Sanctuary farm proposed on Woodchuck Hill Road

TOWN OF MANLIUS – Rescued farm animals may soon find a new home at a proposed farm sanctuary on Woodchuck Hill Road.
Briarwood Farm Sanctuary would like to rent a barn and pastureland on land owned by the Central New York Land Trust at 7213 Woodchuck Hill Road. The barn previously housed horses but has been empty for the past three years.
The property was donated to the land trust by Beryl Digney. In addition to the barn and pastures, there is a cottage and home on the 95-acre property which also includes a half-mile walking trail.
“We would like to have the animals in our preserve, paying rent,” said Betsy Foote, the interim executive director of the land trust. “It’s really not a land use change.”
The animals that would be housed at the barn include four cows, six goats, two alpacas, a pony as well as some turkeys, roosters, hens and rabbits. All of the male mammals have been sterilized and the roosters will be kept inside the barn where there crowing won’t impact neighbors, said Lori Pinzer director of Briarwood Farm Sanctuary. Pinzer estimated that the nearest neighbor is about 700 feet away from the barn.
“We’re a sanctuary, so we don’t breed at all. We rescue,” she said.
The animals are currently housed in a temporary home in Elbridge that is not open to the public. Pinzer said the sanctuary’s former permanent home was sold by the landowner.
Pinzer envisions having a few volunteers that would help care for the animals and would like to host educational events for groups of children like scout troops and home-school groups.
“It will be very visitor and volunteer friendly,” she said.
The planning board has scheduled a public hearing on the project for July 25 at 6:40 p.m.