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Final Reiff Farm Settlement

The final settlement with the Cutler Group concerning the Reiff Farm was passed by the East Vincent Supervisors on November 5.

As part of this settlement agreement, purchase of 37 acres for a township park was approved by the East Vincent Supervisors on December 10.

This final settlement agreement for the Reiff Farm is a wonderful end to nearly 6 years of hearings, appeals, and settlement plans. The final agreement calls for a maximum of 8 homes on the tract, including two original farm houses. There will be a public equestrian trail around and through the property and there will be a 37 acre township park on the northeast corner. The township has received $1,225,000 in state and county grants to purchase the park and will use money from the Open Space Bond Act to make up the remaining $187,000. Seven TDR's are also donated to the township by the developer at a worth of $140,000. This development was the first to use the Open Space Design Option in our new Zoning Ordinance and there were many issues that needed to be worked through. So many people worked together to learn about these issues and to educate others about the problems this development had.

• 3 first order streams of the exceptional value French Creek running thru it.
• Wetlands in a floodplain where the main access road was to go.
• Stormwater issues threatening to worsen bad flooding already along the roads.
• Loss of agricultural lands in an area zoned Agricultural Preservation.
• Public water and sewer in an area zoned not to have them.
• Heavy traffic threatening the local rural roads and an historical one lane bridge

There was a strong sense that we could legally fight this development that did not fit our zoning and which was infringing on our rights and that we, as residents, did have rights! We worked hard, we persevered, and the courts upheld our opinion against the powerful developer. We were told it couldn’t be done but we did it. We were told it would be expensive and we felt the expense was justified and worth it.This was truly a landmark decision and shows what a group of citizens working together for an ideal can accomplish. Thank you all.

GreenValleys Association and French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust were of great help to this endeavor. Read GVA's comment on this settlement.

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Last Updated 11/01/2011