Bucks voters support $87 million for open space

 

By Marion Callahan

 

Bucks County voters overwhelmingly signed off on another round of borrowing to preserve thousands of acres of farmland, save riverfront property from development and buy land for parks, nature preserves and ball fields.

 

The $87 million plan to renew the county's open space program was leading by a 74 percent majority. With 304 of 308 districts reporting, the question was leading 72,286 to 25,358.

 

"The results are an affirmation of the importance of land preservation," said Mike Fitzpatrick, former commissioner and congressman who served as co-chairman of the campaign, Save Bucks County. "Taxpayers get that, citizens value it and future generations will now appreciate it."

 

It's the second time Bucks residents have backed the county's vision, which was unveiled a decade ago and has since saved more than 13,000 acres of land from development.

 

Most of the money from the 1997 $59 million bond was spent on preservation easements, paying private landowners to keep their land in its natural state and to protect more than 100 farms from future development.

 

"I live around here and I'd like to see the farms stay, though I have some reservations about giving private landowners money," said Buckingham resident Tom Boucher at the polls Tuesday. "Basically, I supported it."

 

Farmland preservation will still be a big priority, but a greater share of the funds will go to open space projects that make parks and nature preserves more accessible to the public. Here is how the $87 million will be divided.

 

-$26 million to municipalities to preserve open space.

-$25 million for farmland preservation.

-$18 million for county parks and recreation acquisitions.

-$11 million to preserve natural areas.

-$7 million for accessing the Delaware riverfront.

 

The new plan should allow for a more flexible use of the municipal share of the money.

 

Land-starved boroughs would be able to buy old industrial sites, also known as brownfields, and turn them into small parks, playgrounds or ball fields. Municipalities also will be able to spend money on improving existing properties.

 

Over the last several months, political leaders from both parties fanned out across the county to push the referendum and the added flexibility. No counter campaign emerged, though a few scattered opponents voiced their opinions at the polls Tuesday night.

 

Libertarian Tony Cocchiara of Buckingham said he voted against the open space bond because he feels preservation shouldn't be the government's responsibility.

 

"If people want to preserve open space, they ought to donate it on their own," he said.

 

Charles Dunleavy said he voted to renew the plan to slow development in Central Bucks.

 

"I moved here 13 years ago and the development I've seen in that period is absolutely terrible," he said.

 

His wife, Rita Dunleavy, added: "If we don't do something, our children won't know what it's like to see open farmland."

 

Jim Kuhn of Solebury said he doesn't want to prevent people from moving into his hometown, but his vote was aimed at "preserving what's charming about it in the first place."

 

Fitzpatrick said voters' response reflected strong support for the referendum in all pockets of the county, ranging from farming communities in Upper Bucks to dense boroughs in Lower Bucks.

 

"The question was passing with wild support," said Fitzpatrick. "If the challenge was to prove there is something in it for every region in the county - we've done that."

 

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