07/28/2025
Dear Denville Resident:
The Township of Denville is reaching out to the community for letters of support to help preserve a truly special piece of land in our Township, the former St. Francis Residential Community property located on Diamond Spring Road. St. Francis is a 17.7 acre historical property, founded in 1895, and located in the heart of Denville.
The Township of Denville has submitted a grant application for $5.7 million to the Morris County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund in an effort to obtain funding to potentially acquire the former St. Francis Property as well as the ballfields at 18 Pocono Road (which the Township currently leases). Both the former St. Francis property and the Pocono Road fields are held by the same owner.
As part of our application for funding, we are seeking letters of support from the community. These letters will be part of the cornerstone of our presentation to the County Open Space Review Committee this October. Specifically, we are asking individuals to share a memory or reason the St. Francis and/or the Pocono Field properties are important to them, their family and/or the community.
Below is a template you can use to help you prepare the letter.
Please return all letters of support on or before Friday, August 29, 2025. The letters can be mailed to the Township’s Open Space Coordinator, Jane Garvey, at 1 St. Mary’s Place, Denville, NJ 07834 or via e-mail to [email protected].
Thank you for your assistance in helping us attempt to preserve these properties which are extremely important to our community.
TEMPLATE -
[DATE]
Denville Open Space Committee
ATTN: Jane Garvey, Open Space Coordinator
1 St. Mary’s Place
Denville, New Jersey 07834
RE: St. Francis and Pocono Field Preservation
Dear Denville Open Space Team:
[SHARE WHY THE PRESERVATION OF ONE OR BOTH OF THESE PROPERTIES IS IMPORANT TO YOU AND/OR TO OUR COMMUNITY]
For the reasons stated above, please accept this letter in support of the Township of Denville’s application to the Morris County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust fund for the purchase of the St. Francis Property, located at 122 - 156 Diamond Spring Road, and the Pocono Field ballfield property, located at 18 Pocono Road in Denville.
This letter may be shared with the County Commissioners and the Members of the County Open Space Review Committee.
Sincerely,
[NAME]
[ADDRESS]
