By: Matthew Kirdahy
It looks like active recreation has a future in Cranbury.
The Planning Board voted 7-2 Nov. 20 to recommend to the Township Committee that it amend its open space ordinance to allow for future space acquisitions to be considered for active recreational as well as passive use.
Board Chairman Tom Harvey, Mayor Pari Stave and board members Richard Stannard, Robert Dreyling, Walton Caldwell, Allan Kehrt and Don Jo Swanagan voted in favor of the open space amendment. Board members Eugene Speer and James Golubieski vote against it.
The recommendation will go to the Township Committee.
The board made its decision based on requests and concerns of the Board of Recreation and the Parks Planning Commission.
"You have a well balanced park system with preserves, passive parks and active parks, but we have run out of active recreational options in our parks," Judy Dossin of Parks Planning Commission said Nov. 20. "We need that flexibility to be able to consider the future."
Ms. Dossin said that didn’t mean she wants farms used for active recreation.
Mr. Golubieski and Mr. Speer opposed amending the ordinance because they felt each property’s use should be reviewed separately.
Mayor Stave said the change would give the township more flexibility.
Township Planner Harvey Moskowitz has been working to revise the current open space ordinance since September.
Mr. Moskowitz said the change would apply to the Residential Light Development-3 and R-Light Impact zones in town. All zones are west of Route 130 in and around Cranbury’s village.
He said the properties included in those zones are the 52-acre Fischer parcel on South Main Street that is being considered for acquisition and two parcels already owned by the township the the 32-acre Updike parcel on Old Trenton Road and the 22-acre Hagerty property on South Main Street.
Mr. Moskowitz said these properties are prospective locations for active recreation because they are closest to the center of town.
