Property located off Jacobstown-Arneytown and Paulson roads in North Hanover may become a part of the state’s farmland preservation program.
By: William Wichert
NORTH HANOVER After being threatened with residential development, a 300-acre farm has been given a third chance to become part of the state’s farmland preservation program.
Toll Brothers Inc. announced recently that it was no longer interested in building 600 age-restricted houses on the property located off Jacobstown-Arneytown and Paulson roads, said Chris Gaffney, a representative for the Pennsylvania-based developer.
"We dropped out of the deal," said Mr. Gaffney. "We did all our due diligence studies and decided not to move forward."
Mr. Gaffney could not name any particular aspect of the studies that ended the deal, but said the company would no longer purchase the property from its current owner, Joseph Russell Jr.
Mr. Russell, who was approached by officials from the State Agricultural Development Committee last fall about possibly selling the land to the state, resumed talks with the officials a few weeks ago, said Hope Gruzlovic, a spokeswoman for the committee. Mr. Russell could not be reached for comment.
"We expressed interest back in the fall and, in the last few weeks, negotiations have been running ahead," said Ms. Gruzlovic, who could not estimate when a deal may be reached.
The development committee hopes to purchase the land through the fee-simple method, she said. In this way, the state would buy the property from Mr. Russell, restrict the deed for agricultural use, and then sell it at a public auction.
"It can make farmland available at more affordable prices for beginning farmers and those interested in expanding their operations," Ms. Gruzlovic said. "They have to maintain the land for agricultural purposes."
Loretta O’Donnell, a spokeswoman for the county, said the state already asked the county to share some of the cost of purchasing the farm, but no decision has been made.
"The state has verbally indicated that it may seek county assistance, but our (farm preservation) program has not received anything in writing, anything official," said Ms. O’Donnell.
The current negotiations may be the second set of talks with Mr. Russell, but they represent the third time in more than a year that the state has worked with the farm’s owner to enroll the land into the preservation program.
In the spring of last year, state officials discussed the possible sale with representatives of Alpharma Inc., an international pharmaceutical company that owned the property at the time, Ms. Gruzlovic said.
When Alpharma wanted to finalize a purchase agreement in a matter of days, state officials said they needed more time, but the pharmaceutical company quickly sold the land to Mr. Russell, she said.
Former North Hanover Mayor John Kocubinski, who acted as a liaison between the state agricultural committee and Alpharma, said he is pleased to see Toll Brothers drop its plans, but said he hopes the preservation effort does not fail again.
"Our objective has and continues to be preservation. Housing in that area would be detrimental to the vision we had," said Mr. Kocubinski. "If you believe in this, preservation as an initiative, you need to step up to the plate. It boils down to what you believe in."
Mr. Kocubinski said the site and the other three properties in that vicinity need to be preserved for both their beautiful vista and the quality of the soil there.
"It’s probably some of the best soil in Burlington County," he said.
If the State Agricultural Development Committee is successful, the property would become the third farm in North Hanover to be included in the preservation program within the last six years, Ms. Gruzlovic said.
In 1998, the state auctioned off the 77-acre Smylie-Gottlieb farm. The state was scheduled to auction off the 225 acres of the Limm Farm in January 2003, but the auction has been delayed because of a dispute with the adjacent homeowner, she said.
Ms. Gruzlovic said the state has preserved a total of 49 farms and 8,265 acres.