Ridgefield News
November 20, 2002

Town Votes To Transfer Bennetts Pond To State

Town Votes To Transfer Bennetts Pond Property To State For $4.25M

ROSA activist Tom Elliott made the motion to transfer the Bennetts Pond property to the state in return for 50% reimbursement.

Nov. 20 -- In a surprisingly swift and decisive move, Ridgefielders tonight voted to proceed with the long-planned transfer of the Bennetts Pond north property to the state, in return for $4.25M of state reimbursement toward Ridgefield's purchase of the site. A record crowd overflowed the East Ridge Middle School auditorium for the special town meeting. According to Democratic Registrar Cindy Bruno, approximately 600 voters were checked in and given ballots in anticipation of as very close vote - a seeming record number for any special town meeting in recent memory.

In another surprise, what had been anticipated as a lengthy discussion and debate was short-circuited, as a motion to call the question was made from the floor after Tom Elliott (photo) made and spoke for the motion to proceed with the transfer. An overwhelming majority voted to end the debate and vote, only about 15 minutes into the meeting. The real surprise came when moderator Sharon Dornfeld asked for a show of hands on the question itself - to establish the closeness of the sides and, presumably, the need for a vote by written ballot. It wasn't even close. At least 2/3, and possibly as many as 80% of the attendees, voted FOR the motion to proceed with the transfer to the state. The opposition, a group mounting a last-minute effort to carve out part of the property for playing fields, evidently had not succeeding in garnering significant support for their move to derail the transfer. At 8:30, it was all over, supporters of open space rejoiced, and veteran observers agreed that it was a most unusual and unexpected set of events that transpired tonight.

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