Marlboro moves ahead with
plan to buy 76-acre property
By larry ramer
Staff Writer
MARLBORO — Municipal officials are in the advance stages of negotiations to acquire the 76-acre Dimeo property located at the intersection of Spring Valley Road and Conover Street.
Heidi Card, chairwoman of Marlboro’s Farmland, Historic, Open Space Committee, said the land is likely to be the next property acquired by the township.
"The Dimeo land is on track to be the next property we close on. I would think it will be next," she said.
Card said she believed that published reports have suggested Marlboro officials will pay about $4 million for the property.
The Dimeo property contains an orchard and an old farmhouse and is centrally located in the town, she said. In addition, the property lies behind a housing development, leading Card to believe that the Dimeo land could easily have become the site of a new, large housing development.
"The township has done a good job of saving this beautiful piece of property from hundreds of homes and continued sprawl," Card said. "Marlboro did a phenomenal job of keeping this [acquisition] process moving forward. Everybody is very excited … this is an excellent piece of property. The township has also been fortunate because landowners have come forward and offered to sell their properties to the town so that Marlboro could preserve their land as open space."
In a related matter, Gov. James E. McGreevey arrived in Marlboro on Sept. 1 to present township officials with a $400,000 Green Acres grant. In July, the Township Council passed a resolution that will allow Marlboro to use the state funds to help fund the purchase of 20 acres owned by Fred and Adele Brandigon. The land, on Brown Road between Route 79 and Tennent Road, will be dedicated as open space.
Speaking before a crowd of about 40 people on the Brandigons’ property, McGreevey stressed the importance of preserving open space. He praised the council in general and council President Ellen Karcher in particular for choosing to designate land in Marlboro as open space.
"I would like to thank Ellen Karcher and the entire council for understanding the importance of open space to the quality of life. Nothing is more important than the reasons we came to New Jersey and what we all love — open space, clean water, and clean air," McGreevey said.
"Twenty acres with 70 homes and 200 kids is what the town will not get on this land," said Karcher, who is a Democratic candidate for state Senate. "Instead, we will see open space, trees, fields and a visitor’s center."