Town eyes propasal to divide West tract

Committee mulls splitting property in half.

By: Matt Kirdahy
   The Township Committee wants to split the remaining 40 acres of the West property in half, using 20 acres for passive recreation and saving the rest for future use by the township or by the Cranbury School.
   The township purchased the 58-acre West parcel, just south of the Cranbury School, for $1 million 10 years ago. Of those 58 acres, 18 acres are already preserved under the state’s Green Acres program.
   The Township Committee plans on preserving a portion of the remaining 40 acres of land for passive recreation and a portion for municipal uses, which might include the construction of an addition to the Cranbury School if needed.
   Mayor Pari Stave said the committee will discuss the matter Monday. Even though the township already owns the property, the committee must look ahead to guarantee that some of it will remain preserved as open space, she said.
   The committee would divide the 40 acres into two 20-acre parcels. One will be preserved as open space, as recommend by the Cranbury Environmental Commission, and the other would be designated for municipal uses, which the school is permitted to use in the future.
   "It makes sense," Mayor Stave said. "We are not sure what we’re going to do just yet, but we are certainly keeping our options open."
   The Board of Education thinks it might need some of the 20 acres in the future for a school expansion, according to Mayor Stave.
   Mayor Stave said the property can benefit the township in two ways: it can continue to be used for environmental education along the stream corridor, or for a new addition that will help house more students.
   Board of Education President Joan Rue said there is a possibility the school may need the space in the future, and that expansion is always a consideration with more students enrolling each year.
   She also said it would benefit future boards to have that space to build on, but she said it is too early to tell how many of the 20 acres the school might need.
   "The property is for all municipal needs," Ms. Rue said. "People should know that the school is not going to need all of it, but I think it’s wonderful to have that land because we don’t know what the future will bring."