Bucks County Preserves 67 Acres Of Stone Meadows Farm

The Bucks County Commissioners and the Stone family have struck an agreement to purchase a conservation easement for part of the Stone Meadows Farm property.

The county will pay $2 million to the Stone family to preserve 67 acres of the 168 acres of land that has been threatened by proposed development. The commissioners unanimously approved the deal at their Wednesday meeting.

The preserved land is near Core Creek Park along Tollgate Road and Fulling Mill Road. The conservation easement will allow for two small plots of land to potentially be the site of two private homes if the Stone family, who would remain in ownership of the land, wish to build there. Otherwise, the conservation easement features no-development language.

The Stone Meadow Farm site, which is the largest privately-owned piece of open space in Middletown Township, has been eyed for development since 2015. Previous proposals have been disliked by the public and led to creation of the Save Stone Meadows Farm group.

As of Wednesday, the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors have not approved any construction plans for the site, but Central Bucks County-based builder Foxlane Homes is working with developer Metropolitan Development Group to move forward plans to build a 55-plus development.

In late 2021, the builder and developer laid out a plan to construct 82 duplexes, a total of 164 units, for those age 55 and older at portion of the farm off Langhorne-Newtown Road (Route 413.) The plan is much smaller than the previous proposal for 121 single-family homes that was denied in late 2019.

The plan calls for keeping about 39 acres of open space within the development zone off Langhorne-Newtown Road. That land will be owned by the homeowners’ association and be restricted from future development, Robert Gundlach Jr., an attorney representing the developer, said last November.

On Wednesday, Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, a Democrat who previously was a Middletown Township supervisor, said preserving at least part of the farm is something she been working on for years.

“Of that farm, 63 percent of it will not have anything built on it,” she said, noting the conservation easement and open space proposal from the developer.

Middletown Township Manager Stephanie Teoli Kuhls and Supervisor Anna Payne, who works for county government, thanked the commissioners for their efforts.

Teoli Kuhls said the conservation easement will be a “cultural, environmental, and historic resource.”

“It will definitely have a significant impact for our residents in the future,” Teoli Kuhls said.

Ellis-Marseglia said she appreciated all the parties, including the Stone family, working together to protect some of the farm.

The commissioner thanked former Middletown Township supervisors Mel Kardos and the late Ray Mongillo for their efforts dating back to the 1990s to preserve the property. Ellis-Marseglia also commended former Commissioner Robert Loughery, a Republican, for putting aside the county funds several years ago for the preservation.

The Stone family has owned the farm for decades. The family is related to famed actors Ezra Stone and Sara Seegar, who dominated stage and screen during their careers during the 20th Century. According to a BucksLocalNews.com article from 2013, actors Debbie Reynolds, Jackie Cooper, and Gary Merrill were among the many celebrities who joined the Stones at celebrations at the farm.

Related:

• County Working To Conserve Part Of Stone Meadows Farm
• Stone Meadows Farm Plan Gets More Feedback From Residents
• Stone Meadows Farm Developer Moves Forward With Proposal
• Developer Has New Plan To Build On 168-Acre Farm
• Supervisors Turn Down Preliminary Subdivision, Land Development For Stone Meadows Farm
• Planners Table Stone Meadow Farm Proposal
• Residents Give Input For Middletown Comprehensive Plan
• Planners Deny Stone Meadows Farm Proposal To Build 123 Homes
• Stone Meadows Farm Subdivision Gets Approval
• Officials Review Latest Plans To Bulldoze Largest Remaining Farm In Middletown
• Group Working To Save Stone Meadows Farm
• Middletown Twp. Tables Stone Farm Development Zoning Request
• More than 120 Homes Planned For Stone Farm, Middletown Could Preserve Portion Of Land
• Housing Development Could Overtake 168-Acre Farm

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