The Waitsfield Select Board voted to adopt the Conservation Commission’s management plan for the 6.9-acre Tardy parcel along the Mad River across from Lareau Farm on June 26. The commission prepared the plan with assistance from the Vermont Land Trust. It sought community feedback on the plan this spring and held a public hearing on May 31.
“This is the culmination of about a little bit more than a year-long process,” said commission member Phil Huffman at the select board’s June 26 meeting. “The commission has been working towards developing a management plan for the Tardy parcel that the town's owned for 20 years. We've been through an extended but, I think, ultimately very good process to get to this point, had a public review period, didn't get much in the way of input, which is what it is. We're really pleased to be at this point.”
The plan redesignates the property as the Farley Riverside Park to honor local conservationist Virginia Farley, who passed away in 2022. The plan includes a memorial stone bench, plaque, signage, a short trail, and parking. The park honoring Farley’s legacy is the result of the work of a group of her close friends, family, and colleagues in partnership with the conservation commission. The group fundraised $49,000 for the park in collaboration with the Vermont Land Trust. “The group is now leading efforts to engage a professional landscape architect to assist with site design, procure a memorial stone bench and plaque to be installed in a mutually agreeable location on the property, and assist with other aspects of establishing the park,” the plan says.
“Work is already happening on the ground with invasives control that Curt Lindberg and Bob Cook are leading as part of their town wide efforts and part of the bigger Valley wide effort. We've got lots of I think, good, tangible things in our sights for the coming months and few years to really transition this property into becoming much more of a community asset, as opposed to a place that many people haven't even known about, that has been town land for 20 years,” Huffman said.
The plan says, “Since the Town’s acquisition in 2003, the property has been largely unmanaged and has not received a great deal of attention.” The plan says the property, along with adjacent parcels, “form an invaluable corridor of undeveloped valley floor lands that provide important habitat for terrestrial and aquatic species; outdoor recreation opportunities such as swimming, fishing, walking, and wildlife watching for residents and visitors; scenic vistas that are central to The Valley’s rural character and sense of place; and room for the Mad River to function in a relatively natural way. The Town envisions transforming the property to thoughtful, forward-looking stewardship that will enhance its ecological condition and provide a public amenity worthy of community pride.”
