Poconos Group Pushes to Save Historic Farm From Development

Whether or not the township of Milford or Santos Farm existed in the region first is unclear.

"It sounds like yeah, the farm had a good head start," said Liam Hutchison, owner of BetterWorld, a sustainable market and cafe in Milford borough.

Hutchison is part of a group of Pike County residents who formed a nonprofit to save the historic farm between Milford and Matamoras on Routes 6 and 209. They're hoping to raise $2 million to purchase the contract for the property and save it from development.

“It needs to be preserved, protected," said Bill Kiger, a member of the group. "It works for our town and it works for the program that these people have in mind, which is sustainable living and that's part of our history."

Kiger said commercial development is a pressure everywhere.

"Milford does not have any land space within its boundary. But they've got Santos farm, so it's very vulnerable," he said.

The Delaware River borders the 28-acre farm. It’s owned by Julio Santos who, now in his 80s, has run the farm with his family for many years. While he still sells hay and straw off the land, it was once a full-scale dairy farm.

The farm was on the market for 18 years. Pike County bought some of the property and is developing an 88-acre riverfront park. The group hopes to be able to raise $2 million to purchase the rest from a developer who currently holds the contract.

"We'd seen a sale pending sign on the farm for so many years. And it was always an element of it just being a pipe dream, until they presented us with the option of being able to buy the contract back from them," said Hutchison.

The current developer is Legend Properties, based in the Philadelphia area. The land is listed on LoopNet. Plans on the website include a convenient store, fast food restaurant, office building, retail space and a coffee shop. The group who wants to save the farm said the developer is also planning to build condos on the property.

The idea to save the farm has been talked about over coffee and in small groups in Milford for the past year. Within the last six weeks the group has raised $182,000.

"It's looking really optimistic that we're going to be able to pull this off," said Hutchison.

Source: wvia.org

Photo Credit: gettyimages-frankvandenbergh