Many years of hard work and planning have paid off for Adams Township after it was announced this week that a state grant would partially pay for a longtime proposal to create new park space.

For nearly three decades, the township has considered purchasing 103 acres of the Wygal family property along Hutchman Road near the public works building. It has long hoped to transform the land into open space for local residents.

Those involved in the effort scored a victory this week as the township secured a $425,000 grant from the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources that will cover up to 50 percent of the project’s cost.

Those who especially deserve praise in the initiative include outgoing supervisors Chairman Thomas Franceschina, who has been involved in the effort for years, and township Parks and Recreation director Haley Geyer, who collected information and submitted the township’s application for the grant.

The new park space, which borders Adams Township Community Park, will bring the township’s park space to about 250 acres.

The project is a great example of interests aligning — those of the community and the Wygal family.

“The board had been in contact with Jane Wygal, and she had been looking to preserve her land, and didn’t want it to get developed,” Geyer said. “More park space was something we were looking into. Her piece of property is beautiful. It has a ton of open space, it has rolling hills, and her house and a few barns are still there.” Once acquired, the township will develop more of a current park on the property and add a few pavilions. “We’ll be able to put trails on her property, so it’ll expand our trail system,” Geyer said. Obtaining the grant money is a big win for the community.

Half of the money will go toward the $800,000 sale price of the Wygal property, while $25,000 will pay for attorneys’ fees and engineering studies costs.

Adams leaders previously said the farm would be purchased regardless of whether the township was awarded the grant.

So, this week’s announcement is a double dose of good news — the township will obtain new open space and hundreds of thousands of dollars will be shaved off the purchase price.

The township’s supervisors, its Parks and Recreation department and the Wygal family all deserve credit for doing their part to ensure the rural character of this locale will be preserved and put to good community use.