For $717,000, the township acquired 18 acres of land outright and easements prohibiting development on another 32 acres.
By: Steve Rauscher
MONTGOMERY The township closed a deal last week that adds another 50 acres to its open-space inventory with the acquisition of a densely wooded tract in the township’s southwestern section.
At a cost of $717,000, the township acquired 18 acres of land outright and agricultural easements prohibiting development on the remaining 32 acres, according to Mayor Louise Wilson.
Andy and Mary Brown, who sold the wedge-shaped piece of property between Cherry Valley Road and Southern Hills Drive, will retain a 3-acre lot on which they plan to build a single house, Mayor Wilson said.
"It’s a beautiful piece of property," she said. "It really, truly is deep woods, the kind with huge trees and habitats for a lot of creatures that aren’t so common around here."
The acquisition is part of the township’s proposed Hopewell Valley Greenway, which would occupy 350 acres in the southwest corner of the township. Including the Brown tract, the township has succeeded in acquiring or securing easements for 150 of those acres, according to township Open Space Coordinator Lori Savron.
"This land provides an opportunity to build trails into Hopewell Township," Ms. Savron said.
The township is working with the Delaware & Raritan Greenway and the newly formed Montgomery Friends of Open Space to preserve the remaining 200 acres.
"This gives us a really good starting point for preserving more land and petitioning the (state) Green Acres (program) for more funds," Mayor Wilson said.
While the township paid the entire $717,000 up front for the purchase of the Brown tract, it will be reimbursed by the Green Acres program for about half the money, Ms. Savron said. The township is currently petitioning Somerset County for an additional $250,000. The remainder of the money will be provided by the township from its open-space fund and municipal bonding, Ms. Savron said.
The agreement between the township and the Browns was close to two years in the making, Mayor Wilson said. The acquisition of the tract will bring the township’s open-space tally to 5,772 acres, Ms. Savron said, though that number includes property such as golf courses and common open space that is not technically public land.
On the Brown tract, the township plans to construct a set of trails snaking through the woods and along a creek that passes through the property on its way to nearby Bedens Brook.