COTUIT – The land around Lowell Park in Cotuit will be protected from any future development after the Barnstable Land Trust completed a $1.8 million purchase of the nearby 19 forested acres earlier this month.
Nine homes could have eventually been built on the land, including a portion of the home ballpark of the Cape League’s Cotuit Kettleers.
Lowell Park has been the home of the Kettleers since the 1940s.
Over 1,600 donations were received from residents, businesses, and foundations. The Cotuit Fire Department and the Town of Barnstable also contributed to the fundraising effort.
“We did just about everything possible to raise the money,” said Barnstable Land Trust Executive Director Jaci Barton. “The community of Cotuit as well as the entire town of Barnstable really got involved in this project.”
“The sheer number of donations show how much people care about this environmental, cultural, and community treasure,” the Land Trust said in a release.
The Town of Barnstable has agreed to purchase three of the acres from the Land Trust, using funds from the community preservation act and the general fund.
Supporters were also seeking to protect water quality in the area. Barton said that had homes been built, the new lawns and septic systems would have had a negative impact on the Cotuit drinking water supply, Cotuit Bay, and the 3-bay estuary ecosystem.
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