Monday’s report
The report focused on a proposal to build a $150 million, 925-bed prison “campus” in northwestern Vermont, and suggested that the 100-bed Windsor facility could be converted into a transitional work or re-entry center for former inmates, something the Department of Corrections desperately needs. Other possibilities include converting it into a homeless shelter or exploring tourism, historical or recreational options.
Or the property could simply be sold.
Some have bemoaned the closing of the century-old “prison farm,” which began as a dairy operation, but the economics that precipitated the shutdown were inescapable. The state estimated it could save $3.5 million a year by moving inmates out of what was Vermont’s smallest and most costly prison, which at the end had an annual per-inmate cost of some $80,000, compared with the $63,000 state average.
So now the town has what resident John MacGovern has called a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to turn the property — which boasts prime agricultural soil, municipal sewer and a new water system — into a real asset.
And Windsor deserves nothing less — if only to break the longstanding cycle of being treated shabbily by the state.
The “Birthplace of Vermont” and its residents have shouldered a significant burden by hosting a state prison for more than 200 years. The first, on State Street, opened in 1809, closed in 1975, and was at the center of a decade-long legal wrangle between the town and the state over the cleanup of contamination there — a dispute that went all the way to the state Supreme Court. The crux of the dispute: The state balked at taking financial responsibility for the mess it made. The state also owns significant tracts of land in town — including some 800 acres of the prison’s original 900-acre property that was transferred to the state Fish and Wildlife Department in 2016. These properties do offer valuable open-space and recreational opportunities, but they also contribute little to the town’s property tax base.
It will be at least two years before anything is done to the property because the funding would be included in the state’s next capital budget, which begins in July 2019. But while the money may be slow in coming, a decision on the future of the property could be made as soon as the current legislative session ends. It is unclear whether a decision of this magnitude, one that could have a far-reaching effect on the town for decades to come, can be made on that schedule — at least a well-considered one.
Lawmakers need to ensure that Windsor residents have every opportunity to be heard on this issue. As of last week’s deadline, Town Manager Tom Marsh said, a number of specific proposals for the property have been submitted by both residents and developers. They include creating a facility for veterans in need, senior citizen housing with a recreational component tied to the 800-acre wildlife management area, a couple of different agritourism ideas, and a farming collaborative with a food processing and distribution center.
These proposals are now being reviewed by town boards and regional panels. Interested parties, including regional planners, the Springfield Regional Development Corp. and the economic development group Distinctly Windsor, must be given time to consider the options and do their work. This process must be thorough and transparent and not subject to the Legislature’s annual scramble to adjournment.
The needs of the town — not the state this time — must be given priority.