Town Council approves amendment to Joppa Hill conservation easement to carve out 8.3‑acre municipal zone and convert 25 acres to permanent conservation

The Bedford Town Council on June 11 authorized the town manager to work with the Piscataway Land Conservancy to amend the Joppa Hill Conservation Area conservation easement to create an approximately 8.3‑acre exclusionary zone and to convert 25 acres within the MU zone to permanent conservation.

The council heard a staff and citizen presentation that summarized a multipart study committee review of soils, wetlands, slopes and long‑term use. Chris Bandazian, a long‑time local board member and current president of the educational farm at Joppa Hill, described the history: he noted he “was on the town council when the conservation easement was drafted” and later served on the council while the easement and related questions evolved.

Presenters and committee members told the council that recent topographic and wetland mapping shows much of the Bedford portion is wet, steep or prime habitat, including areas mapped as field‑nesting bird habitat. They said building athletic fields, a fire station or a columbarium on the 25‑acre MU zone would require extensive land disturbance, large retaining walls and high construction costs, and could harm habitat and neighboring residential properties.

The committee recommended carving the municipal‑use footprint out of the conservation easement and shifting the MU zoning footprint to the already‑disturbed farm parcel, which the committee said would preserve the more sensitive land in perpetuity while giving the town greater flexibility on the farm parcel should future uses or leases change. Chris Bandazian and Drew Klein, both active with the educational farm, explained the farm’s long history and noted constraints the easement imposes on agritourism and the farm’s financial viability.

During public comment, Dan Muscat, whose family formerly owned the farm, urged the council to keep the land open and said his family supported converting the 25 MU acres to conservation. Michelle Kim, a new resident, described frequent community use of the farm trails and said she hoped the town would “preserve it as long as possible.”

Councilor Michael Strand moved the formal authorization directing the town manager to draft the amendment and work with the land trust; Councilor Kathleen Bemis seconded. Chair Laurie Radke called the vote and the motion passed unanimously.

Councilors and presenters stressed that if the council accepts the committee recommendation, any specific future use of the carved‑out municipal zone would be decided by the council and — where required by law or town policy — by voters. The town’s attorney had previously advised that a small separate 1.2‑acre parcel deeded to the town near Joppa Hill was restricted for fire department use only, underscoring constraints on siting town infrastructure within the easement.