- By Dan Veaner
- News
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Village of Lansing Trustees and Planning Board members met in a joint meeting Monday to discuss a new land steward program. The program is an attempt to identify and manage many small pieces of property the Village owns, and to tie them into the Village Greenway. Carol Klepack, who has taken the lead to make the program a reality, gave a progress report and answered questions from the boards."It's helping the surrounding landowners be aware that this, in fact, is Village property and they are not free to put their shed on it," Klepack explained. "So it's really an educational and oversight effort. The Village has been dedicated to maintaining open space and keeping green space, yet we don't have any mechanism for enforcing that and educating people about it. This is an effort to do that."
Park land conveyed to the Village in 2008
by Colonial Veterinary Hospital
Initially stewards will put up signs identifying the land either as Village property or environmental conservation easements. At the moment the only conservation easement in the Village is on the Bolton Estates property. The steward's role will be to encourage landowners to walk the easement boundaries together to help enforce compliance.
Village property will be surveyed and signs placed marking them as Village property. Some stewards may do landscaping or gardening if appropriate. For example a small triangular park land next to the Colonial Veterinary Hospital may receive plantings.
Stewards will walk the properties periodically to make sure surrounding landowners are aware of the Village properties and not abusing them. Klepack has ordered 500 signs to get the program started, and so far has attracted a half dozen volunteers to be stewards. Planning Board chairman Ned Hickey said that a next step will be to quantify stewards' responsibilities and provide structure to the program.
Carol Klepack (left) and Village clerk Jodi Dake
Klepack was surprised by the joint boards when she was presented with flowers and a cake to honor her work on the Village Planning Board. Klepack recently resigned from the board after three terms totalling 15 years of service. She will continue to work with both boards as leader of the land stewardship program.
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