Residents form Friends of Brown Farm to preserve recreation area
Date: 11/12/2012
By Chris Maza
chrism@thereminder.comEAST LONGMEADOW — Residents interested in developing the town-owned Brown Farm property are moving forward under a the banner of a new organization — the Friends of the Brown Farm.
Heather Cunningham, who approached the Board of Selectmen in October regarding the property and its potential as a venue for active and passive recreation, joined Christine Callahan, who currently lives in the former Brown Farm house for another meeting with the selectmen to further discuss their plans.
The land was originally purchased by the town with Community Preservation Act funding for the purpose of preserving open space.
"Heather and I have [brainstormed] ideas and have decided that what we need to do is start an organization called The Friends of the Brown Farm," Callahan said. "We decided that we have a mission to provide sustainable passive recreation on the site of the historic 200-year-old farm for the citizens of East Longmeadow. We want to provide an agrarian or a farm and a woodland education resource for the children of East Longmeadow and hopefully provide an equestrian venue."
Callahan went on to explain that the hope was to complete portions of the project in three separate phases. The first phase would be to create a trailhead "to establish the public use of the trails."
Cunningham said that she has been on site and has traversed some of the trails on the property, stating that they are in good condition, but the information regarding the trails available online is mismarked.
Callahan, who said she and her husband were heavily involved in the Boy Scouts, proposed that GPS mapping and marking of the trails could be performed as an Eagle Scout project and the board agreed.
Phase two would consist of the agrarian aspects of the project, which may include participation by the East Longmeadow Garden Club as well as the introduction of 4-H to East Longmeadow.
"There is tremendous interest in using [the property] as an agricultural training center," Cunningham said.
Phase three would involve the establishment of an equestrian center, something that would require stables and other resources that currently exist on the site.
An additional $30,000 was allocated at a 2011 Town Meeting for the demolition of the stables on the property, however, Cunningham said her research has shown that demolition would not be necessary.
"I spoke to [Building Inspector] Dan Hellyer and he basically told me that the buildings did not need to be demolished, that they could be rebuilt," she said.
Board of Selectman Chair James Driscoll said the town was looking into whether or not the money allocated for demolition could be legally used for restoration efforts instead.
Callahan added that the stables do need work, but great potential exists.
"We feel that an equestrian venue would really enhance the financial viability of the property because that would bring in funds that otherwise would not be available," she said.
Driscoll praised the ideas and the project as a whole.
"It's a minimal impact on the neighbors and a great economic impact for the town because people travel all over [for passive and active recreation opportunities]," he said. "People will come here, they'll use it, they'll go to restaurants in town after, they'll go shopping here. I think it's a great concept."
