Connecticut State Police haven't disclosed- or, according to them, even discussed- price with the owner of the Ruby Road property. An odd oversight, as anyone who has bought or sold things would readily agree.
But beyond a price tag- to be paid for by Connecticut tax payers- does land have value? Is there non-monetary worth to a piece of earth?
The Willington Conservation Commission thinks so, as do the majority of people in the town. The Conservation Commission put together several maps of the town, detailing the location of plants and animals in the National Diversity Data Base, prime farmland soils, wildlife corridors, archeologically sensitive areas, and places of high conservation priority.
The Ruby Road site is located within, or very close to, the majority of these areas.
The Ruby Road site is circled- located within an area of "high resource value".
In addition to Willington's natural resources, it has a rich human history, with the Ruby Road site located in one of the areas of high archaeological importance.
The construction of a sprawling 55,000 square foot complex, with additional land eaten up by gun ranges, control towers, parking spaces, and septic systems not only comes at a price to Connecticut's pocket book- it comes at a devastating price to our history and environment.
