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Friday, July 4, 2008
 
92 acres of land preserved
Updated: 03/01/2008 09:03 AM
By: Kaitlyn Ross

The birds are singing for the Sweeney family now after 10 years of trying to sell 92 acres of their farm land in a way they thought would benefit the community.


Former land owner Larry Sweeney said, "What could be done to keep it from being developed into just another farm turned housing complex."


After generations of farming the land, the Sweeneys had the permits to sell the land off to a developer but chose to protect it instead.

They brokered a deal with Saratoga's Preserving Land and Nature group to keep the area green.


Saratoga's P.L.A.N Chair Julia Stokes said, "In a fast gowning, urbanizing county, it's important to set land aside for the next 50 years, 100 years."


92 acres of land preserved
The Saratoga Preservation of Land and Nature Group just acquired a huge piece of land in the town of Malta. Our Kaitlyn Ross has more on how it will impact the community.
So over the past 20 months, Saratoga P.L.A.N. and the Sweeneys have done just that, but the partnership didn't come cheap. It cost over $800,000 to seal the deal.


Stokes said, "It was state money, it was country money, it was our money, it was the town's money."

Though ultimately, P.L.A.N. Says they couldn't put a price tag on the land. Stokes said, "It met every single piece of criterion we every had. It's just gorgeous, a perfect piece of property."


And with all the property has to offer, it's also less than a mile from Luther Forest Technology Park- and those developing the park have also gotten involved in the project.


Stokes said, "They want trails, they want bike paths, they want places they can hike, they've even asked us to take them on bike rides."


And they did. Bike rides they hope the public can soon join in on as well.


Sweeney said, "We're going to have a public park in our front yard, I think we're going to use it more than anyone!"


Until the park is open to the public, the Sweeneys will continue to maintain the land.





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