McDonald’s offers to donate parcel of land to Springfield

McDonald’s USA LLC wants to give the town of Springfield a 1.48 acre plot of land north of the restaurant.

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Photo by Len Emery Parcel of land offered to Springfield by McDonald’s. Published January 29, 2016 in the Rutland Herald McDonald’s offers to donate parcel of land to Springfield By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — McDonald’s USA LLC wants to give the town of Springfield a 1.48 acre plot of land north of the restaurant. Town Manager Tom Yennerell said he was contacted earlier this month by McDonald’s corporate headquarters about the potential land gift. Yennerell said the small parcel, which is overgrown with brush, is triangular, with borders on the Black River and River Street. He called it “an interesting proposition.” Officials at the local restaurant, which is leased from McDonald’s USA, said Tuesday they had no knowledge of the potential gift. And a spokesman with McDonald’s New England region didn’t return a call for comment. Yennerell outlined what he knew about the plan for the Springfield Select Board Monday night. Yennerell said the land used to be the site of the old Springfield Ice House, and that there were two old foundations in the overgrown lot. He said he doubted there had been any manufacturing done at the site, because of the ice house. Springfield is coping with a variety of brownfields or manufacturing areas contaminated with toxic chemicals from the machine tool industry. While the Select Board seemed interested in the idea, members expressed concern about the condition of the parcel and whether there was any contamination on the lot. McDonald’s has offered to grant access to the parcel via its parking lot, Yennerell said, since it would not be likely that the Vermont Agency of Transportation would grant the town a curb cut on the busy road for such a small piece of land. On the river side, he said, the land had a “pretty high steep bank,” making access “not ideal.” Selectman George McNaughton asked whether the parcel was used by McDonald’s during its recent Act 250 application, when the company tore down its old restaurant and built a new one in its place, with slight alterations. And McNaughton questioned whether the state’s 50-foot corridor buffer zone along the river would preclude any use of the parcel and any recreational use the town might have. Yennerell said the parcel only represented an $806 per year tax loss if it ended up in the town’s hands. “I’m interested in finding out more information,” said Selectwoman Stephanie Thompson, who pointed out there was a river access point on the other side of the river used by school groups. Selectboard mulls McDonalds land offer By Allan Stein allans@eagletimes.com SPRINGFIELD — Springfield's Golden Arches is proposing what town officials are hoping could end up being a golden real estate opportunity for the town. McDonald's has offered to donate a 1.4-acre parcel of land it owns adjacent to the restaurant building at 1 Chester Road near the Black River. On Monday, selectboard members discussed the offer, but took no action on it. Town Manager Tom Yennerell said the town would lose $806 in annual taxes paid by McDonald's if the town agrees to accept the donation. The upside is the potential use of the land for river access, he said. "Who knows what else we could do with it in the future," said Yennerell. Selectboard member George McNaughton, however, said his concern is that the land parcel includes a protected 50-foot debris buffer zone under the Vermont land use law known as Act 250. The law was passed by the Vermont legislature in 1970 to mitigate the effects of development through an application process that addresses the need to protect natural resources. McNaughton said the town's acceptance of the land offer "might make sense" if the law will allow for the development of riverline access. "It might make sense to do it if the state won't get in our way, and they have a good tendency to get in our way. It's not something I am doing somersaults over," he said. Selectboard member Stephanie Thompson said the land could still provide recreational opportunities, such as fishing with or without direct access to the river.