Why do we own a sheep barn with no sheep?

With vistas like this available all over town,
how much open space do we really need?

… and trails for which there are no maps?

By Linda Felaco

UPDATE, Wednesday, January 4:
This morning's CCA e-bleat is an edited version of the flyer Joanne D'Alcomo passed out at the bonfire. Now, instead of the funds being raised "to create a nature sanctuary there for the benefit of all," the CCA e-bleat says the funds are being raised "to create a nature sanctuary with walking trails for all to enjoy" [emphasis mine]. Though unless they've magically solved the handicapped-access issues since December 28, it would appear that the "all" really means "all who can walk."

In response to my story on the YMCA camp discussion at the December 28 Planning Commission meeting, an anonymous commenter asked, “How much ‘passive recreation’ does one town need?” and proceeded to list the many recreational opportunities our town offers, including “a sheep barn with no sheep.” Which raises a good question: Why did we spend $31,980.00 for a sheep barn with no sheep? 

Certainly the barn is of historical interest, but it’s a very small building, doesn’t take a whole lot of time to see—especially given that visitors cannot even enter it because it’s padlocked to prevent teenagers from using it as a party house—and once you’ve seen it, there’s no real reason to go back. Which probably explains why there’s never anyone there when I pass by South Farm.

But really, what a missed opportunity. Why not restore the sheep barn as an actual working barn, with real sheep? Kids love petting zoos. Why not do something similar to the Charlestown Community Garden, where the sheep products benefit the community? The meat could be distributed through local food banks or served at the senior center. Perhaps the Carolina Fiber and Fiction folks would be interested in producing woven products from the sheep wool that could either be sold to help offset the costs of maintenance or be given to those in need. Visiting the farm could be a real educational experience, and a reason to go more than once.

Plus with much of the town zoned for minimum lot sizes of
2 acres, everyone's got their own patch of open space.

Then another commenter continued in a similar vein:

Is there a map somewhere out there for the Richard Trails? As far as I can tell from the road there aren't even any blazes on the trees at the parking lot. I'm not walking anywhere without blazes or a map, that would be irresponsible of me.
As for South Farm I am extremely disappointed that the trails are so short on a property of 80+ acres. Wasted money building a sheep barn with a padlock on the door. The foundation should have been left with a signboard explaining what it was and how it was used. I went to a cleanup that was being held there and it was clear that no one involved in that property knew anything about blazing trails or wildlife habitat. They wanted to mow the field in May for a picnic area! Birds nest in fields in May! No contact was ever made with the AMC folks for help in blazing trails. Most of the trails are 8 feet wide which would allow anyone with an ATV or dirtbike to ride through and rip it up! There are plenty of free resources that could (and still can) be used and weren't. Disappointing!

The Conservation Commission has expressed similar concerns about maintenance of our current inventory of open space and the danger of spending all our open space money acquiring open space and having no money left to maintain it. In response to these concerns, Planning Commission Chair Ruth Platner stated at the commission’s December 28 meeting that in her opinion, the town should be using grant money rather than bond money for trails and that the town has not been taking full advantage of grant opportunities. But regardless of who pays for it or how, there should at the very least be maps and the existing trails should be marked. Otherwise, anyone attempting to use them risks getting themselves lost. And if the trails aren’t meant to be hiked, of what earthly use are they?

So I went looking on the town web site, but all I could find was links for the South Farm Preserve Trail Map and Schoolhouse Pond Trail Map that no longer work and a notation that the Richard Trails Trail Map was “coming soon.” Which seemed odd seeing as how Platner’s husband, Cliff Vanover, earns a living producing local trail maps.

It appears that other than the beaches and Ninigret Park at festival time, our town recreational facilities are not intended to be used. And if anyone does dare to use them, an abutter will complain about it. Apparently, taxpayers are expected to just keep throwing tax money down a hole buying up land in order to cover it up with plastic sheeting like the furniture in your grandmother’s formal parlor and never touch it. Which begs the question: If people don't even use all of the recreation areas we have, why do we need more?

And now it appears from the flyer Joanne D’Alcomo was sticking under the windshield wipers of vehicles parked at the New Year’s Eve bonfire in Ninigret Park that the YMCA camp will not even be used for passive recreation but will be a nature sanctuary (see image at left). Can you say bait and switch?