Mill Pond Conservation Area in 2019 by Greg Stone
Westport Land Conservation Trust is thankful for willing landowners in our community that protect land and habitat for wildlife and preserve open space for passive recreation! The protection and opening of Mill Pond Conservation Area located at 62 Reed Road is a perfect example of this process. Protected in 2007, Mill Pond was was the generous gift of Westport resident Ms. Dorothy Sang. We reflected on the creation of Mill Pond with Dorothy last week.
1) Why did you work with Westport Land Conservation Trust? How did Mill Pond happen?
“I owned a property on Cadman’s Neck that we’d bought in the late 1970’s and it had appreciated significantly. When it came to me I did not want to pay capital gains tax. I knew about the land trust and I also knew that they were interested in the Bill Gifford property (Mill Pond). Se we worked out a kind of exchange in which I offset my tax burden by purchasing the property (Mill Pond) and donating it the land trust. It was a win-win!”
2) What is special to you about Mill Pond?
“I love the raspberries and the vegetable gardens and the fruit trees that the land trust and volunteers planted. Plus there’s the old pond in the back over the hill and the remains of the dam. “
3) How did you first end up in Westport?
“Because I use to drive through it on my way from beaches in Rhode Island. It was full of farms then. And I use to stop and most all of them had a box. They were honor system farm stands where you could go and get what you needed and leave the money in the box. It just seemed wonderful to me. All these independent farm stands.”