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An aerial view of the Bean Farm in Northampton.

NORTHAMPTON - The city took a big step forward Thursday in its quest to buy a pair of neighboring farms near downtown Florence for future use as an athletic complex, farmland, open space and possibly community gardens.

The City Council agreed to appropriate $990,000 in Community Preservation Act money for its portion of the acquisition of the Bean and Allard farms off Spring Street. The action, on first reading, came one day after the Community Preservation Committee recommended the council approve an application from the Conservation, Recreation and Agricultural commissions to buy the farms.

"Having the money in place is very important," said Wayne Feiden, director of the Office of Planning and Development. The money will allow the city to apply for grants and send a clear message to the Allard and Bean families and the Trust for Public Land that the city is serious about the purchase.

The council indefinitely tabled a separate request to take a second reading on buying only the Bean Farm. That agreement called for buying 45 acres of the Bean Farm for $910,000.

Thursday's action does not mean that a deal to buy the Allard Farm is in place. The Trust for Public Land, which is partnering with the city, is taking the lead in this acquisition and still must negotiate a final agreement with all of the property owners. It is estimated that $2.475 million is needed to buy both farms. The remainder of the money would come from a combination of grants and other fundraising.

If successful, the purchase of both farms will make some land available for recreation while keeping the farms predominantly in agriculture.

The combined farms amount to 185 acres of land. The city had originally eyed converting the 45-acre Bean Farm into a combination of ball fields and farmland, an idea that didn't sit well with many residents who wanted to keep the land in agriculture. Adding the 140-acre Allard Farm to the equation appeared to appease many of the concerns.

The renamed Bean/Allard Task Force will continue its work on figuring out the best plan for the future use of the land. The task force has scheduled another public hearing on the matter for early next week.

A deal under consideration for the property calls for the Recreation Commission to own about 24 acres, which could allow for four multipurpose fields and two or three baseball fields. The farms won't be acquired until the task force makes a recommendation, nor will the athletic fields be developed until state or federal money can be obtained. Once the fields are developed, the Recreation Department will likely partner with sports leagues to fund maintenance of the fields.

Another 10 acres would be permanently protected farmland and designated as community gardens. The balance of the land, about 85 acres, would likely be a combination of private farmer or community farm ownership.

The order approved by the council Thursday calls for using $80,000 from the CPA reserve account, and borrowing $910,000, over 15 years.

"It's a win-win. I'm really happy with this," said Ward 6 City Councilor Marianne LaBarge.