| Horizon
Farm - A conservation success story |
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| “When I expressed my apprehension at taking on such a task, my fears and feelings of inadequacy, Kandee said, ‘If you don’t do it, nobody else will. Everyone will just keep saying ‘someone should do something until it’s too late, and there’s nothing left to do.’ As a final push, Kandee said, ‘Commitment is what really counts. You don’t have to be a genius, just do it!’” | by Kandee Haertel |
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Partner #1: The village of Barrington Hills, Illinois has the largest land area, for the smallest population, in the State of Illinois. It is an almost completely residential area with five acre minimum zoning and numerous properties are far larger, comprised of parcels that are twenty to hundreds of acres each. There is an active equestrian community that maintains more than eighty miles of riding trails over both public (county forest preserve district) and private land. The natural tree canopy is extensive. The Barrington Hills area is blessed with open land, rural character, scenic vistas, and extensive recreational opportunities. The residents have a deep appreciation for this extraordinary community and the village government has actively worked to maintain and protect its rural values. Even with extremely high area land values per acre, development pressures are intense. To give an idea of these pressures on this area, it is located 39 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, 25 miles from O’Hare International Airport, and just minutes from a commuter train station and a major interstate highway. It is a developer’s dream. Horizon Farm was established in 1983 and has been owned and operated by William J. McGinley and his family since that time as an extensive and active Thoroughbred breeding and foaling farm. At one time seven stallions were standing and an average of eighty mares were foaled each year. In 2001, Robert McGinley, the oldest son of the founder, began researching the possibility of conserving Horizon Farm so that it would always preserve open space and equestrian activities. “My parents did not leave specific direction for the future of the farm, but we children knew they would have wanted it kept as a farm. It was always Dad’s vision that the farm would be a place to raise, have and enjoy horses. We all wanted to keep it that way and we also wanted to create a legacy of open space that sustains a quality of life that takes a stand against suburban encroachment. It was a matter of finding the way,” states McGinley. “I recall coming home from college and getting into a discussion of what the farm’s name should be. My comment that you could see the distant horizon struck the right note and it has been Horizon Farm since that weekend.” In July, 2002 McGinley’s research led him to telephone the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource(ELCR). His conversation with their Executive Director, Kandee Haertel, led to a meeting at the farm. Bill Davis of The Conservation Foundation responded to Haertel’s request to join her and Nancy Winter, an ELCR Board member who was very familiar with the Barrington Hills area, joined Haertel for an initial meeting and tour of the farm. At this meeting information regarding conservation easements was provided and McGinley was interested in the possibility even though at this time, McGinley was still researching the possible sale of Horizon Farm to a public agency. Both Haertel and Davis remained in periodic contact with him to assist him in any way possible. Partner #2: When Mary Bradford-White’s husband was transferred to the Chicago area in 1997, it meant that their family would have to relocate from Villanova, PA. They chose Barrington Hills for its open space and equestrian community, as well as its proximity to Chicago. While in Pennsylvania, Bradford-White had become aware of her local land trust, the Willistown Conservation Trust (WCT), through her friend and regular riding partner, Peter Somers. Somers was active with WCT and had been instrumental in much of the legal work on the conservation easements for them. Bradford-White was surprised to learn that there was no local land trust in Barrington Hills, but was lulled into the sense that “someone would do something if it was necessary” to preserve the beautiful area where she had moved even though Somers urged her to form a local land trust. Time marched on. A major developer bought a large farm (approximately 600 acres) in the northwest corner of Barrington Hills and began legal proceedings to disconnect from the village limits and annex into an adjoining village where the zoning would allow high density housing. That was the turning point for Bradford-White. She connected with Bonnie Van Alen, the executive director of WCT, and asked her how to begin. Bonnie said her best advice would be to join the Land Trust Alliance (LTA) because she considered them to be an excellent resource. Bradford-White joined LTA and was immediately connected to Jill Arango, LTA area representative, who in turn put her in touch with Bill Davis, then Director of Land Preservation at the Conservation Foundation in Naperville, IL. Bill gave her many names of people at various organizations in Illinois and Wisconsin. She proceeded to call all of them and ask how their organizations got started, what worked for them, what difficulties they face, and what advice they could give. “It was Kandee Haertel at the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource who gave me the strong shove that I needed,” states Bradford-White. “When I expressed my apprehension at taking on such a task, my fears and feelings of inadequacy, Kandee said, ‘If you don’t do it, nobody else will. Everyone will just keep saying ‘someone should do something until it’s too late, and there’s nothing left to do.’ As a final push, Kandee said, ‘Commitment is what really counts. You don’t have to be a genius, just do it!’” Early on, Bradford-White was joined by her husband Lynn White and Julie Martens, who together formed the initial Board of Directors for the Barrington Hills Conservation Trust. The organization was incorporated in the State of Illinois in October, 2001 and received its 501(c)(3) tax designation in October of 2003. Bonnie Van Alen, Peter Sommers and Bill Davis continued to offer excellent advice and guidance to the fledgling organization all along the way. They became active with LTA and were awarded one of two mentoring grants in the Midwest. “It was wonderful timing - as a startup organization we’ve managed to avoid many mistakes because of input from these other land trusts,” continues Bradford-White. BHCTrust worked hard to develop an excellent rapport with the Barrington Hills village government and added two more strong board members, Annamarie Lukes and Elizabeth Bramsen. They have also developed an advisory board. Late in 2002, the discussion of conservation easements on Horizon Farm moved from The Conservation Foundation, a regional land trust, to the newly organized BHCTrust and work began on crafting the conservation easement to fit the family’s vision for the farm. Partner #3: “Kandee Haertel had worked with The Conservation Foundation when she lived in the area,” said Bill Davis, who was then Land Protection Specialist at TCF, “so I was not surprised to hear from her when the opportunity to preserve Horizon Farm presented itself. ELCR, where Kandee now works, is well aware of the importance of preserving equestrian farms and does not hesitate to bring in the local land trust as early as possible.” “When we had our first meeting with Robert McGinley, BCHTrust was in the early stages of organization,” continues Davis, “but as the discussion continued, it became clear that they should be involved because of their dedication to the preservation of the local Barrington Hills area. Davis was the one who initially told McGinley about The Barrington Hills Conservation Trust. McGinley was delighted to know of their existence. “My husband and I met with Robert to discuss Horizon and the Barrington Hills Conservation Trust in May of 2002,” states Bradford-White. It was going to be a major effort, “but the mentoring by the folks at The Conservation Fund made things go smoothly for us.” Partner #4: “Horizon Farm is a wonderful place that deserved to be preserved on its own merit. When you add in the factor that it is also a major horse farm, it makes ELCR doubly delighted that it was saved,” says Kandee Haertel, Executive Director of ELCR. “This was a case where ELCR can do what it does best - Put the parties together and keep them focused on their goals. In this case the goal was preserving Horizon Farm.” Haertel notes that the Horizon Farm easement states that it will “continue traditional equestrian activities, such as hunting with hounds, steeple chases, trail rides, polo, and horse shows” and grants “the right to construct equestrian and pedestrian trails on the Property and grant easements therefore, provided that no new equestrian trails … shall be in any Natural Areas.” The natural areas and open space, as well as the significant agricultural values, are all protected under the easement. “As with any easement, it has been specifically crafted to suit the needs of all parties and expresses the family’s wishes as well as those of the land trusts,” states McGinley. “Horizon is, above all, a farm. Its agricultural integrity is preserved and its traditional use as a horse farm is provided for into the future.” McGinley continued, “ELCR’s contact network and reference materials were helpful to me as the family discussed what would be the most appropriate way to keep Horizon Farm the way we wanted it to be.” The Easement Comes Together “In July of 2003 he called and expressed his extreme frustration with the suggestions for handling the development of Horizon Farm. He was being bombarded with all sorts of ideas. I suggested to Robert that we bring Bonnie Van Alen out. Bonnie has years of experience with properties like Horizon as well as with the family and business issues involved in such a large property,” states Bradford-White. McGinley agreed and Van Alen accepted BHCTrust’s invitation. It was a turning point in the whole process. As the lawyers and accountants beavered away all of the parties, but particularly Bradford-White, would hear encouraging, and then not so encouraging news on Horizon’s fate. Finally, in October, McGinley reported to Bradford-White that his family was all in agreement and that they would be putting a conservation easement on 421 acres of Horizon Farm. The easement allows construction of up to eight homes on the property, each on lots of at least five acres, but it prohibits any other development on the land. Eighty homes could have been built under existing ordinances. In addition to the majority of the existing pastures and farmland, more than eighty acres of wetlands, ponds, woodlands and prairies cannot be touched. “That’s what the family gave up to reserve the vision and natural values that are there,” said Dan Lobbes, Director of Land Protection for the Conservation Foundation. “Of course, the family still owns the land and has the right to sell it as they wish, but with the easement in place, it must be honored by any subsequent buyer.” “We wanted to preserve what our parents initiated in terms of open space. I know this is something they would have wanted,” said McGinley. “The farm will look pretty much they way it does now in perpetuity,” said Bradford-White. “People feel real pressure out here to maintain open space like this because of developers. It’s a real commitment by the McGinleys. They have created a wonderful living legacy for our community.” McGinley invited Bradford-White and her husband Lynn White to join him at the Fox River Valley Hunt Ball on November 8, 2003 where he planned to publicly announce that Horizon Farm would remain, in perpetuity, as it is today. McGinley wanted Mary and Lynn at the hunt ball so they would be able to inform local landowners about BHCTrust and the benefits of conservation easements. McGinley said that he would love to have BHCTrust to solely hold the easement on Horizon, but given its size and complexity, it was better to have a more experienced organization, such as TCF, co-hold the easement, so The Conservation Foundation had been chosen. The Conservation Foundation will co-hold the easement with BHCTrust until BHCTrust is ready to hold the easement on its own. At the Hunt Ball, Robert McGinley made his announcement. Horizon Farm would be forever protected by a conservation easement held jointly by the Conservation Foundation and Barrington Hills Conservation Trust. There was immediate applause, then a standing ovation with cheers.
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