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Folks, it is time for a meeting to get all of the issues on the table relating to the proposed expansion of Greenvale Vineyards, and the issues at Glen Ridge Farm.(The Alpaca Farm) Please try to attend. October 15th 7:00 p.m.
If you would like more info. please email Conniharding@aol.com
Here’s a letter from a local Portsmouth resident which is relevant to the issue at the Alpaca farm:
As a student of Portsmouth history in general and the Glen area history in particular, I would like to share some of what I learned about the Glen Ridge Farm area. I attended the June session of the planning board and listened to arguments proposing a road running through the property to facilitate a new housing development. I understand the practical arguments for an ideal road running along the shore. I know that this road is part of the goals of the town plan. However, I hope you will consider the historical significance of the area and support other ideas that preserve Glen Ridge Farm. Portsmouth farm heritage has been strong from the roots of settlement and as a community we should be preserving farms and historic buildings and landscapes while we still have them.
The land in and around Glen Ridge Farm has a history that reflects the history of our town. It was part of an original land grant given to William Brenton and then sold to members of the Cook family who served in town offices from the 1640’s on. It was an area that served as a ferry landing for the Fogland Ferry to Tiverton. The land went through a number of Yankee farm families including that of Captain John Stanton until H.A.C. Taylor bought the land in the 1880’s. Taylor was a New York businessman who established Glen Farm to be a model farm dedicated to raising the best livestock. His son Moses Taylor added the stone horse barns you see at Glen Ridge Farm today. The horse barns originally housed the Percheron horses that the Taylors bred, but also were home to the Taylors’ own riding horses. The 1925 barn structures were added to an already existing frame barn structure that is very old and maybe one of the oldest barns in our area. Another building in the compound served as a garage for the Taylor cars and as the headquarters for the Glen Farm Fire Truck (which served at Prudence Island and is being restored today.)
Sincerely yours,
Gloria Schmidt
At the Town Council Meeting, Monday, February 4th a size cap of 45,000 sq ft was passed. Thank you to Connie Harding, other members of Preserve Portsmouth and residents of Portsmouth that have participated in the meetings this fall and winter.
For additional details about the Town Council Meeting and the size cap see the Newport Daily News article:
http://www.newportdailynews.com/articles/2008/02/07/
portsmouth/doc47a88a01874da091122517.txt
Next Town Council meeting is Monday February 4th at 7:00 p.m. in the Town Council Chamber’s.
WE NEED YOU THERE!!
We are asking our Town Council, the folks that “we” elected to implement a 35,000 square foot retail buiding size cap.
What this means is that no single use retailer shall be larger than 35,000 square feet.
We all know that Portsmouth as well as other communities need to increase their commercial tax bases. What we’ve learned is that this type of commercial business, large retail, puts other small businesses out. It’s rarely a net gain in jobs or tax revenues,because extra services are needed.
Please feel free to contact Preserve Portsmouth if you’d like to discuss this further.
The current building moratorium is extended until March 1, 2008.
Please stay abreast of developments on this and how you can help.
Check the Meetings/Calendar section on this site for dates and times of town council and planning boards meetings.
The current building moratorium will end on Friday, February 1, 2008.
Make sure that you voice is heard in this matter by attending the town council and planning board meetings in November, December and January.
See the Meetings/Calendar section on this site for dates and times.
