The Friends of the Clark Farm have put together a proposal to buy a 23-acre parcel, including the historic farm, outbuildings, a preschool and farmable acreage.
The proposal takes property targeted for Grantsville’s cemetery expansion off the table to preserve the landmark for programs and events. The farm sits across Clark Street from the current cemetery, which was approved for expansion onto an adjacent, 3.1-acre lot in December 2014.
The non-profit’s proposal to purchase the property is a departure from previous discussions with the Grantsville City Council. The two parties have previously discussed a potential deal in which the Friends of the Clark Farm would purchase an approximate 2.3-acre parcel that includes all of the existing buildings on the property.
According to Mayor Brent Marshall, the city had proposed a cost of $37,000 per acre as the approximate fair-market value. The 23-acre parcel would cost about $850,000 for the group to purchase.
Brad Hurst told the city council the group wants to buy the property despite the asking price.
“That is the intent, that is the desire,” he said, of purchasing the 23-acre parcel. “What we’d like to talk about is the challenges that you’re facing — that we’re facing — to come to a compromise to how this can all work.”
The Friends of the Clark Farm are investigating different avenues for raising the funds to purchase the property, Hurst said. Private donations and state funds were discussed as potential sources at the meeting.
Discussions with potential investors and donors led the Friends of the Clark Farm to expand the requested purchase area. The 2.3-acre proposal was a consistent stumbling block in negotiations, Hurst said.
“When we talked to them about, ‘Hey, do you want to invest your funds … into a historic farm, everybody is excited about that,” he said. “When I go back to them and say it’s 2.3 acres, they’re not as interested.”
The additional acreage will come primarily from an alfalfa field north of the farmstead and an unused, adjacent parcel to its west. Both are approximately 10 acres.
With the extra space, the Friends of the Clark Farm have plans to restore and monetize the property. Drawings presented by the non-profit showed plans for a pavilion, amphitheater, outdoor reception area and additional parking.
The alfalfa field could be used for demonstrations and the other field could house a corn maze, pumpkin patch or historic village, the plans showed. The barn, sheds and corral would all undergo restoration efforts, Hurst said.
The Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum and preschool on the property will remain in place indefinitely, Hurst said. Current contracts between the city and either entity will be honored, he said.
Another potential stumbling point on the proposal is $65,000 the city allocated from its cemetery fund to prepare lots adjacent to the Clark Farm. The money will have to be reimbursed to the fund.
“Our auditors aren’t going to allow us to sit on that money without having to make an adjustment to the budget,” Marshall said.
A proposal to put plots near the historic farm has been under consideration since 2010. The 3.1-acre expansion to the east of the existing cemetery is a temporary reprieve, creating 605 new plots.
If Grantsville approved the sale of the property to the non-profit, a 14-acre field north of the farm could be a potential site for cemetery expansion.
The city council will continue to review the proposal before any decisions are made on the future of the farm and surrounding acreage, Marshall said.