At their meeting on Tuesday, August 13, the Warren Select Board accepted the acquisition of property at 1189 Route 100. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided the town of Warren with a grant to purchase the roughly two-acre parcel from owner Quayl Rewinski.
The property, located adjacent to the Mad River between Sugarbush Access Road and the entrance to Warren Village, was approved for FEMA funding because it falls within the floodplain and was heavily affected by Tropical Storm Irene.
"The reason the feds are buying parcels like this is because they want them to be outlets [during flooding]," select board chair Andy Cunningham explained. The town is now responsible for demolishing the two small structures on the site, installing erosion controls and turning it into a public space.
What that public space will look like, the select board said, is open to suggestions. Per FEMA guidelines, no structures can be built on the property, and it cannot be linked with nearby Riverside Park because several properties fall in between it and the existing swimming hole. Anyone with ideas for the site can contact the Warren Select Board or the Warren Planning Commission.
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