IPSWICH — If you want a theme for this fall's Special Town Meeting, you'd do worse than the first line of the song that was said to be Franklin Delano Roosevelt's favorite. "Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above."
From preserving open space to designating scenic byways to zoning changes, voters will consider a host of proposals that could, in at least one case, dramatically shape the eastern face of the town for years to come.
Articles 7 and 8 on the 16-item warrant both address the possibility of purchasing permanent conservation restrictions on a portion of land known as Maplecroft Farm belonging to the Raymond family.
Prominently situated on Essex Road, Route 133, the land is a highly visible symbol of the town's rural character. For years, it has also contained playing fields for youth sports.
The town's maximum $2.2 million share of the $5.1 million purchase price would come from the Open Space Bond Fund. The rest would come from various state agencies and from a private fundraiser led by the Essex County Greenbelt Association.
The 250 acres under consideration would boost the amount of land protected through the open space program by 50 percent.
The conservation restrictions would take the property off the tax rolls, a decrease in revenue of $15,000 annually, which would increase the average homeowner's property tax bill by $2.87. Financing the bond for the restrictions would cost the average taxpayer about $30 a year over the 20-year term of the bond.
The town is not a party to the negotiations to purchase the land. That is being handled by the Trust For Public Land, a national nonprofit organization that works to protect land as parks and open space.
The Conservation Commission and the state Department of Agricultural Resources would share oversight of the property once the restrictions were in place.
Conservation Commission Chairman David Standley said the property has "many, if not all, of the values we've been concerned about protecting all along."
He also noted interest in 107 acres of land adjacent to the west side of Maplecroft Farm, and another 40 at the east end.
"I believe failure to protect Maplecroft Farm would put those properties at risk," he said.
Farms are also the subject of Article 10, which would designate the town as a place where agriculture is practiced. The Right to Farm Bylaw would recognize the right of farmers to carry out any and all chores associated with their activities, with all their associated noises, smells or dust.
Rowley, Topsfield and Boxford have adopted similar bylaws, along with 93 other communities statewide.
At its core, Article 5 is also a land issue. It asks the School Committee do everything in its power to modify the Feoffees of the Grammar School trust fund, including filing suit in probate court.
The Feoffees pre-empted that action by filing suit first, asking for the right to sell the land, either by individual lot sales or as an entirety.
Finance Committee members have been urging the School Committee to take a more aggressive approach to the long-simmering dispute.
A section of Article 2 provides up to $100,000 to cover legal fees, but school officials say they don't need the money.
The School Committee will vote on whether to support the article just before the meeting begins.
Yet another land-related proposal is Article 15. It would add the property formerly occupied by Melanson's Boat Yard to the Open Space Parcels list. The fire that destroyed the building in August left a spot of open land right on the river that would be suitable for a little park and provide a place for small boats to tie up, Standley said.
This article would make the purchase of the land at some future date possible.
Special Town Meeting convenes at 7:30 tonight in the Performing Arts Center, 134 High St.
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