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Farmer will not renew Memorial Forest lease; committee eyes stewardship project and concept plan
Summary
The tenant at Memorial Forest signaled he will not renew his lease (officially ending Feb. 28), freeing discussion of a memorial-park concept and a hands-on stewardship project by an environmental steward course participant; committee members asked the applicant to present at a future meeting and discussed public-works support.
Committee members told the Jan. 20 meeting that the current farmer on the Memorial Forest property has informed the township he will not renew his lease; staff said the tenant’s official lease end date is Feb. 28, and he indicated he would vacate rather than renew.
That vacancy would allow the committee to advance a previously discussed memorial-park concept. Committee members asked the person who placed the item on the agenda (absent at this meeting) to return with details. Separately, members discussed a potential stewardship project from Mike Orsini, an environmental-steward course participant, who could present a hands-on plan that might include tree plantings, rain-barrel demonstrations and training activities; staff said such coursework requires practical, participatory elements.
Members noted some site work — road improvements, tree planting and possible parking — would require Public Works assistance. Staff proposed inviting Orsini to present at the next meeting so the committee can evaluate the proposal and consider including Memorial Forest in the open-space/master-plan update work.
No formal action to change the lease or commit funds occurred at the meeting; the committee agreed to follow up at a subsequent meeting once the absent member and the stewardship applicant are available to present.
