COURTESY OF UPPER CAPE REGIONAL TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL
BOURNE – With plans to construct a new classroom at the 14-acre Labretto Property spiked, officials at Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School are still seeking control of the town-owned property.
Upper Cape had originally been planning to use the property, situated just behind the Gallo Ice Arena along the Cape Cod Canal, to house a new veterinary technician program. However, concerns raised by the Bourne Conservation Commission surrounding construction on the land brought those plans to a halt.
Nolan Leroy, a Technology Teacher at Upper Cape, announced the school’s decision to not pursue construction of a classroom building in an early-March Board of Selectmen’s meeting.
Overseeing the construction division of the school, Leroy supervises teachers and programs related to carpentry, plumbing, electrical work and environmental technology.
While Upper Cape has ceased any activity related to construction on the piece of land, the school wants control of it. In this scenario, the town would own the property while Upper Cape would be in control of maintenance and upkeep of it.
“The idea that we could just transfer this property, even if it is a good idea, is very difficult. This has about as much protection as land can have,” said Conservation Agent Sam Haines.
The property is protected under state law, Chapter 48C, which states that approval from the conservation commission and selectmen, an affirmative vote by residents at Town Meeting, and a two-thirds vote in the state legislature to transfer control.
”You’d also have to have no net loss, which means either the town or the school would have to acquire 14 additional acres of equal ecological value to offset the loss,” Haines added.
Under Chapter 48C, the property would also be permitted to remain as an open space and passive recreation, such as nature trails.
By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center
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