A land sale preserving meadows, forest and farmland, and trickling streams is final.

Newtown Forest Association (NFA) members on May 17 closed on a deal sparing more than 29 undeveloped acres of the former Cherry Grove Farm. The private land trust's most recent acquisition will offer public access to the former farm.

"We are looking forward to people being able to get to enjoy the preserve and could not be more excited," said NFA Vice President Bart Smith.

Purchasing 17 acres to add to its land ownership, the NFA's acquisition will be coupled with about 13 acres of what would otherwise be town-owned open space, per subdivision regulations. In March, the Planning and Zoning Commission (Pandamp;Z) members agreed that the town will allow the NFA to own the open space land, resulting in the preservation of nearly 30 acres.

An agreement with the farm's owner, Greg Carnrick, a Sandy Hook builder and owner of GRC Construction LLC, made the sale possible.

Financial donations from 400-plus individuals and organizations as of late last year and into early 2018 made the $600,000 sale possible.

"Historically, almost all properties have been donated to us; this is one of very few properties that we have actually purchased," Mr Smith said. According to its website newtownforestassociation.org, "The Newtown Forest Association is a nonprofit organization that protects more than 1,100 acres of open space, forest, farmland, wildlife, nature preserves, and watersheds in Newtown to be preserved for future generations."

"This [purchase] was important - people in town thought it was important," Mr Smith said. "We had considered trying to preserve it, and there was an incredible amount of enthusiasm to preserve it." The property, with its barns and large Cherry Grove sign, is a familiar sight. "So many people know about it, and it really contributes to the rural character of town. Because it is so well known, it was important to preserve."

He said, "So many people know or use or have been involved with [the farm] over the years that everyone has a Cherry Grove story." The farm's nostalgia and popularity "created a ground swell over this."

Following the closing on May 17, he said, "We are excited about it."

Already, changes have begun. An old one-room schoolhouse on the portion of land bordering Palestine Road has been moved and relocated at a private residence, he said. A stone foundation remains. Mr Smith said a foundation monument will take its place.

Existing trails are being "enhanced and connected" to other adjacent town open spaces and NFA properties, Mr Smith said. Mr Carnrick has been doing a significant amount of work on trails and the parking area, he added.

Properties, when linked with the NFA's Fosdick Preserve, an open space behind Head O' Meadow School, greatly enlarge the passive recreational space available to residents, Mr Carnrick said. "That is huge," for mountain bikers or hikers, he commented. "I would love nothing more" than to see Cherry Grove become a popular location. "It could be a destination because it offers parking and extended hiking," he said.

The farmhouse and barns also were purchased separately and occupy a roughly two-acre parcel.

Regarding the large open meadow that the NFA now owns, Mr Smith said, "We intend to continue to have it cut and hayed."

Easily accessible to the public, the new NFA property - in some places wooded, or hilly and leading across a stream - contains "very little invasives," and will require minor maintenance, said Mr Smith. The land is "mostly a scenic, interesting property to stroll on. Take a 15-minute walk or go two or three miles into other properties."

A volunteer event "where we formally mark some trails in conjunction with a formal opening," is in the future, Mr Smith said.

Also looking ahead to an official opening, Mr Smith said a ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place during the summer. Members are considering the name Cherry Grove Preserve.

Background

In early December, The Newtown Bee reported that the NFA, Newtown's largest private land owner, sought to preserve the iconic location through an agreement with then-owner Mr Carnrick. He had purchased the 45-acre farm parcel on November 1, 2017, and before subdividing the property, he looked for a like-minded historical and environmental preservationist to help keep the majority of the bucolic landscape, fields, and farmland intact.

The NFA quickly began a massive fundraising effort to raise the $600,000 needed to make the purchase, which initially needed to be completed by January 15, but was extended.

On December 16, the NFA hosted an afternoon walk on the property, welcoming guests to a community walk through the property's diverse landscape.

Roughly 40 people joined Mr Smith and other NFA members, including arborist Dan Dalton, who led a hike through Cherry Grove property.

Mr Smith offered a brief history, saying Newtown's Mayer family had owned the farm since 1912. The land has been farmed as far back as the Revolutionary War, however. In addition, the former Beers family farmhouse, which was sold separately, dates back to the Civil War era.

"If we don't preserve this, you may be some of the last people to walk it. It's dire. This is a great property," he had said.

NFA President Robert Eckenrode said, "The [property] owner wants to move forward and wants to develop, so either we preserve it or it is cut into lots.

"There is not a lot of time," he had noted.

Following a March Planning and Zoning Commission (Pandamp;Z) meeting, zoning members unanimously approved a two-lot residential subdivision at Cherry Grove Farm, a rural expanse near the intersection of Platts Hill Road, Beaver Dam Road, Palestine Road, and Hundred Acres Road.

The terms of the subdivision approval by the Pandamp;Z would allow the NFA to proceed with its plans to acquire a large section of the farm from GRC for preservation as open space land for passive forms of recreation. In its approval, the Pandamp;Z agreed to waive several requirements for subdivision applications when considering the simplicity of the application and the large open space area that would be created, Pandamp;Z Chairman Don Mitchell said.