ROYALSTON – Following the town’s purchase of the former site of Pete & Henry’s Restaurant in 2021, steps are being taken to protect the land through a conservation restriction.

Aaron Nelson, project manager for Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, met with the Selectboard Tuesday night to go over the draft restriction for the South Village site. The eatery burned to the ground in August 2018 and the town subsequently purchased the vacant parcel for $5,000 in September 2021. At just under a fifth of an acre, the property would be the smallest piece of land covered by a conservation restriction in Mount Grace’s portfolio.

Based in Athol, Mount Grace works with area communities to establish conservation restrictions. Over the years, the organization has partnered to conserve hundreds of acres at Gales Brook, Tully Lake, Sunset View Farm, and others. Mount Grace would hold the conservation restriction and therefore have the right to oversee what takes place at the site, but the town still owns the land.

“The intention for this is to be a park, and that’s a little different from most of the conservation restrictions we do on, say, forests or farms,” Nelson said. “So, (the CR) is written pretty broadly to allow for the intended use as a park.”

A number of uses are allowed under the draft restriction, including vegetation management, composting, ecosystem improvement, archaeological investigations, recreational improvements, outdoor recreational and educational activities, and the planting of native vegetation. The removal of non-native, nuisance or invasive species of vegetation or pests is allowed, but Mount Grace must approve the use of any herbicide or pesticide to prevent contamination of the nearby drinking water supply.

A number of prohibitions are also listed in the document. Several structures are prohibited from being built or installed on the property—tennis courts, fences, roads, billboards, septic systems, storage tanks and dams. Motor vehicles would also be prohibited, as would any residential or industrial uses, or uses or activities destructive of the environmental health of the property.

Nelson told the board that because the property was purchased by the town using Community Preservation Act monies, a conservation restriction is required. He said that the town had reached out to Mount Grace to see if it would be interested in holding the restriction, adding that he has worked with Selectboard Chair Deb D’Amico, Lynn Kellner, and the Park Subcommittee of the Royalston South Village Revitalization Committee to develop a budget for improving the parcel.

Nelson said once the state state Division of Conservation Services had completed its review it would be returned for official ratification by the board and Mount Grace.

Board member Rick Martin, referring to restrictions on the type of signs allowed, said, “I need to ask a question about the chicken. Would that be allowed under (the restriction)?”

The chicken referred to is a stone sculpture standing at the convergence of South Royalston Road/Main Street and Blossom Street.

“In the list of permitted structures and recreational improvements,” Nelson replied, “it includes…art installations. I think we would consider the chicken an art installation.”

Asked what would happen if the town violated any conditions of the conservation restriction, Nelson said, “We do have enforcement powers under this. I would say, generally, our strong preference would be to work with the town to resolve the violation. There are paragraphs…regarding recreational improvements and things like that; there are phrases like ‘with prior approval from grantee.’ So, that is basically giving Mount Grace a heads-up and Mount Grace signs off, and that avoids any miscommunication.”

Nelson also said Mount Grace would monitor the property annually, with someone coming out to monitor the site periodically. As to when the approval process is likely to be completed, he said, “I would say, optimistically, three months and, less optimistically, six. But I don’t think it’s going to be a year.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.

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