The following is an open letter to the Editor of the Rutland Daily Herald:
The Rutland County Audubon Society (“Audubon”) needs to clarify recent misinformation in this newspaper about the proposed BJ’s project.
- Audubon supports development that does not harm the environment and makes responsible use of natural and manmade resources.
- As background, Audubon controls protected wetlands containing an important water source next to the proposed BJ’s that would be built by developer Saxon Partners.
Audubon controls an additional parcel of land that is unprotected from development, but which helps it shield the wetlands and fulfill its responsibility to protect them. Audubon must cooperate with the required Act 250 environmental permit if any developer wants to build there.
Eight years ago, another developer planned to build on the site proposed for BJ’s and requested Audubon’s cooperation to use its unprotected land.
Audubon was advised to cooperate in exchange for a donation of $40,000 for conservation activities because it lacked money for legal resources to fight the development.
Consequently, Audubon cooperated and the developer got his Act 250 Permit—but Audubon never received the promised funding. That development was ultimately abandoned.
The land is now being sold to Saxon Partners to construct a BJ’s with a gas station and 60,000 gallons of underground storage near Audubon’s wetlands. Audubon never agreed to cooperate with that substantial change, which still must get permission from the District Environmental Commission #1 to proceed.
Audubon tried, in good faith, to satisfy its mission to protect the environment and its legal responsibility to protect the conserved wetlands, while recognizing legitimate need for jobs, tax revenue, and places to shop. Given the material change of the BJ’s project, Audubon has refused to sign a new agreement to cooperate although asked to do so.
Marv Elliott President, Rutland County Audubon Society Rutland Town