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Effort underway to preserve Pawtucketville farm

LOWELL — Three organizations known for their focus on outdoor recreation and land preservation are in the preliminary stages of seeking $1.5 million to acquire a Pawtucketville landmark that would become an urban wildlife sanctuary and education center.

The Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, the Massachusetts Audubon Society and Mill City Grows have teamed up to seek funding from the Community Preservation Committee to acquire and preserve Rollie’s Farm.

Located at 1413-1415 Varnum Ave., Rollie’s is the last farm in Lowell. Neighbors who have frequented the farm stand for years were worried when they learned that this past summer’s crop of corn would be the last. The neighborhood has feared for years that the land eventually would be sold to developers.

The farm has 15 acres of land and not all of it was dedicated to corn and tomatoes. The property also has thousands of fir trees and is a busy place in the days following Thanksgiving, as families with SUVs and pickup trucks search for perfect, fresh-cut Christmas trees.

The CPC will meet Thursday to review the eligibility application that the organizations have filed. This review is just the first step in the approval process defined by the Community Preservation Act.

While LPCT, Mass. Audubon and Mill City Grows have not commented on the proposal, the news was contained in an email from the Pawtucketville Citizens Council and confirmed by Eric Slagle, the city’s director of development services.

The property, which touches the Lowell Dracut Tyngsboro State Forest, would seemingly be a perfect fit for these nonprofits.

LPCT has other properties under its care in the area. One wooded property is off West Meadow Road behind the Pawtucket Memorial School. The other is Hawk Valley Farm on Varnum Avenue near the intersection with West Meadow Road.

Mass. Audubon often leads educational programs at Hawk Valley Farm and other LPTC properties. And Mill City Grows is known for its creative use of urban space to encourage gardens.

Communities can use CPA funds to acquire, create, preserve or restore open space. CPA funds can also be used to acquire, preserve or restore historic sites. Recreation and affordable housing projects are also eligible for CPA funds.

The Community Preservation Act was passed by the State Legislature in September 2000 to help cities and towns preserve the character of their communities. In 2019, Lowell residents voted to adopt the CPA and approved a surcharge on property taxes to pay for qualifying projects.

The Community Preservation Committee reviews and endorses proposed projects for CPA funds according to community and state guidelines. All recommendations are sent to the City Council for final approval.

Most communities in the Merrimack Valley have adopted the CPA and some adopted it much sooner than Lowell. Communities that have not adopted it include Methuen, Lawrence, Andover and Haverhill.

Dracut has used CPA funds to upgrade the high school athletic field and Veterans’ Memorial Park. The town has also used CPA funds to purchase Beaver Brook Farm, which this summer offered space for community gardening.

Tyngsboro has used CPA funds to restore the First Parish Meeting House. Chelmsford has brought the Community Arts Center in the town center and North Chelmsford Community Center back to life.