Open Space and Farmland Preservation
September 01, 2009
As the Township continues towards its goal of keeping 50 percent of its total land area undeveloped, we are finding interesting and varied ways to use the land including keeping the lands in their natural states, utilizing them as parkland and a combination of the two.
The new Open Space and Farmland Preservation Committee targeted areas that it would like to see preserved. The Committee makes its recommendations to the Mayor and Township Council, which ultimately makes the final decision to pursue the purchases.
To purchase land for preservation, the Township utilizes its Open Space Trust Fund, which was authorized by the voters and established through a 2.5-cent (per $100 of assessed valuation) Open Space Tax. Using the Trust Fund, the Township has been able to preserve nearly 4,000 acres of open space including green undeveloped woodlands and our highly utilized parks.
From the 40-acre Veterans Park on Avenue K to the 157.5-acre James Monroe Park on Dey Grove Road to the 5-acre Memorial Park on Prospect Plains Road, our parks offer a myriad of recreation opportunities for all of our residents. Veterans Park has become one of the busiest parks in the Township with parents and grandparents spending the entire day with their children and grandchildren enjoying the spray park, vast playground, tented picnic tables and the walking trail that loops around the park.
That trail will be a starting point for the Township Environmental Commission’s planned biking, pedestrian and equestrian trail system that will run from the park to the southern end of the Township near its border with Millstone. The initial plans for the trails call for paths along the stream corridors of the Manalapan Brook in the north and the Millstone Rive in the South. Also, there is a proposed trail, which would also utilize sidewalks and roadways, that would connect the Community Center on Monmouth Road to the Daniel Ryan Memorial Field on North State Home Road.
Furthermore, the Township has been looking at ways to preserve its agricultural heritage. When the Township was incorporated in 1838 it was primarily a farming community, and we are hoping to preserve as much of it as possible.
Monroe has more farmland than any other municipality in the County. Of the 7,025 acres of farmland, 1,159 acres has been preserved with the help of Middlesex County and the State of New Jersey. In addition, two of the preserved farms extend into Manalapan Township in Monmouth County, adding 50 acres to the total amount of preserved farmland.
The Township has also been able to preserve 262 acres of farmland at no cost to taxpayers, through cluster easements, where the developer builds the same number of houses on smaller lots and donates farmland to the Township.
Farmland is a vital part of the Monroe Township community providing local farm markets with Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, numerous horse farms and tree farms are located in the Township. We want to ensure that farmland and open space remains intact for our children, grandchildren and their children to enjoy forever.
|
