York Town News
Jellison, local officials: land donation is win-win for York
By Jennifer L. Saunders
YORK - Last week, the official word was announced that local resident and real estate developer Duane Jellison had decided to donate approximately 17.5 acres of undeveloped land to the town.Following that announcement, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously on Dec. 11 to accept the donation and to place it on the ballot in May for voter approval.
Later in the week, Jellison spoke of his donation to give the land to the town.
The parcel in question is located to the rear of Jellison's development, The Ridge, located on Ridge Road and abutting the York High School property. Several years ago, Jellison said last Thursday, he began considering donating the land to the town and the York School Department for future use or to be kept as open space.
Portions of the land, both Jellison and the selectmen have readily acknowledged, are wetlands and would not be developed. In fact, the selectmen are considering those portions as potentially useful as the town addresses wetlands, flooding and drainage issues.
"The real good part of the land abuts their existing ball fields," Jellison said of the proximity of the acreage to the York High School campus.
That fact, he said, prompted him to consider that the acres might be a nice piece of property for the School Department.
"It would allow them a lot of flexibility for their athletic fields and for some expansion that, as the days grow long, they may need," he said last week. "It seemed to be the best scenario for everybody."
Jellison said he spoke to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Henry Scipione and Assistant to the Superintendent Jim Amoroso and, based on the interest of the School Department, approached the town with his plan, including details included in engineering studies of the property itself.
"It does tie into the Town Farm property," Jellison said of the location, adding that has the potential of making this an important parcel for the town.
With 35 years as a company - and after raising his family in York and seeing his grandchildren now growing up here - Jellison said his reason for gifting the land is simple.
"We're really happy to be able to do it. We think that it's a big win-win … We just think it's the right thing to do."
Scipione said the donation is very positive from the School Department's standpoint.
"I think it's a win-win," he said. "It clearly has the potential to benefit the town, and because it abuts the school, it has the potential as well to provide even more buffer there."
He said there could, potentially, be opportunities for the expansion of athletic fields as well as buffering the town and school property from future development.
"I can't see that there's a downside," he said. "We certainly appreciate the fact that it will present the opportunity to create a buffer."
The announcement of Jellison's donation dovetailed with ongoing discussions at the Board of Selectmen level regarding the possible sale of certain town-owned lands to offset municipal building needs. The board is considering the possibility, for example, of selling two or three house lots from a portion of the Town Farm property along Long Sands and Ferncroft roads at market value. The area in question totals about 2.5 acres and is adjacent to an existing neighborhood.
The selectmen will hold a public hearing on the proposal at their next regular meeting, scheduled for Jan. 8, to gather input from local residents on the proposal.
If the selectmen do go forward with such a plan, the majority of the Town Farm would remain intact, with access to the Jellison parcel and the school property beyond, Selectmen Chairman David Marshall noted at last week's Board of Selectmen meeting.
Jellison noted that while the land he is donating does abut the Town Farm property, his decision to give the land is completely separate from the ongoing discussions about that parcel.
As he put it, "This is our community. My grandchildren are here, and my children. We wanted to do something for the community."
