KINGFIELD – A group dedicated toward creating and protecting an agricultural gateway into town has been making steady progress over the past few months.
In August 2008, a group of concerned residents met with Maine Farmland Trust representatives on some ways to protect 46 acres of hay fields just south of the Kingfield downtown. The land, which falls within the section known locally as the Interval, was recently put up for sale by its owner.
The land in question is bordered by Route 27 and the Carrabassett River. It is privately owned but used by many people in town as a recreation area, a place to run, cross-country ski, snowboard and exercise their dogs. Some residents are concerned that if the property is sold, the opportunity to use that land will vanish.
Learning about the property being put up for sale, resident Stacey Cuppernell signed up for a 90-day option on the property, in order to buy more time. Then she began looking into ways to protect it.
At the August meeting, residents agreed the best plan was to buy the property and create a stewardship to protect it from development. An agricultural easement could then be implemented, ensuring that the land is continued to be used as a hay field.
In the past four months the group, which is now called “Friends of Kingfield Farmland,” has begun setting their plans in motion.
An area resident at the August meeting donated the funds to get an opinion of value from an appraiser on the 46 acres. Friends of Kingfield Farmland wants to have an independently-conducted appraisal of the property, which was originally put on the market for $225,000. Since then the price has been dropped to $199,000.
According to an update issued by Friends of Kingfield Farmland, the owner is open to negotiations on that price. Meanwhile, Maine Farmland Trust is helping the organization set up a special account receive the funds donated by those interested in protecting the gateway.
The group is also interested in making sure the adjacent properties are also protected, to ensure the gateway remains intact. The town owns the 48 acres to the north of the property, thanks to the tax increment financing deal with Poland Spring. According to Friends of Kingfield Farmland, their consultations with the current board of selectmen leads them to believe that the town has no interest in developing that property.
One possibility could be for residents to vote on an article to put an easement on the property, to ensure that it remains an open field.
Another piece of property, this one to the south in New Portland, is owned by a local family. According to the Friends of Kingfield Farmland, they have said that they don’t want to sell the grassland.
The next step, as the group gathers information, is to develop a list of potential funding sources. The group can be contacted at friendsofkingfieldland@gmail.com with ideas and questions.
