‘A golden opportunity’
Town approves The Silo’s use of ARPA funds for $107.5K facilities upgrade
NEW MILFORD — A local nonprofit based at Hunt Hill Farm has received a $107,500 boon designed to bring its facilities up to code.
New Milford Town Council was more than willing to grant a portion of its American Rescue Plan Act funds toward the project at The Silo because officials see opportunities to create a public-private partnership between the town and the nonprofit.
“It’s a true gem,” Mayor Pete Bass said of The Silo during the council’s Feb. 13 meeting when the funding was unanimously approved. “I think it’s a great opportunity for us to create the longevity of The Silo, to continue to grow the partnership and provide tremendous opportunities for our youth.”
The Silo, formerly known as Hunt Hill Farm Trust Inc., was founded 50 years ago by the late Skitch and Ruth Henderson as a place where the community can gather for educational and cultural activities. The farm at 44 Upland Road has buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as a cooking school that has hosted chefs like Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray.
Alessandro Piovezahn, president of the farm’s nonprofit arm, and his wife acquired Hunt Hill Farm in 2021, and have since opened the farm as a community resource. Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, regional and local artists, local home school programs and other individuals have used the farm’s property over the past year in exchange for non-perishable food donations to support the community.
Out of the requested $107,500, The Silo sought $36,000 for an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant bathroom; $20,000 for a new code-compliant kitchen hood for the cooking school; $8,500 to replace the air conditioning unit in the Skitch Henderson Museum of Music History; and $8,000 for tree removal — among other improvements.
“I hope you understand the request we’re putting is to make the place safer… so we can provide a safer environment for all our community members,” Piovezahn told the council. “And I look forward to developing this public-private partnership with the town to find ways to allow the community at large to benefit from this amazing place, and we can do so much more together.”
Bass said this was a great opportunity with the shortage of community space in town. He suggested that the town could bring the Parks & Recreation team to The Silo and offer cooking classes for young children in The Silo’s cooking school.
Ruth Henderson’s store could also be reopened for the high school’s Distributive Education Club of America students to learn how to budget and operate a cash register. Bass said the nonprofit’s hiking trails lead to a pond where a Christmas Town could be created for the community.
“This is a golden opportunity for this Town Council and the town to spend the ARPA money for The Silo,” said Councilman Paul Murphy. “This is going to be one of the greatest assets of this town… It’s going to be there forever.”
Council Vice Chair Katy Francis praised Piovezahn’s “wonderful job” of making users of the space comfortable.
“I’m very happy we have this funding to help you get things up to code,” she said.