak Valley Land Trust at the
Little Brown Church in Round Pond, Nov. 13.
The evening was considered the official launch of the fundraising campaign to purchase the 1.1 acre parcel.
According to village improvement society member Beth Billik, the group entered into a formal purchase and sale agreement with the landowners, the Ulins, this fall,
agreeing to pay $370,000 for the 1.1 acre tract by July 15, 2015.
“Since the Native American Abenaki first summered in Round Pond, the lupine field has remained open and wild. Development of this land would significantly alter the
landscape of Round Pond harbor.” Billik said.
During the forum, community members were informed of the history of Round Pond, the beginnings of Round Pond Village Improvement Society, how Medomak Valley Land
Trust would play a role in the transaction, and the intended use of the property, should the campaign succeed.
The lupine field has been a mecca for artists, photographers, and people in the village for over 70 years, Billik said. Kayakers, canoers, and swimmers have been
able to reach the shore easily from the field. The owners of the land, the Ulin family, have been generous in terms of access to the harbor.
If purchased, the village improvement society would have stewardship of the land. The Medomak Valley Land Trust will place the property in a conservation easement,
which will insure the proper oversight of the land, said society member Kathy Kearney.
An additional fundraising goal of $10,000 was added in order to include costs associated with the transaction, and to support ongoing stewardship.
“We are working on fundraising goals, laying out a type of pyramid format, to work from the top to the bottom. We will need large donors and then work down from
there,” Kearney said.
Kearney also said the Medomak Valley Land Trust and Round Pond Village Improvement Society will be looking into applying for grant money.
For more information, or if to be informed of an upcoming event, please contact Kearney at kathyslamqueen@gmail.com or
Liz Petruska at mvlt@midcoast.com.
Tax-deductible donations may be sent to MVLT-Lupine Field Campaign, PO Box 180, Waldoboro, 04572.
