Sep. 7—MANCHESTER — The Board of Directors voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve the purchase of a 27-acre open space parcel at 705 Keeney St. near the Glastonbury town line for $216,000.

The parcel borders a 268-acre open space area in Glastonbury that was owned by the Metropolitan District Commission. It also aligns with a number of Manchester neighborhoods, including those along Gerald Drive, West Gerald Drive, and Shallowbrook Lane and borders 358 South Main St., a 327-acre open space area the town of Manchester already owns.

Mayor Jay Moran said today that the town is expected to complete the purchase of the property in the near future.

On Tuesday, Moran said that after the purchase the lot would be referred to the Open Space Committee for consideration, with the possibility of connecting trails within the lot.

The MDC in Hartford owns the Keeney Street parcel and offered to sell it to the town last year.

In October 2021, the Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously endorsed the purchase after a referral to the PZC from the Land Acquisition and Historic Property Investment Committee in September 2021.

Town staff and commission members had proposed connections between the Keeney Street parcel and nearby recreational land, including the Nike site north of the property and the open space to the south in Glastonbury.

Before recommending the purchase, members of the Land Acquisition Committee said they believe the property is an appropriate candidate for acquisition because of the size of the parcel and the opportunity to connect open space in Manchester to open space in Glastonbury.

The commission also said the open space could provide an alternative pedestrian and bicycle route to Keeney Street, if connections are made from the Nike site to Hercules Drive as proposed in the town's Parks, Recreation and Facilities Master Plan.

In other business Tuesday, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to remove items from the agenda related to the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Some directors expressed a desire to spend more time discussing the proposed spending projects, totaling roughly $6.7 million across 17 line items, before voting on them.

Some of the projects include spending for passive recreation, such as $300,000 for land acquisitions to increase trail accessibility and $200,000 for enhanced walking bridges, signage, and trailheads.

Two other recreation projects would go to Charter Oak Park: a $350,000 project would be used for a skate park and $75,000 would go towards expanding a handball court.

Other projects involved supporting local businesses with grants and loans.

The largest proposal would allocate $1 million for the establishment of a Manchester business investment fund.

Other items would put money into housing and shelter, water and sewer upgrades, and other municipal improvements.

Joseph covers East Hartford and South Windsor. He joined the JI in July 2021. Joseph graduated from the University of Connecticut and he is an avid guitarist and coffee enthusiast.