Smith still opposed to land trust deal

WINSTED — Selectman Lisa Smith, who has twice cast a controversial swing vote to help defeat a land conservation plan presented by the Winchester Land Trust, said this week that she expects to vote against the proposal again if it comes back to the Board of Selectmen, even if community members show support for the deal.Smith was the lone Democrat on the board to side with Republicans twice in defeating a plan that would have approved a conservation restriction on 360 acres of land in town and provide roughly $400,000 to the town of Winchester in exchange for the designation.“It’s like disagreeing over your favorite color,” Smith said of her differences with members of her own party. “You say you like red, and I like blue. It’s just the way I feel.”Voting against the plan on Feb. 7 and again on Feb. 22, Smith drew the ire of many Democrats in town for using her “no” vote to kill a plan widely supported by members of the party and opposed by board Republicans on a party-line basis.Smith noted that she has strongly disagreed with Republicans on a range of issues in the past and rejected the accusation that the opposing party influenced her decision. “These are not people I socialize with anyway,” she said.Criticized by many members of the community, Smith’s votes drew an official retort from Winsted citizens, who circulated a petition calling for an override of the most recent vote to reject the land trust plan. Volunteers quickly collected 472 signatures and selectmen were compelled to call a special town meeting for Thursday, April 7, in which voters will be able to discuss the land trust proposal and vote yes or no on bringing it back to the table.But even if that happens, it doesn’t mean the plan will be approved. Smith said she still opposes the proposal.Asked why she still opposes the plan, Smith said she believes the land in question, between Highland Lake and Crystal Lake, is already protected and does not need a conservation restriction. She suggested that somehow the town might be forced to “give the money back” in the future and said she doesn’t like the idea of conserving the land indefinitely because “forever is a long time.”Still, Smith did not close the door on the possibility that she may change her mind. “I remain open to the possibility,” she said.If voters succeed in calling the Winchester Land Trust proposal back to the Board of Selectmen, a presentation will likely be scheduled for the board’s regular meeting on Monday, April 18.