| NOVEMBER 15, 2012 -- The Canton Land Conservation Trust is hoping to get space in a building that the Cherry Brook Grange has offered to the town as it prepares to disband.
The Grange's offer to the town came last month. Town officials have not made a decision but an issue for them is finding a good use for the building. The cost of maintaining the property is also a concern. When the board of selectmen met on Wednesday, land trust President Barry Deutsch said his organization is eager to get space in the Grange Hall and would help with maintenance.
While the Cherry Brook Grange is disbanding due to declining membership, the land trust is growing and Deutsch said it needs a place to store its records and hold meetings. The trust has no permanent home and this means important records are kept at members' homes and finding meeting space can be a challenge, Deutsch said.
"We have grown tremendously in the past five years and if we are to go in the direction we would like to go having our own space is important," Deutsch told the selectmen. "Using the grange hall would be ideal because it presents an opportunity to upgrade our governance."
Deutsch said donated space is key because the land trust does not have the money to rent or buy a place of its own.
No decision was made but selectmen said they are open to the trust's proposal. First Selectman Richard Barlow said one thing he likes is that the trust would take over responsibility for maintaining the hall, which is at 534 Cherry Brook Road.
"I think it's a great relationship and this is something we should pursue," selectman Stephen Roberto said.
The Cherry Brook Grange is disbanding after nearly 70 years and a condition of its offer to the town is that the hall continue to be used for some sort of community purpose.
In September, the land trust celebrated its 40th anniversary and Deutsch told the selectmen on Wednesday that it now owns more than 2,000 acres, including a recent gift of 21 acres. Its holdings are spread out among 55 preserves in town and have a total of 16 walking trails.
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