Fighting for open space

MONROE- Advocate group supports preservation

By: Al Wicklund
   MONROE — Warren Barnes has a group of open-space advocates who operate along the lines of the Revolutionary War’s Minutemen.
   No, they aren’t taking the musket down from over the fireplace or fighting the redcoats, but they do respond to situations.
   This group of citizens is called Monroe Township Save Open Space.
   "We’re loosely formed. We don’t have a formal membership, but we do have quite a few people who are active. Often the number will reflect the degree of the threat to open space," Mr. Barnes said Thursday.
   He said the group started almost two years ago when a development known as Hawthorne Acres was proposed for the land behind Farmer Al’s farm and roadside stand on Buckelew Avenue.
   "That situation appears to be in check — the county may be getting the land for open space— but, of course, you never know," he said.
   The Planning Board rejected a proposal by Hawthorne Acres of Marlboro to build a 69-unit development in 2000 on property being sought for open space by the township Middlesex County Planning Board. The board said the site is part of a 156-acre tract being sought for open space. The land is adjacent to the county’s Thompson Park. Hawthorne Acres filed a lawsuit against the Planning Board shortly after.
   Mr. Barnes said the threat to land around Farmer Al’s created a wave of opposition that grew and led to some of the group to get together to fight development in the area.
   "We started with a core group of about 20 people. Since then, we gained some and some have drifted away.
   Mr. Barnes said he’s been pleased with the response of the township’s elected and appointed officials.
   "They’ve been very cooperative. When we come to them with questions, they give us answers," he said.
   He said so far the township and county have done their part in preserving open space, but developers won’t always accept the fair market offer for the land.
   "And, in a way, I hope they don’t. The battle is galvanizing the residents into a formidable force that will challenge development throughout Monroe Township," Mr. Barnes said.
   Mr. Barnes and several members of MTSOS came to Monday’s Township Council meeting and expressed concern about the possible loss of open space east of Thompson Park in the area along Buckelew Avenue, including the farm and roadside stand of Farmer Al’s.
   He said he was concerned that the county and township are not moving quickly enough to save the land before it is developed.
   Mr. Barnes, a School House Road resident, said surveyors and backhoes have been seen working on Farmer Al’s property.
   He asked if the land was being prepared for development.
   Township Engineer Ernie Feist said there were no pending applications on the property.
   "They’re likely doing soil borings to determine the water table," Mr. Feist said. "We can’t stop applications for land use. A developer can apply at any time,"
   The engineer added that, while applications can’t be stopped, the ultimate weapon is condemnation, when public bodies can go before a judge and acquire land to serve a public function.
   Mayor Richard Pucci said proximity of the area in question to Thompson Park could help Middlesex County in acquiring the land as an extension of the park.
   Cindy Ziemba of Buckalew Avenue, who can see into the county park from her back windows, emphasized the determination of members of MTSOS in opposing development in the area.
   "We’ve been fighting this (development) for years," she said.
   Mr. Barnes said members of MTSOS and members of the council may be in agreement on the importance of saving open space, but he said residents in the area will continue to monitor the situation.
   In a flier handed out at the meeting, Mr. Barnes said, "The efforts to save Farmer Al’s has galvanized the concerned citizens of Monroe. As a result, a group known as MTSOS has been assembled. It is our mission to enhance the overall quality of life within the township by promoting the preservation of open space, advocating sensible, controlled growth and encouraging the balancing of a rural landscape with the needs of the area residents.
   "Our Web site, mtsos.org, has been designed to inform and enlighten the citizens of Monroe," he said.
   Mr. Barnes said the Web site has been in use for about three weeks and he hopes it informs people and perhaps inspires a few more men and women to become open-space Minutemen.