Preservation move may stop development
Monroe launches
an attempt
to preserve land
By Nicole C. Vaccaro
Staff Writer
After many months of heated debates and petitioning, Monroe residents opposed to the 69-home development along Route 522 may finally get their wish.
Township officials announced their plans last week to preserve approximately 156 acres along Buckelew Avenue, which would incorporate the land that developer Jack Werbler is currently trying to obtain for a 69-home development called Hawthorne Acres.
If council members are successful in acquiring the land for open space purposes, the developer would be denied permission to build.
"This acquisition would bring us one step closer toward the township’s ultimate goal of preserving more than 2,000 acres of open space," Mayor Richard Pucci said.
If for some reason the township fails to secure rights to the property, Hawthorne Acres would most likely become a reality, occupying 51 acres of land along the west side of Buckelew Avenue, opposite Brookside and Barclay Brook schools.
Residents have been fighting for a denial of Werbler’s application by the town’s Planning Board since the spring, voicing concerns over traffic safety, as well as the community’s diminishing farmland heritage.
As a result, the board agreed to postpone a decision on the proposal until its Aug. 24 meeting.
However, on Thursday evening, Township Engineer Ernie Feist held a special meeting with residents to discuss the council’s new intentions for the land.
He outlined plans to acquire and submit four separate tracts of land through the state’s farmland preservation program, saying the township has the support of both county and state officials to do so.
According to resident Cindy Ziemba-Paglia, "The four tracts are nestled in the heart of Monroe, and play a vital part in establishing a sense of nature’s continuity throughout the community."
"The pieces of land the council has identified will include the 51-acre Hawthorne tract, plus more than 20 acres of woods north of Hawthorne," she said.
"Additionally, two properties, one on the east side of Buckelew Avenue, south of Brookside School, and one west of Buckelew, north of School House Road, will be preserved," she added.
Feist also told residents that to purchase the land outright could cost anywhere between $6 million and $8 million; however, the municipality estimates only having to contribute a very small percentage of that, thanks to contributions from the county and state.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for us," Ziemba-Paglia said, "and we are so grateful to the council, county and state for their attention to this matter. All we ever wanted, and still want, is for this community to remain a safe and beautiful place to live and raise our children."
While an ordinance supporting the 156-acre acquisition was formally introduced at Monday night’s council meeting, nothing can be finalized until after the Planning Board meeting later this month, as it has final say on the fate of the property.
Nobody from Werbler’s development company, nor his attorney, could be reached for comment.
"We know it’s not over yet, but this is a very big step toward township officials and residents working together to preserve our quality of life here," Paglia said. "We never wanted to stop development, but there are certain areas like this one that are worth saving for so many reasons."
In addition to the Hawthorne acquisition, negotiations are still going on with the Bank of China for more than 830 acres of land.
However, according to Pucci, a decision on this matter should be reached within the next 30 days, as the county plans to acquire the land either by way of negotiation or condemnation.