Southbury Will Buy Development Rights for Ragland Farm

Ragland Farm, which has been owned by the Stiles family since 1690, will sell development rights for the 14.7-acre property in Southbury, near the Woodbury town line, according to the Republican-American.

Current farm owner Ben Stiles said he welcomes the purchase, and sees it as a way to preserve the land and its value, the Rep-Am reports. Stiles also told the Rep-Am he hopes his daughter will want to take the farm over, but if she doesn’t, he hopes the property can remain as a farm.

Southbury Board of Selectmen unanimously voted to pay $85,478, a portion of the town’s $297,099 cost of development rights for the Ragland Farm property, the Rep-Am reports. The remainder of the cost will be paid through the Farmland Preservation program.

A scheduled town meeting will be held Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Room 205 of Southbury Town Hall, allowing residents to vote on the budget transfer for the purchase, the Rep-Am reports.

Read the full Rep-Am story here.

Patch file photo.