Bean Farm forum draws crowd

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

NORTHAMPTON - If the more than 300 residents who turned out for a community meeting about the city's potential purchase of the Bean Family Farm is any indication of how many will attend three future public forums, organizers may want to consider a larger venue.

The meeting, organized by members of the city's agricultural, recreation and conservation commissions, provided residents with a step-by-step analysis of the negotiation process so far, the stance of each individual commission, and some of the options that exist for the land's ultimate use.

According to Planning Director Wayne Feiden, the city has reached an agreement with the Bean family to purchase 47 acres of farmland, on both sides of Spring Street and about a quarter-mile north of Meadow Street, for $910,000. The Bean family, Feiden said, hopes to know the city's decision on the purchase by February, before considering an alternative option of developing a row of homes on the property.

If purchased, Feiden explained, the land could provide the city with much-needed space for a multi-purpose sports complex, quality community farmland, or a combination of both.

In opening remarks, Conservation Commission Chairman Kevin Lake said that although the final decision will be up to the City Council, the meetings organized by the three commissions are meant to be as constructive as possible, and residents should not let arguments over the use of the land spoil a great opportunity for the city.

"When (commission members) first met, we agreed to recognize that earnest and responsible people of equal goodwill and heartfelt commitment to the city can hold different views on this decision and that there are no bad guys and there are no wrong perspectives," he said. "In fact this is a nice problem to have, and we may be able to acquire some terrific land and put it to some good use."

Although all three commissions agreed that the land should be purchased and preserved as open space, before soliciting public comment, each had a chance to express hopes for its future use. Not surprisingly, the agricultural commission thought the land should be preserved for farming, the conservation commission as open space, and the recreation commission preferred the development of a sports complex.

Following the presentations, residents were asked to generate questions that commission members will answer at three future public forums. Questions produced included whether the land is on a floodplain, the potential environmental impact sports fields would have on the land, how the land would be managed, where parking would be located, and whether guidelines would exist for chemicals used to treat sports fields if located near farmland.

Among residents speaking in favor of the land's recreational use was John Stifler, of the Northampton Youth Soccer Association, who stressed the importance of using local sports as a way to teach children a host of necessary life lessons.

"It's well-established that youth athletics benefit kids by teaching them the self-respect, independence, dignity and leadership, but what is not often established is that all of these qualities are born on the practice field," Stifler said. "For our children, all these lessons are learned by being with each other on the practice field, and right now the problem is that there aren't any fields to practice on."

Steve Striver, of Park Avenue, took the time to research past deeds on the property and found records dating back to 1849, when the land was sold from the Northampton Association of Education to Able Ross. He said he hopes the land can be preserved because of its historical importance to future generations.

"I think that since the election we have become a more open-process community," he said, "and we should trust ourselves to do that process because this land is too important to let go."

More information about the potential purchase, as well as slides of the presentation made available at the meeting, is available from the city's Web site, http://www.northamptonma.gov.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com