Littleton Conservation Commission Backs Above-Appraisal Bid for 30-Acre Webster Parcel

LITTLETON -- August 22, 2023, Littleton Conservation Commission signals support for above-appraisal offer on 30-acre Webster parcel, targeting fall Town Meeting. Chair Carl Melberg and fellow commissioners told Conservation Agent Amy to approach sellers Lyle and Gretchen Webster about accepting a town offer above the current appraised value of roughly $630,000 to $635,000, a figure the Websters rejected earlier this year, halting a state grant application. The appraisal, paid for by the Littleton Conservation Trust, assumed a 66-unit apartment building on the site; commissioners argued substantial wetland constraints make that scenario unlikely, but said the land's conservation, recreational, and open-space value in an underserved part of town could justify a price approaching $1 million. The fall warrant closes around mid-September, giving the commission only weeks to reach a preliminary agreement. Amy will consult state grant officials about whether funding programs can still participate if the purchase price exceeds the appraisal, with Community Preservation Act bonding identified as an alternative funding path.