"Rescued Farm Ignites Community Outrage and Support"

Lower Salford residents made a big decision this month — and open space won.

In a strong community vote on May 19, residents approved a plan to preserve the 62-acre Allebach Farm, protecting one of the township’s last large undeveloped properties from future housing and commercial development.

The vote passed overwhelmingly, with more than 80% of residents supporting a small earned income tax increase to help fund the farm’s purchase and future land preservation efforts. Township officials estimate the measure will generate about $2 million annually toward the acquisition.

Without preservation, the property could have been transformed into a large mixed-use development featuring apartments, twin homes, single-family houses, and commercial buildings.

Instead, residents chose to protect the scenic farmland that has long shaped the character of Lower Salford along Main Street, Quarry Road, and Stover Road.

Once finalized, the Allebach Farm will add to more than 2,000 acres already preserved in the township — a move many see as an investment in Montgomery County’s future and small-town charm.

Source: The Reporter / John Worthington