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GORODN DANIELS

Land off Route 47 on Middle Street, Hadley, looking west toward West Street.

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GORDON DANIELS

Land on Route 47 on River Drive, Hadley about a half mile south of the North Hadley Sugar Shack.

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PHOTOS BY GORDON DANIELS

A federal grant may help preserve the scenic character of Route 47 in Hadley and South Hadley. Pictured here is a view of Route 47 near Longview Farm off Barstow Lane. Below, land off of Route 47 near the North Hadley Sugar Shack.

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GORDON DANIELS

Land off Route 47, Middle Street, Hadley, looking west toward West Street.

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GORDON DANIELS

A federal grant may help preserve the scenic character of Route 47 in Hadley and South Hadley. Pictured here is Route 47, about a half mile south of the North Hadley Sugar Shack.

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GORDON DANIELS

The view of Route 47, Hockanum Road, Hadley, near Longview Farm.

HADLEY - The owners of open land along Route 47 could receive federal and local money if they renounce development.

A $976,000 federal grant, which would be increased to $1.2 million by local contributions, is intended to preserve the scenic character of the road, said Christopher Curtis, chief planner at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

"This is one of the oldest working farm landscapes in the U.S. that still has that character visible," he said. "A lot have been developed. We have something that's unique and special, and it won't be here much longer if we don't take action."

There are about 10 miles of Route 47 running through Hadley, with five street names: River Road, Middle Street, and Bay, Lawrence Plain and Hockanum roads. The grant money will also be available for the three miles of Route 47 in South Hadley.

The commission, which received the grant, is working on an agreement between the two towns, the state and two land trusts, Curtis said. The goal is to give priority to preserving parcels of five acres or more, based on their scenic value and worth as agricultural land, he said.

This summer or fall, the commission plans to send an initial letter to 25 to 30 landowners to determine their level of interest, he said.

If the landowners agree to a permanent ban on development, they can receive lump sums of money.

They would be selling the "development rights," or the difference between the land's value if sold to developers and its value as open space.

Most of the money would come from the federal grant. Hadley has money available for its local match in a fund established as part of the agreement to allow Lowe's to build its new store on Route 9, said Town Administrator David Nixon.

In some cases, the owners could sell their land outright, Curtis said.

The last decade has seen an increase in pressure for development on Route 47, he said. "We probably have another 10 years before we lose what's left of it," he said.

Already developed in parts

Some of Route 47 is already developed.

"We're looking to protect the undeveloped (land) and maintain that character that's so appealing when you drive up that area," Curtis said.

The money will given out in a way similar to the state's Agricultural Preservation Restriction program.

But the APR program has a limit of $20,000 per acre, which has dissuaded some farmers from submitting applications, said Alexandra Dawson, chairwoman of the Hadley Conservation Commission.

In some cases, landowners seeking to get APR money have carved out frontage lots to sell, but that would defeat the purpose of a program designed to protect Route 47 from development, she said.

"I think it's a grand way to spend federal money," Dawson said.

"I expect a lot of people wouldn't, and I wouldn't blame them. A lot of people don't think farmland and aesthetics are as important as highway improvements."

The commission has a goal of preserving 4,000 acres in Hadley from development, and this program will be a help, she said. There are currently about 2,300 acres preserved in town.

Route 47 has received state recognition as a scenic byway, and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission is seeking a national designation, said Susan Lisk, who lives on Route 47 and is a member of the Connecticut River Scenic Farm Byway Committee.

"I'm hoping that these funds will allow us to protect more farmland from development," she said.

"We're hoping that landowners will be interested. The Connecticut River Valley has some of the most fertile soils in the world, and this is an effort to protect those rich soils from development."

¿Firm commitment'

The commission has "a fairly firm commitment" for the money, Curtis said. "Nothing is safe at this point because of the serious budget crisis, and a lot of things are being cut," he said.

The application was made long before the economy turned sour, and the land protection should remain a high priority, Curtis said.

"Sometimes, an economic crisis is the best time to try to take action on programs of this type," he said. "The resources will be well managed and carefully expended."

Gerry Devine, chairman of the Hadley Board of Selectmen, said he would like to schedule a meeting between town officials and commission representatives, to "identify landowners with property worth saving."

South Hadley Selectboard member Robert Judge called Route 47, known in town as Hadley Street, "a treasure for the town."

"People love to use it and sometimes go out of their way to use it because it's scenic," he said. "Some parts of it haven't changed in a long time."

Judge said he favors using public money for the local match to access the federal dollars. He said he's not aware of any farms on the three-mile stretch of road.

"The presence of open space is important to the people of South Hadley," he said.

"People are concerned about open space being turned into housing or other uses. We know there's continued development pressure, but we want to manage that and make conscious decisions about growth and not have it happen in a haphazard way."