Town receives word on grant to purchase Schenk farm
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs awarded Westminster a $186,000 self-help grant, which will allow for reimbursement if voters approve the purchase of the Schenk Farm.

Voters at the upcoming town meeting will be asked to approve $313,750 for the purchase of the 61.4-acre parcel of forestry land. If voters approve the purchase, then the grant, which was awarded on Nov. 1, will be used to reimburse the town 62 percent of the cost.

"This will be conservation land," said Marie Auger, a member of the Planning Board. "It's going to be managed by the Conservation Commission."

The town's final share of the cost of the property will be $125,000 because parts of the appraisal costs were covered by an outside organization, Auger said.

This money will go directly towards the acquisition of this land, which is part of a larger project to protect the 108-acre farm.

"With the high rate of growth Westminster is experiencing, this grant will help the town retain its agricultural heritage," Rep. Lewis Evangelidis said in a press release. "I would like to applaud the many folks who made this happen."

The Self-Help program was established in 1961 to assist municipal conservation commissions acquiring land for natural resource and passive outdoor recreation purposes. Forests, wetlands, farms, rare species habitat, and the headwaters of a watershed, according to the press release.

The Schenk Farm is bisected by the Mid-State Trai.

Town officials have been discussing purchasing the 61.4 acres of land at the same time they have been discussing purchasing an agricultural restriction on 47 acres of abutting land, which has recently been purchased by Andy Hurtel. The third lot in the immediate area is a three-acre lot, also purchased by Hurtel.

Voters at town meeting are going to be asked to appropriate $60,000 as the town's share for the agricultural restriction for that parcel. The total cost of the restriction, which would prevent any use of the land other than farming, is $240,000, according to Auger.