The placid woods that line the eastern end of Route 4 near I-84 in Farmington will remain undisturbed thanks to the Farmington Land Trust and a gift from residents Stephen and Liz Kendrick. The Land Trust announced Thursday that the Kendricks have donated a nearly 2-acre woodland property to be preserved as green space. “This donation ensures that the parcel will remain open space in perpetuity, safeguarding wildlife and leaving a legacy of conservation for future generations,” the nonprofit organization said.
“The land’s prime location enhances its significance to the community.” The property is along a stretch of Route 4 well-known for traffic backups, especially on the westbound side during the afternoon rush hour as thousands of motorists leave the highway headed to homes in Farmington, Burlington or Litchfield County. Keeping that section unspoiled is important, said Evan Cowles, vice president of the Land Trust.
“My goal is to keep the gateway rural-looking with open space,” Cowles told The Courant on Thursday. “There’s some development past there going out toward the flood plain, but that’s being built slowly and surely we’d like to keep this section undeveloped.” The land at 8234 Farmington Ave.
is part of a nearly unbroken woodland strip at the northern side of Route 4 that begins near the I-84 interchange and runs beyond Mountain Spring Road. The opposite side of Route 4 has a few patches of trees, but most of the view is the open lawn and fields of the Hillstead Museum. Several years ago, the Kendricks bought their home on Mountain Spring Road along with the adjacent land at 8234 Farmington Ave.
“Prior to the Kendricks acquiring the property in June 2021, the previous owner had listed the lot for sale as an approved building lot with access from scenic Mountain Spring Road,” according to the Land Trust. “Thanks to Stephen and Liz’s generosity, no additional development will occur on this site, now called the Kendrick Parcel, preserving the wooded land forever.” Neither Stephen Kendrick, a retired Unitarian minister, nor Liz Kendrick could be reached Thursday for comment.
They formally donated the property on July 18. “The Farmington Land Trust worked with the Kendricks for several years to make the gift compatible with the Kendricks’ interest in privacy; but they were committed from the start to donating the parcel and persevered with their effort,” the Land Trust said. The property was last appraised at more than $280,000, the Land Trust said.
The town council’s property acquisition committee has other parcels in the area that it would like to acquire for preservation. “If we could get those, it would be wonderful and it would keep the full corridor open,” he said. Cowles, whose family in Farmington dates back to 1645, said keeping a balance between development and open land is important.
“On the Land Trust board we have some members who are old in town, others who are new; it’s really a group effort to maintain open space. I’m not anti-development but the Kendrick parcel is a good part wetland and it would be a scrappy piece to build a house on; it’s much more appropriate as open space than any kind of development,” he said. Farmington has managed to protect a good amount of open space partly because taxpayers have put up sufficient money in advance to allow purchases when a desirable tract goes on the market, he said.
“The town has been incredibly successful in that. Then it goes to the state to get state open space grants that help pay for the acquisition,” he said. “Voters have consistently been supportive of this.
And usually the towns gets back 40 to 60% of what it spent,” he said. As an outright gift, the Kendrick parcel was transferred to the Land Trust, not the town. Cowles said the organization intends to keep the property as is.
“When I come down Farmington Avenue after coming in from the city, I like to wind down as a drive down that hill. It’s very relaxing to pass the Hillstead and see sheep grazing in the fields with woods on both sides of the road,” he said. “It makes me see this is really a beautiful town we live in.
A tremendous amount has to do with the green space.”.
