Since the fire nearly one year ago, the Friends of Pitney Farm (FOPF) have sought a new and creative approach that allows community use of Pitney Farm, while respecting neighbors’ concerns and meeting Mendham Township’s fiscal needs.
FOPF now propose, The Pitney Farm Park and Homestead. We propose to create and maintain a public park in the 7 acres of designated open space. We will also rehabilitate and restore the oldest surviving section of the farmhouse using approximately one acre at the center of the Pitney property. The remaining portion of the municipally owned area would then be available for residential use at the discretion of the Mendham Township Committee (MTC). Our new approach will:
* preserve a piece of Mendham history,
* provide limited community space, and
* protect and promote the public investment in the open space.
FOPF believes that our new plan is a significant contribution to the “win-win” solution that both MTC and township residents seek.
Pitney Farm Business Plan Documents
Pitney Farm Business Plan (86-Pages)
Appendix: Public Support for Pitney Farm
- On-Line Public Petition on Change.org web site
- Letters to the Editor
- David Bailin describes his “Save Pitney” collection of media documents
- David Bailin’s “Save Pitney” collection of articles, letters to editor and other documents
- Caroline Jacobus, January 13, 2015
- Pitney Farm is a Community Treasure, February 14, 2015
- Robert Jacobus, February 11, 2015
- Web Site Launch, March 30, 2015
- Preserve Pitney Farm for Benefit of Community, Nancy Bailin, April 23, 2015 and No More Residential Development in Mendham, Julie Rubinfeld, April 23, 2015
- Don’t Buy Misstatements About Pitney Farm, Brian Boden, April 30 2015
- Back Plan to Lease Mendham Township Tract, Jane MacNeil, August 13, 2015
- Media Coverage
- In New Jersey, Two Preservation Battles: Historians Hope to Save Pitney Farm, Kate King, Wall Street Journal, Sept 10, 2015
- Pitney Farm Re-zoning Triggers Ire, Christine Lee, Observer Tribune, August 13, 2015
- Pitney Farm Rezoned to Accommodate Potential Housing Development, Alex Parker-Magyar, Observer-Tribune, July 29, 2015
- Mendham Twp Votes to Rezone Ex-Farm Property for Houses but Might Lease It to Preservation Group, Ben Horowitz, NJ.com, July 29, 2015
- Open Space Advocates Win Battle Over Ex-Farm in Mendham, Ben Horowitz, NJ.com, July 19, 2015
- Effort to Develop Mendham Township’s Pitney Farm Stalled, Alex Parker-Magyar, Observer-Tribune, July 15, 2015
- Pitney Farm Named to Preservation New Jersey’s “10 Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey 2015” List
- Slow Down on Pitney, Observer Tribune Editorial, April 23, 2015
- Lost in Plain Sight? A Case for Digging Deeper at Pitney Farm, Robert Hennelly, Observer-Tribune, February 20, 2015