In Land We Trust

Once the checks had been handed out and the stacks of paperwork signed, members of the Branford Land Trust, the Connecticut Farmland Trust, town officials and property owners celebrated the closing of the property with apple pie a la mode baked by Elizabeth Moore of the CT Farmland Trust. Nearly two years in the coming, a joint effort between the town, two land preservation organizations and brother and sister property owners was realized to keep 34 acres along Queach Road from ever being developed. The pie, said Moore, was symbolic for the deal as the Johnsons used to harvest apples (and peaches) when the farm was fully functional.

Yesterday at noon, Stephanie Page, who was represented by her lawyer, Gregory Sachs, and her brother William Johnson III, who was represented by his attorney Robert Lynch, officially sold the development rights to their open space, which boarders Pisgah Brook and ultimately connects the and Queach Preserves (see map).

The total price of the sale was $1,325,000– the town’s portion was $766,800; the Branford Land Trust paid $50,000 and CT Farmland Trust paid $508,200.

Page, who said after the deal was closed, “I am very excited. We made history today,” will buy out her brother who will keep five acres, which his home currently sits on, and retain the rights to build additional homes for his family.

Page will then be able to use the 34-acre land for agricultural use or agricultural related use but the joint purchase of the easement rights of the property will not allow any residential or commercial development of the property.

BLT’s Bill Horne, who spent many hours of his own time on his own dime, was thrilled today with the transaction. He said he imagines Page, who owns farmland with her husband in North Branford, will continue to harvest hay on Johnson Farm for the family’s North Branford diary farm. Driving over to the property, Horne told Branford Patch, “It’s basically going to stay the way it is.” And the “way it is,” is free from development and open for the natural habitat to flourish.

In addition to the acquisition of the Johnson Farm development rights, Branford outright purchased four acres of land which will connect the Supply Ponds/Queach Preserve with Pisgah Brook watershed. For the first time in history, a trail will span all of Pisgah Brook from Supply Ponds to Saltonstall Mountain.

Pleased with the deal, First Selectman Anthony “Unk” DaRos said, “It was a long haul and these are hard things to get together but we all came together and got it done.” Of the town’s purchase of land to make the connecting trail he added, “At least I won’t be trespassing this time.”

To celebrate the new acquisition and to raise awareness for an additional purchase, BLT will be on Saturday and Sundays through April and the first week of May (the first walk will be April 3 at 2 p.m.) on the Pieper Woodlands and the Johnson Farm.

Horne said the BLT has secured the purchase of the 24-acre Pieper Property from the Pieper family for $350,000.00, significantly less than the fair market value of the property as raw land to be used for development. It lies next to the northwestern edge of the Supply Pond/Queach Preserves. TheBLT needs to raise $75,000 for the purchase and the Foote Family Charitable Trust, Bank of America Trustee or Seedlings Foundation will match the contributions dollar for dollar.

Checks can made out to Branford Land Trust, with Pieper-Johnson Farm on the memo line can be mailed to Branford Land Trust, PO Box 254, Branford, CT 06405.